The Mercantile's Barriger Curator, Nick Fry, will discuss and show one of the true gems of our railroad collection: the John W. Barriger III Scrapbooks. This collection of 33 volumes of photographs, mainly of railroads, showcases John Barriger’s deep appreciation of the industry and provides a photographic record of North American Railroads from the 1910s to the 1960s. Most images were taken during the 1930s when Barriger was working for the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and out in the field inspecting railroads as they applied for loans from the government. Barriger took copious notes and thousands of photographs that provide documentation about railroads and the communities they served on the eve of the Second World War. This collection forms the nucleus of the John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library and serves as a valuable resource for scholars and the general public to this day.
This is a hybrid event. Advance registration is required and space is limited. Refreshments, snacks and coffee included.