Wood Engraving, Design for an Elevated Horse-Drawn Railway in New York, circa 1842

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Artifact Overview

The key to turning mass transit into rapid transit was in removing it from busy streets. One alternative was to build elevated structures that carried streetcars over city traffic. New York City, with its limited land and boundless population, developed a network of elevated lines that covered the length of Manhattan. Other cities, notably Chicago, adopted the technology too.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Print (Visual work)

Subject Date

circa 1842

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

82.129.471

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Wood engraving (Process)

Color

Multicolored

Dimensions

Height: 4.75 in
Width: 6.75 in

Inscriptions

Description beneath: New York City, New York. Design for an elevated railway through the streets of the city. Wood engraving. Published by the New York Morning Post. Date: about 1842.
Wood Engraving, Design for an Elevated Horse-Drawn Railway in New York, circa 1842