mums354 Western Massachusetts Ice Storm Photographs Collection, 1942 Finding aid prepared by Linda Seidman. Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA
2003

University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.

 Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Eric S. Cartier. 2003-07-21 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 mu160 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Western Massachusetts Ice Storm Photographs Collection, 1942 Manuscript Number 354 Compiled by Linda Seidman 1991 Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

2003 University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.

 Collection Overview New England Telephone and Telegraph Company Western Massachusetts Ice Storm Photographs Collection 1942 MS 354 1 envelope Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Approximately every twenty years, western New England suffers from devastating ice storms, leaving heavy ice coating on trees and buildings and hazardous conditions. Major storms struck in 1921, 1942, 1961, 1983, 1998, and 2008, with the storm of December 29-30, 1942, disrupting power and closing roads throughout a broad swath of the northeast. In northern New York state, ice depths reached six inches.The collection includes twenty six of an original thirty eight photographs depicting ice storm damage to power lines in the Pittsfield District (Windsor, Middlefield, Washington Mountain to Becket) resulting from the storm in December 1942. The collection also includes a cover letter pertaining to photos (not included) documenting a similar situation in Northampton, affecting the New England Power Service Co. English. Historical Note

Telephone wires, near Becket, Mass.

Approximately every twenty years, western New England suffers from devastating ice storms, leaving heavy ice coating on trees and buildings and hazardous conditions. Major storms struck in 1921, 1942, 1961, 1983, 1998, and 2008, with the storm of December 29-30, 1942, disrupting power and closing roads throughout a broad swath of the northeast. In northern New York state, ice depths reached six inches.

 Scope and Contents of the Collection

The collection includes twenty six of an original thirty eight photographs depicting damage to power lines in the Pittsfield District (Windsor, Middlefield, Washington Mountain to Becket) resulting from the ice storm of December 1942. The photographs appear to have been taken by the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company to analyze the damage to its poles and wires, and each image is stamped on the verso by Frank R. Camp, District Safety Instructor. The collection also includes a cover letter from the New England Power Service Co. conveying photographs (not present) documenting damage in Northampton.

The collection is open for research.

 Preferred Citation

Cite as: New England Telephone and Telegraph Company Western Massachusetts Ice Storm Photographs Collection (MS 354). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Acquired from Lawrence Holmes, Shade Tree Lab, in the Malcolm McKenzie Papers, 1991

Processed by Linda Seidman, 1991.

 Search Terms Ice storms--Massachusetts--Photographs. Electric lines--Massachusetts--Photographs. Electric power systems--Natural disaster effects--Massachusetts--Photographs. Photographs. New England Power Service Company. New England Telephone and Telegraph Company.