1911 ORIGINAL RPPC — PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE No. 1022 — RAILROAD CREW
Offered is an exceptional original Real Photo Postcard (RPPC) dating to September 18, 1911, featuring a Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotive identified as No. 1022, along with a group of railroad personnel.
This is a particularly interesting early railroad photograph because the locomotive number is clearly visible on the engine and the postcard has contemporary handwritten identification and a detailed personal message on the reverse.
THE LOCOMOTIVE
The engine is clearly marked 1022.
Historical Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive records identify PRR No. 1022 as a B8-class 0-6-0 steam locomotive, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad at the Juniata Shops in 1908. It was already in service by 1910, making the locomotive completely consistent with this September 1911 photograph.
This is therefore not simply an anonymous early steam locomotive photograph — the engine itself can be identified by its PRR road number.
THE PEOPLE
Several railroad employees are posed with the locomotive.
There is handwritten identification directly on the photograph. One of the men standing at the front of the locomotive is specifically indicated with the handwritten word “brother.”
Another name appears to be written across the clothing of one of the men.
The first name in that inscription appears to be “Clare”. I am confident enough in that reading to include it as a working identification, although the surname is difficult to decipher and may read something along the lines of Shiers, Shires, Shirs, Shers, or another similar spelling.
I have intentionally not represented the surname as certain because the original handwriting is difficult to interpret.
“BROTHER SYLVEST”
The contemporary handwritten message on the postcard adds another fascinating piece of provenance.
The message reads essentially:
“Have you forgotten me? I’m sending you a picture of brother Sylvest and his engine. This is a beautiful day. Frank and I are going to Tuxedo Park New York State.”
The phrase “Brother Sylvest” is written as a specific designation in the message.
The identity and meaning of “Brother Sylvest” have not been conclusively established, but it is an intriguing contemporary reference connected directly with the railroad photograph.
There is also an interesting period connection: “My Brudda Sylvest,” written by Jesse Lasky with music by Fred Fisher, was published in New York in 1908 and was a popular song of the era. The historical sheet-music catalog specifically lists railroad employees among its subject classifications. This may or may not be related to the wording on this postcard, but it is an interesting possibility given that this card was written only three years later.
POSTMARK AND MAILING HISTORY
The postcard is clearly postmarked:
NEWARK, N.J.
SEP 18
4 PM
1911
It was addressed to:
Miss Florence Oswalt
Mapleton Depot
Pennsylvania
This provides an exceptionally useful contemporary geographic and chronological record.
The Newark cancellation establishes that the postcard entered the mail at Newark, New Jersey, on September 18, 1911 at 4 PM.
The postcard being mailed from Newark does not by itself prove that the photograph was taken in Newark, so I am leaving the exact photographic location open. Newark was, however, an important Pennsylvania Railroad operating center, making the Newark connection particularly interesting.
MAPLETON DEPOT, PENNSYLVANIA
The recipient’s address is also historically significant.
Mapleton Depot was a railroad community in Pennsylvania, and the postcard was sent directly to a named individual there rather than simply being an unused postcard.
This gives the card a genuine personal-history component in addition to its railroad significance.
WHY THIS RPPC IS SPECIAL
This postcard combines an unusually large number of desirable elements for collectors of early railroad photography:
• Original Real Photo Postcard (RPPC)
• 1911 dated postal cancellation
• Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive
• Identifiable locomotive No. 1022
• PRR B8-class 0-6-0 steam locomotive
• Multiple railroad employees
• Contemporary handwritten identification on the photograph
• Contemporary handwritten personal message
• “Brother Sylvest” reference
• Possible identification of a man as Clare [surname uncertain]
• Mailed from Newark, New Jersey
• Addressed to Mapleton Depot, Pennsylvania
• Excellent example of early 20th-century railroad Americana
The photograph captures the railroad not as a distant landscape, but as a working environment with the locomotive and its crew, giving the card substantially more historical interest than a generic depot postcard.
RESEARCH / IDENTIFICATION NOTES
The locomotive number 1022 is the strongest identification on the card.
The handwritten first name appearing on the photograph is being read as Clare. The surname is considerably less certain and may represent one of several similar spellings. Likewise, “Brother Sylvest” is a contemporary identification in the handwritten message, but the exact identity and relationship of that individual have not been conclusively established.
Those uncertainties are part of what makes this an especially interesting piece for a railroad historian or researcher.
A future researcher may potentially be able to connect the locomotive number, railroad employees, Newark operations, Mapleton Depot, and the Oswalt family through railroad rosters, employee records, newspapers, census records, or other historical sources.
CONDITION
Please examine all photographs carefully for condition.
This is an original postcard more than 110 years old and should be expected to show appropriate age and handling characteristics. There may be edge/corner wear, surface wear, discoloration, or other minor imperfections consistent with an antique RPPC.
The photographic image itself remains remarkably interesting and detailed, with the locomotive, railroad employees, surrounding equipment and period setting clearly visible.
Please use the photographs as the final authority for condition.
A REMARKABLE PIECE OF EARLY RAILROAD HISTORY
This is much more than an old picture of a train.
It is a contemporary 1911 photographic record of a specifically numbered Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive and railroad personnel, accompanied by a personal handwritten message, a named recipient, a precise Newark postmark, and several tantalizing handwritten identifications.
For collectors of Pennsylvania Railroad, railroadiana, steam locomotives, early transportation, RPPCs, Newark history, Pennsylvania history, or early 20th-century Americana, this is a fascinating and highly researchable piece.
An outstanding original 1911 RPPC with an identifiable PRR locomotive, railroad crew, personal provenance and tremendous historical character.
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