Title |
"Fawkes' Folly", aerial trolley designed by J.W. Fawkes in Burbank and adorned with flags and decorations, 1907-1910(?) |
Description |
Photograph of "Fawkes' Folly", an aerial trolley designed by J.W. Fawkes in Burbank and adorned with flags and decorations, 1907-1910(?). The cigar-shaped trolley is displayed in front of a large crowd. It is attached to an overhead track, which is supported by wooden beams. There are a handful of passengers onboard, including a man playing the double bass. In the rear of the trolley is an American flag. The spectators are well dressed and a majority of them are wearing hats. Several ladies are carrying umbrellas to block the sun. Caption reads: "Aerial Trolley Car Co. Inc., Burbank, Cal., J.W. & E.C. Fawkes, Patentees".; "The population of the town [Burbank] was 500 when the voters approved incorporation in 1911. That same year, civic boosters began a campaign to have the Pacific Electric Streetcar line extended from Glendale into Burbank. The citizens of Burbank had to put up a $48,000 subsidy to get the reluctant P.E. officials to agree. The first Red Car rolled into Burbank on September 6, 1911. Leading the opposition to the public fundraising was J.W. Fawkes, who had patented the first monorail car in the United States. He built a prototype on his Burbank ranch, running a line between Lake and Flower Streets. Fawkes called his invention the 'Aerial Swallow.' City officials, however, called it 'Fawkes' Folly' and the proposed monorail system never materialized." -- unknown author. |
Subject |
Fawkes, J.W. |
Subject (adlf) |
transportation features |
Subject (file heading) |
Transportation -- Rail -- Street Railroads -- General (Misc. cars) |
Subject (lcsh) |
Street-railroads Flags |
Geographic subject (city or populated place) |
Burbank |
Geographic subject (county) |
Los Angeles |
Geographic subject (state) |
California |
Geographic subject (country) |
USA |
Coverage date |
1907/1910 |
Photographer |
Pierce, C.C. (Charles C.), 1861-1946 |
Publisher (of the digital version) |
University of Southern California. Libraries |
Date created |
1907/1910 |
Type |
images |
Format |
glass plate negatives |
Format (aacr2) |
2 photographs : glass photonegative, photoprint, b&w ; 21 x 26 cm. |
Format (aat) |
photographic prints photographs |
Contributing entity |
California Historical Society |
Accession number |
5015 |
Call number |
CHS-5015 |
Microfiche number |
1-66- |
Legacy record ID |
chs-m12599; USC-1-1-1-12754 |
Part of collection |
California Historical Society Collection, 1860-1960 |
Part of subcollection |
Title Insurance and Trust, and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, 1860-1960 |
Project |
USC |
Rights |
Public Domain. Release under the CC BY Attribution license -- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ -- Credit both “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library; From the California Historical Society Collection at the University of Southern California |
Physical access |
Send requests to address or e-mail given. Phone (213) 740-5900; fax (213) 740-2343 |
Repository name |
USC Libraries Special Collections |
Repository address |
Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189 |
Repository email |
specol@usc.edu |
Filename |
CHS-5015 |
Archival file |
chs_Volume79/CHS-5015.tiff |