Swartz Testing
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No requestable containers at this level.
Content Description
The bulk of this collection (about 40 cubic feet) is photographs of trains and locomotives of various railroad companies in the United States in the 19th and 20th century. Photos date from the mid-1800s to mid-1900s with the bulk between 1895 and 1930. These photos include black-and-white and color photographs, reproductions, and slides. The collection also includes railroad publications including periodicals, newsletters, newspaper clippings, railroad timetables, and the Wabash River Basin Study. In addition, included are railroad records containing construction numbers, photograph lists, and locomotive rosters. Two boxes of artifacts are also in the collection.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1800s - 1990s
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1930 - 1969
Access Information
Majority of the collection is open for research. Some portions of the Images series continues to be processed and may be unavailable.
Biographical Information
William “Bill” Arthur Swartz was born December 26, 1925, in Peru, Indiana, to William Arthur Swartzwelder (1884 - 1954) and Elizabeth F. Hay (1896 - 1980). His father was the Chief Dispatcher of the C & O (Chesapeake & Ohio Railway) of Indiana, and later the Inspector of Transportation. Swartz enjoyed taking photos of steam engines, in particular, and traveled with a 5x7 Graphamatic Kodak camera. He also played concert organ at a military school in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Swartz married Erma Lou (1927-1985) and eventually worked for GTE (General Telephone and Electric) in Marion, Ohio. He died on October 21, 1987, in Marion, Ohio and buried with his wife in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Peru, Indiana. Swartz’s will specified that his collection of locomotive photographs was to be donated to the Engineering Library at Purdue University, which indicated reception of these materials in its 1987-88 Annual Report. The collection was transferred by Amanda Gill of the Engineering Library to the Purdue University Archives on February 19, 2011. Notes from this transfer indicate that Purdue received the photographs in the collection while the negatives were donated to another individual or institution. The annual report indicated that Mr. Swartz was a former Purdue student, but alumnus status has not been confirmed.
(Sources: Swartz Collection File, Railway Preservation News (rypn.org), findagrave.com)
Extent
53 Cubic Feet (Received Extent)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The William Swartz collection of locomotive photogrpahs, publications, and records is arranged by material type into four series. Series 1, 2, and 4 are further divided into sub-series that further specify material content.
1. Publications
1 - Periodicals
2 - Newspaper Clippings
3 - Timetables
4 - Wabash River Basin Study
2. Records
1 - Construction Numbers
2 - Photograph Lists
3 - Energy Information Association (EIA) Microcomputer Products
4 - Locomotive Rosters
File Level: Wabash Diagrams
3. Artifacts
4. Images
1 - Original Photos
2 - Enlargements
3 - Slides
Acquisition Information
In his will, Swartz specified that his collection of locomotive photographs was to be donated to the Engineering Library at Purdue University, which indicated reception of these materials in its 1987-88 Annual Report. The collection was transferred by Amanda Gill of the Engineering Library to the Purdue University Archives on February 19, 2011.
Physical Condition
Items are generally in good condition, however, some photos are severely curved. When these were rehoused in acid-free boxes, acid-free stabilizers were added to provide support and prevent further bending. Some newspaper clippings and periodicals are brittle and fragile.
Processing Information
Materials have been divided largely by type for consistency and ease of access, but original order has been maintained as far as could be determined once it was received by the Purdue Archives. When possible, materials have been placed in acid-free folders.
Collection creator had separated most photographs by railway, though multiple sections of some railways were found. These were condensed into one entry per railway according to photo size. A large portion of the Original Photos sub-series were mounted onto paper and housed in 3-ring binders. These have been scanned onto archival paper, removed from the binders, re-housed in acid-free folders, and any additional details have been recorded in a spreadsheet.
Correspondence was originally filed throughout materials as it pertained to certain items, and these were generally kept with the respective material.
Some photos are experiencing curling and acid-free stabilizers have been included for support.
Boxes in the Images series have been renumbered beginning with Box 100 in order to allow processing and re-boxing to continue more easily. Once processed and placed in new boxes, re-numbering pattern continues in the lower numbers, and boxes numbered over 100 will no longer be needed.
- Title
- William A. Swartz collection of locomotive photographs, publications, and records
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Amanda Rumba
- Date
- 2023-06-14
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Edition statement
- First edition.
Repository Details
Part of the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Repository
504 Mitch Daniels Boulevard
West Lafayette Indiana 47907 United States
765-494-2839
archives@purdue.edu