Dining Car, Pennsylvania Limited, Pennsylvania Railroad, circa 1900

Summary

Railroads took pride in their dining cars. They were expensive to operate, but quality food and service helped a railroad distinguish itself from competitors. For African Americans, working on a railroad dining car was one of the few avenues available to enter the Black middle class in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Railroads took pride in their dining cars. They were expensive to operate, but quality food and service helped a railroad distinguish itself from competitors. For African Americans, working on a railroad dining car was one of the few avenues available to enter the Black middle class in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Artifact

Stereograph

Date Made

circa 1900

Subject Date

circa 1900

 On Exhibit

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

95.97.6

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)
Card stock

Technique

Gelatin silver process
Printing (Process)

Color

Tan (Color)
Sepia (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 3.438 in

Width: 7 in

Inscriptions

front, lower edge: Dining Car, Pennsylvania Limited, P.R.R. front, left: Sold only by Griffith & Griffith / PHILADELPHIA, CHICAGO, LONDON, HAMBURG, GER., MILAN, ITALY front, right: William H. Rau, Publisher / Philadelphia, Pa.

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