Object Details
Scope and Contents
The papers contain correspondence, reports, drawings, blueprints, cost estimates, contracts, specifications, regulations, legal documents, photographs, profiles, diagrams, clippings, and publications concerning projects which Forgie worked on, especially the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, the Midtown Hudson Tunnels in New York City. Also included are publications and patents on subaqueous tunneling, subway stations, and bridges, and material on the Forgie submarine.
sova.nmah.ac.0986
Creator
Forgie, James
Names
Pennsylvania Railroad.
Place
Hudson River
New York (N.Y.) -- Transportation
Topic
Tunnels
Subways -- New York (N.Y.)
Bridges -- 1890-1940
Civil engineering -- 1890-1940 -- U.S.
Civil engineers
Provenance
Collection donated by Mrs. James Forgie, 1967.
Creator
Forgie, James
See more items in
James Forgie Papers
Biographical / Historical
James Forgie (1868-1958) was born in Longside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Forgie graduated from Gordon's Technical College, Aberdeen, Scotland (1881-1885) and apprenticed in the office of civil engineer George Gordon Jenkins from 1885-1889. Forgie came to the United States in 1902 to work as a chief assistant engineer to the Pennsylvania Railroad on tunnels in New York City. He joined the private engineering practice with partners Charles M. Jacobs and J.Vipond Davies of Jacobs and Davies, Inc. from 1909-1923. Forgie was awarded the Tedlford Gold Medal from the Institute of Civil Engineering (British) in 1915 in recognition of his paper "The Laxaxalpam Aqueduct Tunnels in Mexico." He authored numerous articles about tunneling and consulted as a an expert witness and arbitrator in many legal cases involving tunneling. Forgie was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Institute of Civil Engineers of Canada, and New York Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Forgie married Martha Maitland Thom (1868-1936) in 1895. They had four children: Martha (b. 1900), Wilhelmina (b. 1902), James (b. 1904), and Christina (b. 1906). Forgie later married Anne McDougall (b. 1872) in 1937.
Extent
38.8 Cubic feet (85 boxes; 33 map-folders; 18 volumes)
Date
1856-1952
bulk 1900-1935
Custodial History
In a 2005 reorganization of the National Museum of American History, the engineering collections were transferred to the newly configured Division of Work and Industry. Subsequently they were transferred to the Archives Center.
Archival Repository
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier
NMAH.AC.0986
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Patents
Clippings
Business records
Correspondence
Contracts
Reports
Blueprints
Drawings
Legal documents
Citation
Archives Center, James Forgie Papers, 1890-1949, National Museum of American History.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into four series.
Series 1: Professional Papers, 1892-1945
Series 2: Projects, 1914-1957
Series 3: Publications, 1856-1952
Series 4: Drawings, 1888-1951
Processing Information
Collection processed by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2017.
Rights
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Genre/Form
Photographs -- 1900-1950
Patents
Clippings -- 1890-1960
Business records
Correspondence
Contracts -- 1890-1940
Reports
Blueprints -- 20th century
Photographs -- 1890-1900
Drawings
Legal documents
Restrictions
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Separated Materials
The Division of Work and Industry holds a model of a Ram for driving tunnel shields (1933). It was used in driving the Union Tunnel for the Pennsylvania Railroad, 1933-1934 by James Forgie. See accession #MC.329243.
NMAH.AC.0986
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep80d529021-1c69-44d2-b02b-42b00b4d0ea0
NMAH.AC.0986
ACAH
Record ID
ebl-1503512077407-1503512077409-0