Arrive at your research destination with Hagley's collections on transportation history. Our extensive collections show how different transportation networks developed throughout American history.
Subject Strengths |
||
Canals |
Open the locks into canal history. In 1975, Hagley's Regional Economic History Research Center began investigating Mid-Atlantic transportation history. In 1981, the Center published a robust data set and map series entitled Canals and Railroads of the Mid-Atlantic States, 1800-1860. Other holdings include engineering notebooks, surveys, company letterbooks, published reports, and government publications. |
|
Railroads |
|
All aboard the archives of two major railroad giants: the Reading Company and the Pennsylvania Railroad (a.k.a. "the Standard Railroad of the World"). Hagley also has records from regional rail and transit systems. Supplementing these are personal papers, oral histories, publications, and collections from individual collectors. |
Shipping and shipbuilding |
|
Full steam ahead into Hagley's ship collections. Hagley holds collections from Bethlehem Shipbuilding, Pusey & Jones, and Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. Researchers can find shipping records from wholesale drug firm Lanman & Kemp, the Philadelphia commercial house Dutilh & Wachsmuth, and more. |
Automobiles |
|
Hit the open road with Hagley's automotive holdings. These include collections from manufacturer Budd Company and the National Automobile Dealers Association. Hagley also has the vast collection on automotive history from Z. Taylor Vinson. It includes trade catalogs, books, magazines, prints, and artifacts. |
Aeronautics |
Soar into Hagley collections on aviation. Flight has captured the imagination of humans for centuries. At Hagley, you’ll find materials on 18th-century ballooning, aerial photography pioneers, and modern commercial, civil, and military aviation. These collections provide insight into commercial aviation practices and navigational technology development. |
Research guidesLearn more about our collections relating to the history of transportation. |
|
|
|
|
Lithograph by Ernest Montaut, circa 1906. Z. Taylor Vinson collection of transportation lithographs (Acc. 2010.203).
Explore FurtherSelected digital resources related to transportation history at Hagley. Collecting Paper Cars: Z. Taylor Vinson's Collection of Automobile Advertising A Bird's Eye View of the Delaware Valley: The Dallin Aerial Survey Company Pennsylvania Railroad negatives Lammot du Pont, Jr. aeronautical collection Pusey and Jones Corporation photographs
|
Pennsylvania Railroad K-4 steam locomotives, before and after streamlining. Conrail photographs (Acc. 1993.231). |
Top image credits (left to right): Donald Lyons getting expert advice on his toy train from Billy Jones, Southern Pacific locomotive engineer, 1939 (Acc. 1993.230). Launch of U.S. Coast Guard cutter Algonquin at Pusey and Jones Corp. shipyard in Wilmington, Delaware, 1934 (Acc. 1972.350). Women with Subaru Sambar Van, image from "This is Fuji Heavy Industries" brochure, circa 1966 (Acc. 20200108.ZTV). Aviator Ruth Elder leaning out of plane window, circa 1928 (Acc. 1975.360).