New York State Engineer and Surveyor Scrapbook of Photographs, Maps, and Diagrams of Canal, Highway, and Watershed Construction

The series contains printed maps, photographs, diagrams, and charts apparently cut from publications produced by the office of the State Engineer and Surveyor. They illustrate facets of various construction and improvement projects done on state highways and waterways and depict proposed work and work in progress on canals, roadways, and their related structures.

The selections are typical of those found in both the Annual Report of the State Engineer and Surveyor and the Barge Canal Bulletin. The latter was a monthly publication issued by the State Engineer and Surveyor from 1908 to 1919 containing descriptive articles on canal subjects. Labels within the volume indicate that the scrapbook was produced to document charges to companies that printed those publications.

Scrapbook items include: printed copies of black and white photographs, with captions, of natural features, damaged or repaired structures, sites of work in progress, examples of specific work conditions or situations, work equipment, and worker portraits; printed maps showing work progress, surveyed areas, lines of levels and catchment areas, locations of gauging stations, benchmarks and population areas, and possible locations for improved roads; hydrographs dating from 1891 to 1901 of the monthly discharge levels of various bodies of water; and plans, sketches, sectional drawings, and general designs for structures and details (e.g., dams, bridges, gates, weirs, gauges) and sketches of soil depth and composition.

The labels pasted onto many of the scrapbook pages are preprinted with hand written information. The labels give department (e.g., "Engineer and Surveyor" or "Water Supply Com."); document number and date (e.g., "A31 for 1902"); and the date and name of the company by which the document cuts were "charged" (e.g., "Charged May 19 1902 by J.B. Lyons Co. 7 cuts").

All items are printed copies pasted onto paper and sewn to binding. There are no annotations. Page numbers are consecutively stamped in the upper corner. Sizes of the items range from the smallest photograph measuring 8 x 10 cm to the largest map measuring 46 x 88 cm. Individual hydrograph drawings are a uniform 8 x 12 cm. Volume size is 41 x 33 cm.

Maps included in the scrapbook have varying scales, legends and explanatory notes. Most have full titles (sometimes including plate number) and names of preparer(s), consulting engineers or other officials (often the State Engineer and Surveyor). Other information may include the name of the report being illustrated, the source/base map used, the printing company and/or place of publication, and the date. A majority of the maps are in color (plans and diagrams are not) and most are drawn within neat lines.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.