Photo Sources

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

	The following has been posted on numerous other mail lists as well as several news groups so it may be 
old hat to some on this list.  But since my search for photographs centered on Pittsburgh, this is where it 
belongs.

	If *you* have purchased photos over the years  --  particularly of PRCo, West Penn, and Johnstown  --  
please put together a similar listing and post it to the mail list so all might benefit.

THANKS!!

Jim Holland

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S-U-M-M-A-R-Y:   Vane Jones wrote on the cover of his *Traction & Models* magazine:

		"Knowledge is of no value until shared with others."

	Hopefully, this listing will benefit others in a search for photos as well as suggest possible new 
sources.  While this listing does not begin to scratch the surface of available *hard copy* photographic 
sources (old-fashioned silver-halide photos and color printed in a darkroom), it is a beginning.  And although 
my search centered on photos for Pittsburgh Railways Company (PRCo) of Pittsburgh, PA, with a secondary 
interest in West Penn and Johnstown of PA, many of these photographers offer a wide variety of 
*Streetcar-Interurban-Railroad* (*S-I-R*) properties.

*-* This list was compiled in the Fall of 1998; prices and currency rates are subject to change since then! *-*

	Commercial sources are listed first with other sources following and each is listed alphabetically.  
All photo sources represent collections from a wide variety of photographers so quality can vary on this basis.

	***Please remember that traction demand is sparse and whether a commercial or personal project, 
including an SASE and several dollars for lists is very helpful.***  Excess will be credited and/or gladly 
refunded.  Even traction organizations (like museums) use volunteer help and *going the extra mile* is a 
benefit to you and to them.  ***My experience in doing business with each one is excellent!***

	Many *S-I-R* properties have changed names a couple times over the years.  If this is the case, be sure 
to specify each road name to get the lists which interest you.

	Without exception, the pricing for prints is a bargain.  Because black and white has been all but 
buried by color photography, B&W labs are hard to come by.  ***I paid $9.00 for an 8X10 black and white print 
here in San Francisco!  All the prints below are considerably less.***  Also, please remember that prices are 
subject to change; some of the prices I quote might be one or two years old.

COMMERCIAL:    +++++++++++++++++++

Railroad Avenue Enterprises (RRE)
P. O.  Box 114
Flanders
NJ 07836

	Catalog is $1.00 but the catalog is constantly being updated.  When ordering the catalog, *be specific* 
about the properties which interest you to get a *complete* listing as not all photos are entered into the main 
catalog.  Covers a wide variety of *S-I-R* properties coast to coast.  **8X10 photos cost $2.50 or less 
dependent on the number ordered.**  For PRCo the subject content is excellent with the period covered from 
about 1945 to 1955, a few later!  In addition, RRE publishes *S-I-R* books and they have a collection of videos 
as well.  Delivery time is about 30 days.  Their ads might be seen in *Railfan and Railroad.*

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ben Rohrbeck
1003 North Chester Road
West Chester, PA 19380

	Ben has duplicate slides, videos, books (NO B&W prints) about PA trolleys (and a few outside PA).  
Duplicate Slides are $1.25 each.  Send an SASE and ask for price list or send him $5.00 and be specific as to 
what you want in lists; he will credit you the balance.  Ben has *slides on video* in the same order as on his 
lists.  This is an excellent way to review the pictures and to decide which ones you want as a slide copy.  
About 4-6 weeks delivery time.

PERSONAL:    +++++++++++++++++++++

John Brinckman
404 Lanny Lane
Winchester
VA 22601

	With a collection of several thousand negatives covering more than 160 different Street Railway, 
Interurban, Elevated, Subway, and Rapid Transit properties from Coast to Coast in Canada and the U.S., there is 
certainly plenty to choose from!  Quoting from Mr. Brinckmann's information:  "Prints are furnished in several 
sizes, recommending 5X7" for optimum viewing and for 'dodging' to lighten or darken certain areas and for 
uniformity of size.  Prints can also be made in 8X10" size and for a limited time (as paper stock remains) in 
contact size without the benefit of "dodging."  Mr. Eastman has given up on contact paper and when this is gone 
there will be no more.  Bear in mind that negatives range from approximately 2X3" up to postcard and contact 
prints are processed in actual size.  Due to dimensions of 116 negatives when printed full length they do not 
fill out completely at top or bottom of 5X7" or 8X10."  All prints are black and white.  Contact size, $1.00; 
5X7" $2.25; 8X10" $4.00 plus $2.00 per order for shipping."   The large negative size allows for excellent 
print detail and clarity.  Send about $4.00 for a sample print, list of companies, and lists for specific 
properties.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Joseph M. Canfield
129  KyFields
Weaverville
NC  28787-9469

	Duplicate slides between $1-$2.  Very interesting composition and locations; many shots are from other 
than the typical railfan locations giving the content a very fresh appearance.  He has 281 PRCo slides of PRCo 
for $220 or you can order individually or in other groupings; i.e., all the 1100 series cars, North Side cars, 
interurbans, etc.  Also has slides for other eastern traction properties.  Delivery time varies with 
availability and copying volume but I ordered the above set and received them in TEN DAYS!  The quality of the 
slides is average to very good yet location and composition are excellent and I am more than satisfied with the 
set.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

M. D. McCarter
PO Box 1569
Camp Verde,
AZ  86322-1569

	Mr. McCarter is a retired professional photographer with a hobby of railroading.  He has combined the 
two by purchasing photo collections and negatives, some of which have appeared in many if not most *S-I-R* 
books.  He learned photography in his teens in the twenties from two brothers who started their business in the 
1880's and does his own work in one of four labs he built.  His 900 page catalog has over 46,300 listings on 
all systems and costs $80.00, *BUT* you can order individual pages for ten cents each and return them unmarked 
for a refund!  Purchasing the INDEX for $3.00 will list all properties and the page numbers where prints for 
that property are located.  5X7 prints are $3.00; 8X10 are $5.00;  11X14 are $10.00; 16X20 are $25.00 with a 
10% discount for orders over $50.00.  Delivery time is about 30 days.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

