Collection ID: MG 233

Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Burdick, Joel Wakeman, 1853-
Abstract:
Joel W. Burdick accepted a position as a clerk with the D & H (Delaware and Hudson) Railroad Company in 1879, and moved with his wife to Albany, New York. He eventually rose to the position of passenger agent, and he and his wife traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada. This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, and photographs.
Extent:
3 boxes
Language:
English

Background

Scope and Content:

The documents contained in this collection mainly revolve around Joel Burdick’s personal life. The two largest portions of his personal life that are focused upon are his houses and his family. The primary formats of documentation are photographs, newspaper clippings, and correspondence, with the bulk of this material from between the 1890’s and the 1920’s.

The documents in this collection are organized into three boxes, the third of which is an oversize box. The first box contains correspondence, photographs, clippings, copies of documents, books, genealogy, and a videocassette. The second box contains a photo album containing pictures of the children of the Burdick and Evans family. The third box contains a family photograph of Joel Burdick and his wife, with their children and grandchildren in front of one of their houses, along with a photo album consisting of pictures of the Burdick family and their house in Albany.

Biographical / Historical:

In 1879, Joel W. Burdick took a job as a clerk with the D & H (Delaware and Hudson) Railroad at their Albany office. He and his second wife Ella, whom he had married the previous year, moved from their home in central New York to the Capital city. Burdick rose rapidly in the company, becoming manager of the railroad’s telegraph system and then general passenger agent in 1885. As passenger agent, Burdick was responsible for all of the railroad’s passenger services, a position that allowed him to purchase a large house in the Pine Hills neighborhood of west Albany.

The Burdicks traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada, likely as a result of Joel’s position with the D & H Railroad. In addition to destinations in the United States and Canada, the family also toured abroad. In 1922 and 1923, Joel and Ella traveled aboard the ship Franconia, the first passenger cruise ship to circumnavigate the globe. Joel Burdick later documented this trip around the world in his book Our World Tour, 1922-23.

Acquisition information:
Gift of William B. Evans, April 2012. Accession: # LIB 2012.15
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

This collection is open for research according to the regulations of the Albany Institute of History & Art without any additional restrictions.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the Albany Institute of History & Art Library will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Archivist/Librarian.

LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
125 Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12210, United States
BEFORE YOU VISIT:
https://www.albanyinstitute.org/library.html
CONTACT:
mccombsd@albanyInstitute.org