Philip B. Harris photographs of Los Angeles railway surveys and World War I France, 1901-1920s

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Summary

Abstract:
A collection of photographs compiled or created by Philip B. Harris of railroad construction and survey work in the Los Angeles area, 1901-1920s, and photographs of soldiers, ruins, and other scenes in World War I France.
Extent:
2.76 Linear Feet (3 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Philip B. Harris photographs of Los Angeles railway surveys and World War I France, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains photographs taken or compiled by Philip B. Harris, related to his 42-year career with the Los Angeles Railway and his service as a captain in the U.S. Army Engineers, World War I. The majority of railroad construction scenes are related to the Los Angeles Railway, approximately 1905-1920s. Images include: construction and engineering work on railroads in the Los Angeles area; Harris and other men working on surveying projects, 1902, in Mount Lowe and Garvanza; survey parties in the California Sierras and San Bernardino Mountains. Some images appear to depict the Pacific Electric Railway construction surveying party that Harris was put in charge of soon after he graduated, in 1901. A photograph album, 1901-approximately 1919, includes views of Redondo Beach; personal images of Harris and family members; San Pedro Harbor; and railroad tracks being laid for a streetcar line. Several images show Latino workers digging and laying tracks, approximately 1903. The album has handwritten captions for several photographs, but many scenes are unidentified. The images of World War I France include 52 photographs by Harris, with some commercial photographic postcards. Images show war ruins; decorated graves; battlefields; soldiers; people at train stations; countryside scenes, and a group portrait of Harris and other uniformed soldiers at Roymeaux Field, May 21, 1919. There are also photographic postcards of various tourist scenes in France and war-damaged buildings. Box 3 contains a rolled panoramic photograph of over 100 soldiers, including Harris, of the U.S. Army 22nd Corps of Engineers, 1918, at Fort Harrison, Indiana. The collection also includes a typewritten biographical sketch of Harris and a list of names and addresses of engineers and railroad workers from Harris' address book.

Biographical / historical:

Philip B. Harris (1879-1955) studied civil engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and in 1901 started working for the Pacific Electric Railway Company. In 1903, he became Assistant Engineer of the Los Angeles Railway, where he would spend almost his entire career. In 1906, he transferred briefly to the San Bernardino Traction Company and the Los Angeles & Redondo Railway Company. In 1910, he returned to the Los Angeles Railway as Superintendent of Construction and Maintenance. During World War I he left to serve as a captain with the U.S. Army's 22nd Engineers in France. After the war he returned to the Los Angeles Railway as Chief Engineer, then eventually rose to President and General Manager from 1939 until his retirement in 1945.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Roger S. Rees, August 1967.
Custodial history:

The donor's mother, Edna Rees, was Philip B. Harris' executor. Donor Roger S. Rees was an employee in the Power Department of the Los Angeles Railway.

Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff, circa late-20th century. In 2020, Suzanne Oatey created a finding aid derived from a collection file.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Philip B. Harris photographs of Los Angeles railway surveys and World War I France, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2129
reference@huntington.org
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