University of Wyoming
Whitaker interviews -- Audio tapes -- cassette.
Train phonographs -- 33 1/3 rpm.
Rogers E. M. Whitaker (1900-1981) worked as editor and writer for "The New Yorker" and was also a railroad enthusiast. He started working for "The New Yorker" in 1926 as proofreader and copy editor and went on to write in the "Talk of the Town" section as E.M. Frimbo, the World's Greatest Railroad Buff.
Whitaker also covered college football and wrote restaurant reviews for "The New Yorker" before retiring as editor in 1975 and serving as a reporter until his death. He wrote under his pen name the book "All Aboard with E.M. Frimbo" about his experience in riding railroads around the world in 1974. Whitaker logged over 2.7 million miles worth of travel on trains.
Collection contains materials mostly related to Whitaker's interest in railroads and also his work in journalism. Materials relating to Whitaker's work for "The New Yorker" include articles written by Whitaker (1974-1979); newspaper clippings (1929-1981); and correspondence (1942-1981).
Railroad material includes booklets, guides, brochures, leaflets, pamphlets, rail passes, tickets, tokens, advertisements, uniform accessories, dining menus and time tables for railroads, steam locomotives and streetcars world-wide in numerous languages (1881-1980); the manuscript for "All Aboard with E.M. Frimbo"; and photographs and negatives of Whitaker, railroads, and trolleys (1903-1980).
Railroad material also includes 1 photograph album on trains; maps of railroad routes around the world (1909-1979); 2 scrapbooks of railroad tickets and passes (1878-1960); 8 33 1/3 rpm phonograph records on trains and locomotives; foreign and U.S. railway posters; 15 audio cassette tapes of interviews of Whitaker while traveling by train; and travel journals kept on rail journeys (1943-1975).
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
There are no known other archival collections created by Rogers E. M. Whitaker at the date of processing.
Finding aid available in repository.
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
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