Early to mid 20th century 18.5" x 16.5" black cloth album with 357 black-and-white vernacular photographs, all of railroad workers, all men, typically 7" x 5" solo portraits. Many photos have the subject's name written in white ink, scratched out, or affixed with cellophane tape to them; affixed to pages with glue. A dozen or so group photos at rear. A few pieces of ephemera and newspaper articles laid in such as certificate of service for locomotive engineer Robert B. McCalley from Southern Pacific Company 1881-1923, mounted on black paper, signed by the president of the company. "Portland Division Engineer's Seniority List. May 1898" with names of different employees and the start dates listed, single sheet, affixed to page toward rear. Single photo of a railroad disaster included. Very Good overall, cloth frayed along edges, browning from glue to pages and photos, a few photos loose, a number barely holding on. An evocation of the various men who worked on American railroads in the early to mid 20th century, a few posed in studios, the majority outside by trains or houses, with little contextual information. Perhaps they were all employees of the same railroad; there is no info given. Most of the subjects were middle-aged or older at the time these photos were taken. Nearly all their faces exhibit a certain tempered toughness that seems to have quietly vanished from the world at some point in the past few decades. That's one reason to enjoy this collection, apart from its obvious appeal to railroad enthusiasts and historians. Seller Inventory # 140941666

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Bibliographic Details

Title: Photo album of 357 vernacular portraits of ...

Publisher: [No Publisher], [No Place]

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We're a general antiquarian bookshop in Portland, Oregon, welcoming visitors by appointment. We specialize in literature, modern first editions and rare nonfiction. Member ABAA, ILAB.

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Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
OR, U.S.A.

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