Delson archives fundraising

[downeastrailfan]

Hello everyone,

I will be in Quebec over the holidays and I'm looking into visiting the CRHA archives. Everything about this place is expensive. Admission is $20, another $10 to access the archives, $40/hr archivist research fees, etc. For a 300 dpi photo scan, we are looking at $45 plus a 15% handling fee for each invoice.

I'm curious to find out what they have, but I can't afford all their fees. Is anyone willing to help? Here are the fees: http://www.exporail.org/fileadmin/image ... policy.pdf

[Dan Conlin]

Hi Matt,

I'd be happy to pledge $30 to cover your admission to the site and archives. Love to hear a report on how deep their DAR holdings are. I am not sure what the $40 archival search means in their fee schedule. If you are there, you'd be doing the searching, not them?? Anyways, good hunting. I have considered the same but can't seem to get away from work for a Montreal getaway.

Dan

[downeastrailfan]

Hello Dan,

Thank you. I appreciate it. Apparently, researchers are not permitted to search the archives. At $45 per photo scan, it will have to be something incredible. At a minimum, I'm hoping to compile a list of items of interest of the DAR and H&SW.

My girlfriend's family lives 1.5 hrs from Montreal, so a future visit to Delson shouldn't be too difficult.

I forwarded you my correspondence with the archivist.

[downeastrailfan]

Report from Delson:

I accessed the archives this week. When I arrived, I realized that I did not confirm my appointment, which is required two weeks in advance. However, the archivist was very accommodating. She quickly found three folders which turned up some amazing stuff: a response letter made by Montreal railfan Robert Brown with an inquiry made to Baldwin in 1931 (on beautifully scrolled letterhead), letters between Mr. Brown and Harold Jenkins from 1933, letters between Ray Corley and Omer Lavallée in 1962, and a DAR investor report from 1925, etc. I went with the cheapest option: photocopies at 50 cents each. Permission was granted to upload.

Since I didn't make the two week confirmation, I wasn't able to have the archivist access the primary source documentation. I get the feeling that we just skimmed the surface of Nova Scotia railway history though.

I discovered that CPR has donated their archives to Delson, including the Heckman photo collection. Permission still has to be granted from CPR for distribution. The CRHA has an extensive film collection which has not yet been digitized. I suspect there are fan trips to the Maritimes made by CRHA members at the end of the steam era.

I see that over 50 people have read this thread, but only one has responded. I enjoy research but I can't afford the fees at Delson. If you want to see the dardpi.ca wiki grow, donations from YOU, the reader, are necessary.

[stem]

How much did you end up spending Matt at Delson?

[downeastrailfan]

$17 admission + $24.50 for copies = $41.50.

[Dan Conlin]

Hi Matt,
Sounds like a successful reconnaissance. That is big news about the CPR archives going to Delson. It must be immense. It is good that it was kept together as there was a danger that it would be neglected or dispersed. Hope the CRHA makes it accessible. I'd love to look through those Heckman DAR albums. (Over a 100 photographs of the DAR in 1910!) I'll get a cheque for your pledge off in the mail.

Dan Conlin

[stem]

Do you do e-transfers Matt?

[briantrainman]

I would gladly support your Delson research. Let me and the others know how this can be done. Brian Lilly

[downeastrailfan]

Hello Brian,

Thank you for your support. I just submitted my application for a grant with the NS Museum under the cultural category: https://museum.novascotia.ca/grants

Fingers crossed!

If I get the grant, that should more than cover my expenses. Will keep everyone posted.

All except one document (which was cut off), have been uploaded. http://dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=C ... Collection My favourite is the letter from Baldwin, with a fancy, scrolled letterhead.

[downeastrailfan]

I finally got a response from the NS Museum. I was not successful with the research grant application.

I am still interested in research, but it will be limited now.

[stem]

Well that was disappointing not to mention it took long enough.

Why is it that when so many collections and fonds have been DONATED, that the cost to access them is prohibitive? I understand the cost of running a large museum is probably staggering but as Canada's "national" railway museum there is also the responsibility to to strike a balance. The hundreds of volunteers also helps keep costs down.

I think that some of the fees there are pretty steep. If you're already paying for an archivist's time why should you have to pay any more than the cost on photocopying and scanning? Here's the crazy thing - now that you have paid to have item "A" scanned, why should some other poor researcher have to pay for it again? If it was digitized, catalogued and published, then it never needs to be done again. The upfront cost have been paid for by the customer, the museum just has to do the cataloguing and publishing.

I think going forward, the DARDPI is still in front of the wave of realization that making these collections accessible through digitization and publication on the internet is the only way any museum is going to reduce costs and increase accessibility.

I see that the museum community has connected those dots thankfully over the last 10 years and are moving in this direction. Maybe some museums like Delson, just not fast enough.

[downeastrailfan]

So far one person has committed $100 to the cause. $40 has already been spent on one hour of research. Looking for additional sponsors.

[downeastrailfan]

Prices are Delson are prohibitive and I'm stopping research there until/if they are willing to come up with fair pricing.

In the meantime, I got a tip that the Pullman drawings and photos went to the Illinois Railway Museum. I'd like to research plans for Sans Pareil. Is this the only DAR car that was built by Pullman?

Also made contact with someone who has a laser cutter and is interested in making model car sides!

[stem]

I'm not happy with them either. No response to an email I sent a few weeks ago. I'l give the board time to discuss and reply mind you.

You said don't send a letter until you explored other paths. Have you finished with that now?

Pullman did build more cars:
http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... ry:Pullman