I just found out that a family member has in his possesion a set of original plan & elevation drawing set and we are trying to find out if this set is worth something. Worst case scenario if not, we’ll keep the set preserve it, copy it, and I’ll use the copy to model my next layout. The cover of the set reads as follows:
Plan & Elevation Drawing for the Raising the Providence Division of the Old Colony Railroad.Westchester Park and Blakemore Street in the City of Boston.Date: Nov 1892. Engineer: S.L.Minot
Description: The set is bound canvas drawings with each drawing hand signed by (3) commisioners, EB Bishop, HC Southworth, and one other that I cannot read the name.
Any idea what these could be worth? I would imagine that since they are in excellent condition considering the year they would be worth quite a bit to the right person or institution.
Please see below for a link to the pictures of the cover page and a sample of the blueprints contents.
A used book store that specializes in old manuscripts and the like would be one source. Another might be to contact insurance company that covers “ephemera” or other collectibles.
You might want to try asking this question on the New Haven Railroad Historical & Technical Association’s New Haven Forum at www.nhrhta.org
The New Haven, of course, bought the Old Colony in 1893 (after the OCRR had bought the Boston & Providence RR in 1889). While there might be an OCRR historical group around somewhere on the 'net, the NHRHTA is by far the larger organization (and is also the first single-railroad SIG). There are many OCRR fans in the NHRHTA, so you might get a better idea what someone is willing to pay for this treasure.
You may, or may not, get some decent money from this. I’ve seen some things I wouldn’t pay a $1 for go for $50, and I’ve seen stuff I’d pay $50 for that I got for a dollar. You never know. I guess eBay would be the best place to try to sell it for the most you can, but I’d wait until after the holidays when people will have money.
If you are just looking just to donate it, the best place is the Dodd Research Center of UCONN in Storrs, CT. http://railroads.uconn.edu/
The UCONN archives are a 1st class preservation for paper articles dealing with southern New England railroading. The NYNH&H itself donated all their own corporate documents to UCONN, and many collectors have donated their own collections to the archive.
I have been there several times doing research. I have seen a similar plan book at UCONN showing the original layout of the Union Freight Rail Road (through the streets of Boston).
The only other place I would donate something like that to would be the Mass. Archives in Boston. It’s near the JFK/UMass stop on the Red Line. The Mass. Archives have public documents dating way back and are also 1st rate, but they are not railroad orientated.
It looks to be in good shape. I agree that a book dealer with an understanding of specialized paper like this would be a good first stop. For giggles, you could also research similar documents via eBay, and see what they’ve gone for. Check also with your state historical society.
I’ll second this statement. A quick way to preserve the information on these drawings is to lay it on a table large enough to hold one of the whole pages, or even the floor, press it as flat as possible, and shoot a digital photo of it, as close to square-on as possible. Repeat for each page. Set your camera for the highest possible resolution (number of pixels) for the best detail. If possible, borrow a camera with at least 10 Megapixels per photo. Make digital copies and store the media at several different locations.
I know this sounds like overkill, but the rarity and century-plus age of these documents makes the preservation of the info important. Plus the media (recordable CD’s) will be cheap.
The commercial copy shops that surveyors and architects use can copy very large documents. As an historian I have had copies over 5 x 4 feet made of antique maps. Some will be able to even place a digital file on CD for you. The cost is often by the square foot and will probably be less than you expect.