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Guide to the Transit Authority Photographs
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Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator | New York (State). Metropolitan Transportation Authority | |
| Title | Transit Authority Photographs , | |
| Dates: | 1916-1956 | |
| Abstract: | The Transit Authority Photographs (302 photographs, 1916-1956) document the Authority's Independent Rockaway Line (148 photographs, 1953-1956) and proposed Independent subway lines in Brooklyn. | |
| Extent: | 302 photographs, 1 cubic foot | |
| Identification: | T-7 | |
| Location: | The material is located in the Archives at Queens Library. | |
Historical/Biographical Note
In August of 1922, New York City Mayor John Hylan first proposed the construction of the Independent Subway System (better known as the IND), intended as New York’s first city-owned subway line, in competition with the privately-owned Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) and Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit (BMT) systems. However, the city lacked the legal authority to actually build the IND, as jurisdiction over rapid transit development rested with the New York State Transit Commission. While running for governor in 1922 Democratic candidate Al Smith promised that, if elected, he would abolish the Transit Commission, blaming it for delaying subway construction and accusing the state bureaucrats of planning a fare hike. Although Smith won the gubernatorial campaign the Republican majority in the State Assembly blocked his attempts to kill the Transit Commission. Finally in February 1924 the Assembly passed a compromise bill which saved the Transit Commission, but ceded control of municipal rapid transit to a newly-created New York City Board of Transportation.
Construction of the first IND subway began in 1925. Some of the earliest photographs in this collection were commissioned by the Board of Transportation to document the IND’s proposed routes in Brooklyn, as well as the subway’s construction from beginning to end.
Following the passage of the Transit Authority Act in 1953, the Board of Transportation became the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA). A series of photographs from around this time, taken after the Long Island Railroad’s Rockaway Beach branch was purchased by the City of New York, document the line’s reconstruction as the IND Rockaway line.
In 1968, the Metropolitan Commuter Transit Authority (MCTA), which was originally responsible for running commuter railroads in Greater New York City and its surrounding counties, took over the operations of the NYCTA and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA). The resulting organization was renamed the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).
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Scope and Content Note
The series IND Rockaway Line Photographs document the IND Rockaway subway line during its first years under the New York City Transit Authority. Prior to 1950 the line was part of the Long Island Rail Road. Following a track fire which destroyed the trestle across Jamaica Bay the LIRR decided to abandon the line entirely. In 1953 the City of New York purchased the line, which was repaired and reopened in June of 1956. Service to the Mott Avenue-Far Rockaway station resumed in January of 1958. The photographs in this series show stations and track along the Rockaway line before, during and after reconstruction.
The series IND Subway Photographs consists of pictures taken along the proposed routes of the IND Church Avenue, Fulton Street and Brooklyn-Queens Crosstown Lines in Brooklyn. The photographs show sites where construction was to take place, properties which would be affected by the construction, and the construction work in progress.
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Arrangement
Each photograph has a letter-number code which was originally assigned to it by the Transit Authority. To this we have added the code letters “TA”, to distinguish this as the Transit Authority Collection. Physically, the photographs are in alphanumeric sequence by control number.
The photographs are in order by TA number; however, they fall into three distinct groups. The first of these is the IND Subway Photographs (149 photographs, 1928-1931); the second is the IND Rockaway Line Photographs (148 photographs, 1953-1956); and the third is Miscellaneous Photographs (5 photographs, 1916-1950).
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Creator of item, date of item (if known), identification of item, if a photograph its control number. The Transit Authority Photographs, Archives at Queens Library, Queens Borough Public Library.
Provenance
The Queens Borough Public Library purchased the photographs from Ron Marzlock.
Access Restrictions
Open for research without restrictions. Manuscripts are only available in the Archives at Queens Library, please call (718) 990-0770 for hours. Manuscript users will be required to complete the division's Manuscript Usage Form and deposit their photograph identification or Queens Borough Public Library card with a staff member. The identification will be returned to the user after she/he has returned the material. Manuscript users will deposit all their personal items behind the reference desk. Manuscript users must use the division's loose sheets of paper for note taking. To reiterate, no pen of any type is permitted. Paper and a pencil are available upon request. Manuscript users may be required to use special handling procedures depending on the conditions of the material.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
- Archives at Queens Library
- Queens Borough Public Library
- 89-11 Merrick Boulevard
- Jamaica, NY 11432
- Phone: (718) 990-0770.
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Access Points
Subject Organizations:
- New York (State). Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Subject Topics:
- Subways
Subject Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Far Rockaway (New York, N.Y.)
- Queens (New York, N.Y.)
Document Types:
- Photographs
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Inventory
[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.]
