The Richard Sanders Allen Collection
The Gateway holds an extensive collection of research material collected by the engineering historian Richard Sanders Allen (1917- 2008.) Allen was world-renowned for his research into the iron and steel industries, early aviation, and especially the history of American covered bridges. Richard’s donation of our portion of the collection is eclectic and wide ranging, but its major theme is the history of iron and steel, in the US and internationally. The collection’s strength is its coverage of the history of the iron and steel industries in the Eastern US, particularly New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but it also includes material on virtually every state that had an industry, as well as Canada, the UK and Europe. A minor focus of the collection is bridges, especially covered bridges; Allen was known as the “father of covered bridge history.” The bulk of his collection of covered bridge photos and research material was donated to the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. Our portion of the collection consists of 47 boxes of material, including books, pamphlets, research notes and correspondence. Click here for a searchable Finding Aid. Given the nature of the collection, it will be necessary for researchers wishing to access it to schedule an appointment to visit the Burden Iron Works Museum. For additional information and inquiries, please contact info@hudsonmohawkgateway.org.
