Dudley Thickens Photographs, 1916-1977
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt2z09r8s0 No online items A guide to the Dudley Thickens photographs, 1916-1977 Processed by: Amy Croft and M. Crawford. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Building E, Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123 Phone: 415-561-7030 Fax: 415-556-3540 [email protected] URL: http://www.nps.gov/safr 2011 A guide to the Dudley Thickens P06-030 (SAFR 22582) 1 photographs, 1916-1977 A Guide to the Dudley Thickens photographs P06-030 San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, National Park Service 2011, National Park Service Title: Dudley Thickens photographs Date: 1916-1977 Date (bulk): 1940-1965 Identifier/Call Number: P06-030 (SAFR 22582) Creator/Collector: Thickens, Dudley, 1913-1993 Physical Description: 4090 items Repository: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department Building E, Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123 Abstract: The Dudley Thickens photographs (P06-030, SAFR 22582) consists of approximately 3,450 photographs and 0.4 linear feet of manuscripts concerning vessels in the San Francisco Bay and other locations, along with photographs of lighthouses, transportation, family and other subjects. The documents consist of correspondence between Dudley Thickens and Charles and Ruth Loring. Physical Location: San Franicsco Maritime NHP, Historic Documents Department Language(s): In English. Access This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted. Nitrate negatives are restricted from use. Digital use-copies of the nitrate negatives can be provided. Publication and Use Rights Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. Preferred Citation [Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item Number], P06-030 (SAFR 22582), Dudley Thickens photographs, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Acquisition Information SAFR-01945 The materials were donated to the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association in 2002 and the maritime related materials were separated and donated to San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and formally accessioned in 2006. Historical or Biographical Note Dudley Wold Thickens (1913-1993) was a life-long resident of the San Ramon Valley and avid photographer of railroads and vessels in the San Francisco Bay area. His vessel photographs are an important documentary record of the activities in the San Francisco Bay, much like the ship traffic records kept by the Marine Exchange of the San Francisco Bay Region. Dudley Wold Thickens was born on November 10, 1913. After his father passed away in 1917, he came to the Saranap, California area with his mother Emma Wold Thickens and younger sister Virginia E Thickens. Thickens went to the Saranap Elementary School for about five years, completing first through fourth grade and transferred to Walnut Creek school midway through his fifth grade year. He then attended high school at San Ramon High in Danville around 1927 or 1929. From 1932 to 1933, Thickens took a post-graduate course in "commercial subjects" in Concord. While in school, Thickens worked for Mrs. Jennie Bickerstaff Dewing, later known as Mrs. Rosenberg, making $3.00 for a half-day's work doing yard work. Thickens married Louise Odell and they lived in Lafayette where they had three children: Elizabeth (born 1954), John (born 1956), and Richard (born 1958). Thickens was fascinated by railroads in his youth, particularly the Sacramento Northern Railway. He began photographing railroads in 1932. In 1935 he started working for the Sacramento Northern and he took this opportunity to travel and A guide to the Dudley Thickens P06-030 (SAFR 22582) 2 photographs, 1916-1977 document the Sacramento Northern operations. In 1940 he transferred to the Western Pacific Railroad Company where he worked in the Freight Traffic Department until his retirement. Thickens was a founding member of the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association and served in many official positions, including as President in 1950-1951. In June 1950, he co-wrote an article with Ira L. Swett, Arthur L. Lloyd, Vernon J. Sappers, and Addison H. Laflin Jr. titled "Sacramento Northern," in the special issue for the Electric Railway Association of Southern California. In the 1940s Thickens became interested in Pacific Coast shipping and started taking photographs of vessels in the San Francisco Bay and in other locations where he traveled. In 1961, Thickens started a correspondence and friendship with Charles Marshall Loring and they sent each other photographs and information about various vessels until Loring's death in 1973. He was a member of the local