Boston Elevated Railway Photograph Album
name: label: Creator
content: Boston Elevated Railway Company
label: Former owner
content: Keith de Lellis Gallery
label: Collector
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
topic: label: Topic
content: Elevated railways
label: Topic
content: Transportation -- 1900-1910
label: Topic
content: Transportation -- 1900-1910 -- Photographs
label: Topic
content: Construction workers
label: Topic
content: Streetcars
label: Topic
content: Trams
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection purchased from Keith Douglas de Lellis, dealer, 1984.
creator: label: Creator
content: Boston Elevated Railway Company
setName: label: See more items in
content: Boston Elevated Railway Photograph Album
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection documents the construction of the Boston Elevated Railway in Boston, Massachusetts circa 1899-1901.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: The Boston Elevated Railway Company built tracking and supports for elevated railway cars in Boston between 1899 and 1901. These railways were created to connect suburbs to central Boston.  The tracking was combined with the new subway system, creating new routes for transportation for 20th century Boston.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: .15 Cubic feet (1 box)
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1899-1901, undated
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Collection transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Work & Industry in February 2022.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1531
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Cyanotypes
label: Type
content: Photograph albums
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Collection is arranged in one series.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist, 2023. Finding aid encoded by Audrey Willius, intern, 2023.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Cyanotypes
label: Genre/Form
content: Photograph albums -- 19th century
scopecontent: label: Content Description
content: Collection consists of cyanotype photographs documenting the construction of the Boston Elevated Railway, Boston, Massachusetts circa 1899-1901. There are photographs of the Charleston Bridge in progress, equipment in use, workers, and Boston street views. Specifically, there are images of the Wheelwright building, the Waverly house, Sullivan Square, the Lincoln Wharf Power Station, Sullivan Square Station, Dewey Square, Lincoln Power Station, and North Station. The album also includes group photographs of workers. Included in the album is a short undated newspaper clipping about the company.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution


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Division of Transportation Street Railways Reference Collection, NMAH.AC.1575

Other Repositories

Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Boston Elevated Railway, Elevated Mainline, Washington Street, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, HAER MASS,13-BOST,127


Northeastern University, University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston Elevated Railway Company Library Records, M150