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Register of the Middlebrook Photographs of San Diego & Arizona Railway Locomotives
MSS 438
MSS 438
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Title: Middlebrook Photographs of San Diego & Arizona Railway Locomotives
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 438
Contributing Institution:
Mandeville Special Collections Library
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, California, 92093-0175
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.2 Linear feet
(one archives box)
Date (inclusive): 1910 - 1948
Abstract: The Middlebrook Photographs of San Diego & Arizona Railway Locomotives is comprised of black & white negatives and gelatin
silver prints from 1910-1948. The collection documents the San Diego & Arizona Railway and includes images of locomotive engines,
railcars, rail workers, and track scenes.
Creator:
Middlebrook, R. P.
R.P. Middlebrook worked as a locomotive engineer for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF). Because of his interest
in trains, he photographed, wrote about, and collected materials related to locomotives and railroad history. Several of Middlebrook's
articles were published in the
The Journal of San Diego History.
Original negatives are restricted; patrons can view the images online.
Not Available
Middlebrook Photographs of San Diego & Arizona Locomotives, MSS 438. Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD.
Scope and Contents of Collection
The Middlebrook Photographs of San Diego & Arizona Railway Locomotives is comprised of black & white negatives and prints
of locomotive engines, railcars, and track scenes in Southern California and Mexico. The images document the San Diego & Arizona
Railway (SD&A), a short line railroad founded by John D. Spreckels, later named the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway (SD&AE).
The collection is arranged in two series: 1) NEGATIVES and 2) PHOTOGRAPHS.
SERIES 1: NEGATIVES
The NEGATIVES series is comprised of forty-three images scanned from original negatives taken by R.P. Middlebrook. The bulk
of the negatives were nitrate film, which after scanning, were removed from the collection. Two original safety film negatives
remain and are restricted. A copy of Middlebrook's list of negatives is also found in the collection and the folder list was
transcribed from this list.
SERIES 2: PHOTOGRAPHS
The PHOTOGRAPHS series contains four contact prints made from the original negatives, as well as seven gelatin silver prints
from negatives not located in this collection. Along with images of locomotive engines and railroad scenes, several images
include engineers and yard crews posed with the trains. One additional photograph is labeled "Movie company in Carizzo Gorge,"
and shows a group posed with two locomotive engines.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Company -- Photographs.
San Diego & Arizona Railway -- Photographs.
Locomotives -- Arizona -- Photographs
Locomotives -- California -- San Diego -- Photographs
Locomotives -- Mexico -- Photographs