This blog is a random collection of information, partly in support of my quotations web site. Other topics include wine, military news, economics, history, libertarianism, and other random things which happen to strike my fancy. Backup site is at http://quotulatiousness.blogspot.com/ (if there are no posts showing, hit the backup blog for explanation). Comments have been turned off, as the spam was getting too much to handle. Comments can be emailed to me for posting.

September 25, 2006

Expensive historical documents

There's an auction running on eBay right now for a treasure trove of historical documents on Canadian railways in the maritimes:

Probably the largest private collection of railway documents in Canada. All relate to abandoned and existing railway lines in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. This extensive collection contains the following:

9472 documents to railway parcels — have original signatures, dated back to 1867, many deed files also contain hand drawn sketches on paper, linen or blueprints

254 survey plans of railway right of ways and parcels — dated back to 1871, a mix of paper, linen, vellum and plastic medium as well as blueprints, all rolled, mostly 3' high, many 20', 30', and 40' long

8 books of bound plans (875 pages total)

5 — 5 drawer metal filing cabinets, 7'6" wide X 5' high X 2'4" deep, 22 drawers with deeds, 3 drawers with card file index

1 — 45 hole metal plan cabinet, 7'6" wide X 1'6" high X 3' deep

1 — MS Access database for deeds

1 — MS Access database for plans

Of course, such a massive collection doesn't come cheap: the starting bid is C$100,000, and that doesn't include any provision for shipping at all . . . the seller will make arrangements for the buyer to pick up locally in Miramichi, NB.

Posted by Nicholas at September 25, 2006 10:18 AM
Comments
This looks like the contents of a registry office (which would make it illegal one would think) or a law office which was involved with the preparation. Unless it is from the railway company itself or a purchaser from the railway. I can confirm that these are gorgeous things having spent idle hours as a young lawyer avoiding responsibility in the registry looking over old documents like hand-drawn linen elevation survey diagrams a foot high by tens of feet long. One I recall draw the bridges accurately to the actual bridge and even had little trains on the chart. Clearly I was in fellowship with another earlier professional who also had idle time. Posted by: Alan at September 25, 2006 12:58 PM


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