Description
This collection consists of railroad
and electric railway photographs, ephemera and publications, 1829-2010, with the bulk of
material from the early- to mid-20th century. The materials are chiefly focused on steam and
diesel locomotives, major railroads, and interurban passenger railways of the United States
and Canada. Also represented are shortline and narrow-gauge railroads, other foreign
railroads, streetcars and urban light rail transit.
Background
Donald Duke (1929-2010) was a publisher, writer, railroad photographer and collector. He
was born in Los Angeles and, from the age of 10, lived in San Marino, California. He grew up
riding the Pacific Electric Railway, which stopped two blocks from his home, embarking on a
love for trains and train photography, which he shared with his father. After graduating
from Colorado College, he worked in sales for Mobil Oil, and later as an agent for General
Steamship Corporation. In the 1950s, Duke formed his own publishing company, Pacific
Railroad Publications; it later became Golden West Books, incorporated in 1960. Duke
published over a hundred books on trains and railroads, written by himself or other railroad
historians. Many of the photographs and pieces of ephemera in this collection appeared in
Golden West Books publications. Duke also wrote articles for and edited the Pacific Railway Journal and the Branding
Iron quarterly for the Los Angeles Corral of Westerners. He was a member of the
Lexington Group of railroad historians, founding member of Orange Empire Railway Museum in
Perris, California, and active in several other train, rail and locomotive historical
societies. He was a longtime reader at the Huntington Library, where he bequeathed his
collection of over 2,000 railroad books and trade journals.
Extent
64.63 Linear Feet
(89 boxes)
Restrictions
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.
Availability
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.