National Railway Historical Society
W. E. (Bill) Christian, Jr.
North Jersey Chapter
50  First  Street
Milltown
NJ 08850-1835
1.732.828.0424

	Prints are contracted out; you are billed AFTER the order is filled.  Between $4-$5 for 8X10.  Bill 
said that the quality on many of the original negatives (for my PRCo order) was not good and offered to print 
the best.  I took them all because they dated to the 1940's and it is difficult to find that material 
(photography was not the hobby it is today and good cameras were very expensive - the photographer could only 
work with what was available to him.)  Many *S-I-R* properties in the east as far as Detroit.  Turn around time 
varies because printer works part time; please allow 6-8 weeks.

	This photographer probably resided in New Jersey and visited Pittsburgh, leaving his collection with 
the North Jersey Chapter of NRHS.  Check the local chapters of the NRHS within at least a 500 mile radius of 
your home, maybe even more.  Addresses for local chapters are at this web site:  
http://www.rrhistorical.com/nrhs/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

William P. Nixon
166 McMichael Road
Carnegie,
PA  15106-1461
email:  bnixon+ at pitt.edu

	Bill has a collection of *S-I-R* photographs in addition to trolley bus as black & white or color 
prints (slides are not available at this time but should be forth coming.)  Both color and B&W 8X10 prints are 
$6.00 each, 10% discount for orders over $100, 15% discount for three or more of same negative.  The PRCo list 
is heavy with car yard shots.  Turn around time varies since Bill waits to send batches of negatives to the 
printer; please allow several months.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM)
"One"  Museum  Road
Washington
PA  15301

	While the museum does not have photos for sale at the present time, they do have many publications 
relative to Pittsburgh, West Penn, and Johnstown in addition to other Pennsylvania and a few Ohio properties.  
If this area interests you, you might contact the bookstore for available items.  The museum also has a web 
site:  http://www.pa-trolley.org/

	If your interests lie elsewhere, check the museum listing web site to locate a museum near your area of 
interest:  http://www.clark.net/pub/jltoth/rr_museums.html#BSM.  Many publish calendars, as does PTM, which are 
a gold mine of photos at bargain prices.  Museums are also a good source of postcards, the next best thing to 
photographs!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lars Richter
P.O. Box 110661
D-20406 Hamburg
Germany
email:  bs at tramway.com

	Lars has duplicate *unmounted* slides for sale from around the world with a tremendous selection from 
the U.S. dating back into the early 50's, some into the 40's.  Prices start at 2.00 Deutschmarks (DEM), which 
is about $1.20 at current exchange rates, for 100 or less plus postage.  Lars also offers Kodak CDs custom made 
from a choice of 60,000 slides for 199 DEM plus postage, about $120.00.  Email Lars at bs at tramway.com and be 
specific as to your wants and he will email you a list.  A thirty day turnaround is not unusual!  In a real 
labor of love, Lars has created a graphics intensive (might take a moment or two to load!) PCC Gallery at 
http://www.tramway.com/photos/bs_foto_pcc.htm.  Also, check out his homepage:  http://www.tramway.com/BSGB.HTM.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scholes Photos
1423 Kelvin Court
Cincinnati
OH 45240-2334

	With over 13,700 black and white scenes from over 180 traction systems, you are bound to find something 
you like here!  Computer list and sample print is $5.00.  Cliff also has over 4,250 duplicate color slides from 
over 170 systems in North America and this list and sample slide is $1.50.  You may request these lists on 
computer disk which then allows you to select and sort by car number if you wish.  His standard print is 3X5 
for $1.10 each; ask about prices for larger sizes.  Duplicate slides are $1.25.  Delivery times vary; please 
allow 6-8 weeks.  His ads might be seen in *Trolley Talk* or other traction publications.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Harold A. Smith
PO Box 863510
Ridgewood, NY  11386

	Harold does his own photo lab work, 8X10 black and white about $3.00,  and divides the order into about 
15-20 in a batch every three  weeks.  The photos are mostly *car shots* (for the PRCo collection) but 
occasionally have good background as well.  He also has color laser prints, 3X5 for about $1 each; he can quote 
you prices on other sizes.  Hal says people either love or hate the laser prints -- no in between.  They are 
different but easy to get used to.  Some laser content is priceless.  In addition to Pittsburgh, Hal also 
offers prints for some other eastern trolley systems.  He published *Touring Pittsburgh by Trolley* which is a 
90-page photo album dating from the late 50's thru the early years of PAT and just published another book on a 
New York property.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

	Check back issues of *Trolley Talk,* *Traction & Models,* and other current traction and railroad, 
model and prototype, publications for advertizements of photos for sale.  I went back 15-20 years with good 
fortune in finding available photos!

	Protect your photos by using *archival sleeves;* normal plastic sleeves contain acid which will chew up 
the photos.  DO NOT mix photos with "printed" pictures, i.e., those on postcards, from calendars, or cut from 
magazines, in the same sleeve with photographs because of acid content in the paper.  Check with local photo 
shops and independent labs for recommendations and get a catalog where possible.  They are made to hold 
different sizes of photos and slides.  Get plain photo albums in your choice of color that have three "D" rings 
and with your word processor you can design photo-ready copy for dry transfer lettering for the albums.  This 
is tremendously less expensive than ordering albums already printed, and your choice is not limited to *25 
characters, two lines, two styles of fonts.*  Check the yellow pages for dry transfer lettering in your area.

Jim Holland

mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net