George F. Chalender Collection of Railroad Photographs photCL 177
Suzanne Oatey
The Huntington Library
June 2020
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library Photo Archives
Title: George F. Chalender collection of railroad photographs
Identifier/Call Number: photCL 177
Physical Description:
0.42 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1880s-1939
Abstract: A collection of 66 miscellaneous
photographs of railroad-related subjects, with many steam locomotives and several scenes of
train wrecks, late-19th to early-20th centuries.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
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.
[Identification of item]. George F. Chalender collection of railroad photographs, The
Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Arlene M. Anderson and John Waldron, 1971.
George Fox Chalender (1827-1892) was a railroad pioneer, executive, and inventor. He rose
through the railroad ranks to become superintendent of motive power of the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy Railroad, 1875-1880. In 1881, he was appointed superintendent of
motive power and machinery of the Atlantic & Pacific Railway.
A collection of 66 photographs (prints) of various railroad subjects, including steam
locomotives, stations, and many scenes of train wrecks, approximately 1880s-1939. Subjects
include the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad; Denver and Rio Grande Railroad; and
a set of six cabinet card photographs titled "View of the Great Railroad Wreck," showing the
wreckage (and crowds of people) of the disastrous 1887 Toledo, Peoria, and Western
Railroad's "Great Chatsworth Train Wreck" in Illinois. Other images include several
photographic postcards of trains and scenes of wrecks from 1939. Accompanying the
photographs is a 7-page typescript biography of Chalender, with his portrait.
Processed by Huntington Library staff, circa late-20th century. In 2020, Suzanne Oatey
created a finding aid derived from a catalog file and cards.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Locomotives
Railroad accidents
Railroads -- United States -- History -- Sources
Photographs
Box 1
George F. Chalender collection of railroad photographs