chapter of the World Ship Society and wrote many articles for their newsletter INTERCOM and he was also involved in Toastmasters. Dudley Thickens was a life-long resident of the San Ramon Valley and died on May 18, 1993. Sources: "Dudley Thickens: A Talk on the 1920's in Saranap and Lafayette Areas and the Vast Influence of the Railroad." Lafayette Historical Society. Accessed on August 10, 2011, from http://www.lafayettehistory.org/oral%20pdf/Dudley%20Thickens.pdf Email correspondence with Chuck Vercelli, Librarian, Bay Area Electric Railroad Assn./Western Railway Museum, August 10, 2011 Note: In addition, Dudley Thickens is referenced in Train Life, December 1983, as a rail traveling companion of the author Albert C. Phelps. Dudley Thickens has photo credits in East Bay Hills Project and The Western Railway Museum. 1913 Nov Dudley Wold Thickens was born. 10 1932 Began photographing railroads. 1935 Started working for the Sacramento Northern Railway. 1940 Transferred to the Western Pacific Railroad Company where he worked in the Freight Traffic Department until his retirement. 1950-1951 Served as president of the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association. 1954 Daughter Elizabeth born. 1956 Son John born. 1958 Son Richard born. 1961 Thickens started a correspondence and friendship with Charles Marshall Loring. 1993 May Dudley Thickens died. 18 Collection Scope and Content The Dudley Thickens photographs (P06-030, SAFR 22582) consists of approximately 3,450 photographs and 0.4 linear feet of manuscripts concerning vessels in the San Francisco Bay and other locations, along with photographs of lighthouses, transportation, family and other subjects. The documents consist of correspondence between Dudley Thickens and Charles and Ruth Loring. The collection is predominantly comprised of black-and-white photographs that Dudley Thickens took of vessels in the San Francisco Bay in the 1940s-1970s. Most are American and foreign built merchant vessels. There are also photographs of tug boats, pilot boats, lightships, and government vessels. Most of the collection is made up of black-and-white negatives although there are also some photographic prints. There is a small amount of correspondence between Dudley Thickens and Charles Marshall Loring, 1961-1973 and Dudley Thickens and Ruth Loring, 1973-1975. Collection Arrangement Arranged into three series: Vessel photographs; Lighthouse, transportation, family and other photographs; correspondence. Related Materials Dudley Thickens collection consisting of his entire collection of railroadiana, including an extensive negative collection on the Sacramento Northern's electric operations in Contra Costa County. Bay Area Electric Railroad Association's Western Railway Museum Subjects and Indexing Terms Ships--California--San Francisco--Pictorial works San Francisco Bay (Calif.)--Harbor Coastwise shipping--Pacific Coast (U.S.) Shipping--Pacific Coast (North America)--History--Pictorial works Merchant ships--United states--History--20th century A guide to the Dudley Thickens P06-030 (SAFR 22582) 3 photographs, 1916-1977 Transports Government vessels--United states Loring, Charles M. (Charles Marshall), 1899-1973 Loring, Ruth San Francisco Bay (Calif.) Port of San Francisco (Calif.) San Pedro (Los Angeles, Calif.) Portland (Or.) Black-and-white negatives Negatives (photographic) Nitrate negatives Black-and-white prints Photographic prints Correspondence A guide to the Dudley Thickens P06-030 (SAFR 22582) 4 photographs, 1916-1977 Series 1. Vessel photographs, 1916-1977 (bulk 1940s-1960s) Subseries 1.1. Vessels in the San Francisco Bay and in other locations, 1916-1977 (bulk 1940-1965)... Boxes 1-15 Series 1. Vessel photographs, 1916-1977 (bulk 1940s-1960s) Physical Description: 3355 items (6.5 linear feet) Scope and Content Note Contains photographic negatives and prints of American and foreign merchant vessels and government vessels in the San Francisco Bay. Also includes a small amount of photographs of vessels taken in other locations in the United States. While it can be assumed that most of the photographic negatives were taken in the San Francisco Bay, it was only listed in the summary note area of the finding aid if we were able to confirm this through the annotations on the original envelopes or visually from background details in the image. The San Francisco Bay area locations in these photographs include: Alameda; Antioch; Broadway wharf; Carquinez Straits; Golden Gate Bridge; Hunter's Point; Lafayette; Mare Island; Martinez; Oakland; Oakland Army Base; Port of Oakland; Port of San Francisco; San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge; Sausalito; Stockton; Vallejo. Places outside of the Bay Area are: United States: