The collection was donated to the Division of Engineering and Industry (now known as the Division of Work & Industry), National Museum of American History, Smithsonian, by Donald H. Morrison in June, 1990.
Processed by Kendra Ciccone (intern), Kimberley Rowe (intern), Neendoniss Adams (intern), and Alisha McCullick (intern); supervised by Alison Oswald (archivist).
Grand Central Terminal Collection, dates, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
The collection is arranged into four series.
Subseries 1, Histories, 1850-1961
Subseries 2, Newspaper and Magazine Clippings, 1904-1920
Subseries 3, Donald H. Morrison Materials, 1910-1978
Subseries 4, Miscellaneous, 1831-1920
Subseries 5, Booklets and Pamphlets, 1851-1935
Subseries 1, Annual Reports, 1913
Subseries 2, Minutes, 1915-1916
Subseries 3, Notebooks, 1903-1914
Subseries 4, Correspondence, 1897-1929
Subseries 5, Reports, 1905-1916
Subseries 6, Financial Expenditures, 1903-1933
Subseries 7, Agreements, 1899-1912
Subseries 8, Specifications, 1906-1919
Subseries 1, Progress Photographs (by volume), 1903-1921
Subseries 2, Miscellaneous Photographs, 1880s-1929, undated
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
The Grand Central Terminal Collection documents the history and construction of Grand Central Terminal and the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad terminal in Manhattan. The collection covers a wide range of activities with the bulk of the material dating from 1900 through the 1920s. Some of the more notable materials include bound volumes of blue-line photographs documenting the construction progress of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Terminal.
The collection contains several black-and-white photographs, the most remarkable of which are four undated photographs depicting large crowds of New York Central Railroad employees at a celebration in Victory Way featuring towering pyramids of captured German helmets. The collection also contains several drawings previously held by Donald H. Morrsion, a terminal engineer and the collection's donor. The plans for a proposed 55-story office building to be erected above Grand Central Terminal are accompanied by Morrison's notes.
Perhaps the most important drawings are the shaded elevations of the building's exterior where bronze grill work is set off in color. Detailed drawings of the entablature sculptures document changes that took place as the design evolved. Other topics include floor plans for rental space, track plans, details of structural steel work, utility diagrams, and the new power house. Several newspaper clippings detail the public debate over the conservation and preservation of the historic site. The conflict over the historic status of the terminal ended in a Supreme Court decision (
New York City's Grand Central Terminal was constructed between 1903 and 1913 to replace an earlier and smaller depot at the same location. The earlier structure was completed in 1871 and by the end of the 1890s it was badly in need of remodeling. This, however, was only a stop-gap measure as it would not provide a solution to many of the problems the railroad faced. The building could not provide the office space needed by the growing railroad, trains still traveled to the station in an open cut, and trackage at the terminal was simply inadequate to handle the ever-increasing number of departures and arrivals. Simply building a new station, however, would not necessarily solve the problem.
Other improvements were needed, and these were made possible by the use of electric traction. With the elimination of steam powered equipment, it was possible to construct and operate an extensive system of tracks completely underground and erect buildings over them. This scheme meant that the new terminal could be designed with any amount of office space, and by constructing the tracks at different levels, a greater number could be accommodated than would be possible by building them all at the same grade. Although the terminal project was awarded to architects Charles A. Reed and Alien H. Stem, they were soon joined by the firm of Whitney Warren and Charles Wetmore. A number of drawings in the collection reflect this union. The history of the station has been documented by several authors.
Division of Work & Industry
The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Records, circa 1886-1912, 1968
Warren & Wetmore Drawings & Archives
Penn Central Transportation Company Records
Transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Work and Industry, May 2007.
New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company (organizational chart), 1874
S
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 1 No. 51-100,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 1 No. 1-50,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 2 No. 101-127, 1
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 2 No. 101-200,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 3 No. 200-250,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 3 No. 254-299,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 4 No. 300-350,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 4 No. 351-400,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 5,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 5,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 6 No. 597-859,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 6 No. 990-1578,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 11,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 11,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 11,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 11,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs Grand Central Yard Improvements Vol. 11,
Photographs of Grand Central Yard Improvement,
Photographs of Grand Central Yard Improvement
Photographs of Grand Central Yard Improvement,
Binder 70c-Construction of Improvements,
Binder 70c-Construction of Improvements,
Progress Photographs Grand Central Terminal,
Progress Photographs Grand Central Terminal,
Progress Photographs Grand Central Terminal,
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Progress Photographs,
Views of Railroad Tracks, Lines, Tunnels & Grand Central Station Demolition,
Victory Way/Grand Central Terminal,
[Pyramid of German helmets near Grand Central Terminal : black-and-white photoprint, ca. 1918.]
AC1071-0000049.tif (AC Scan No.)
Typed label on verso in all capital letters: "View of the employees of the New York Central / Railroad, assembled in Victory Way, showing the pyramid of captured / German helmets, with Grand Central Terminal in / the background." Two cannons are shown at the left and right. Print rubber-stamped: "From / Department of Public Relations / New York Central System / 466 Lexington Avenue / New York 17, N.Y." Number inscribed in negative, shown at bottom of the print: "h-9163-B." This print is one of four related photoprints in the folder, all apparently sepia-toned. Photographer unidentified.
Numerous creases and crimp marks.
Contract Drawings
See museum accession 1981.0598.05.
See museum accession 1981.0598.12.
Miscellaneous maps, plans, several photos
See museum accession 81.0598.03.
See museum accession 81.0598.06.
See museum accession 81.0598.08.
See museum accession 81.0598.09.
See museum accession 81.0598.10.
See museum accession 81.0598.11.
See museum accession 81.0598.12.
See museum accession 81.0598.13.
See museum accession 81.0598.05.
See museum accession 81.0598.06.
See museum accession 81.0598.04.