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High canal bridge at New York Street drawing, circa 1840s

 Item — Box: 3, Object: 8

Scope and Contents

From the Collection: This collection includes correspondence, pencil drawings, negatives, 35mm slides, and family photographs from Christian Schrader in Indianapolis, Indiana ranging from circa 1842 to 1987, regarding Schrader’s family, friends, and early Indianapolis. Schrader includes rough dates for the subjects he depicts in the drawings, but many of them were created from his recollections later in life. There are also oversize drawings (OBE017).

Negatives are available for most of the drawings. In 1962, Robert A. Twente created 8 x 10-inch glossy photographic prints of Schrader’s drawings, courtesy of Eli Lilly. These photographic prints depict selected drawings, reproduced in color. There are also a few 35mm slides.

Most drawings have a number assigned to them which corresponds to their reproductions in the book, Indianapolis Remembered: Christian Schrader's Sketches of Early Indianapolis (1987). The photographs of the drawings (circa 1962) are labelled and organized numerically. Many of the drawings have additional handwritten descriptions by the artist about the history or Schrader's thoughts. Any dates he provided were used in the collection inventory, although the drawings themselves may have been created or completed at an unknown later date.

Dates

  • 1842-1987

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Historical Note

Handwritten description: "Three high bridges like this crossed the canal during the 40s. This one at N. York St, one at Ind'a Avenue, and one known as the Cotton town bridge at Tinker St. then (Sixteenth now.) They were built high to permit horses and riders ot pass under in drawing canal boats. In the early 50s the Lafayette RR got possession of the canal bank for thier trank, then three bridges gave way for very flat ones, which every street crossing was soon supplied"; "-- 50s only three bridges in the canal north of the Washin[gton] St Bridge..."

Extent

From the Collection: 9 Cubic Feet (2 manuscript boxes, 6 large oversize boxes, 5 medium oversize boxes, 1 extra -arge oversize folder)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671