[CBQ] Lake States Online Photo Archive

["Richard Gortowski via groups.io" <rgortowski=aol.com@groups.io>]

I wanted to share my recent experience of looking through and ordering prints from the Lake States online photo archives.  You may know that the BRHS archives are also housed in Baraboo, Wisconsin, in the same building where Lake States keeps its collection.  The scanned photos can be viewed and purchased at https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/.

 

The site has numerous collections that they have scanned and they are constantly adding new images.  Of particular interest to me is the F.R. Ritzman collection, with its plethora of CB&Q depots and area shots from the forties through the sixties.  Other collections with a lot of Q images are the Ed Wilkommen and William S. Kuba collections.  Tom Mack, if you haven’t seen these yet they both have a lot of Savanna pictures!

 

The Ritzman images I looked at were organized by collection, then major category (CB&Q Structures) then the images were alphabetical.  It made it easy to find pictures of the areas I’m interested in.  Some of the other collections, like the Ed Wilkommen collection, have a major category of CB&Q Trains, but the organization within the category suffers from trying to organize images that are not easily described (at least to my perception.)  The good news is the images are easy to scroll through, and they have descriptions that flash up with each image (which are as good as what the photographer had noted.)  I was able to find many images I have interest in.

 

They sell the images through Smug Mug, a particularly painless way to purchase the download or print.  I prefer buying the prints, rather than dealing with the scans.  You choose the print size and order it matte or glossy. 

 

On the evening of Friday, 5/28, I ordered ten photos off the website.  Once you chose the print size, you are able to crop the photo (depending on the negative size.)  Once it’s the way you want it, you add it to the cart.  I paid through PayPal and got a confirmation from Smug Mug with thumbnail pictures.

 

On Tuesday, 6/1, I was informed that the shipment was made (I used the UPS/USPS Smart Post option.)  This appears to be the hybrid UPS/USPS  service which is part UPS and part USPS, depending on circumstances.  As I’ve stated before, the USPS typically bends everything the BRHS sends me, so I was a little nervous. On Thursday, 6/3, the flat envelope was left at my front door with the undamaged pictures, which seems to indicate it was handled by UPS.  I was thrilled with the quality  of the prints.  They are exceptionally clear and sharp.  I am so pleased with my initial order, that I went back and ordered another 10 photos from the same areas, yesterday.  Going forward, I will start looking at the other collections, as there are many other images I’m interested in purchasing.

It's definitely worth spending some time on this site to see some great Q images.

Rich G.

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