I had a most interesting day down in Independence yesterday, seat of Inyo County, California, first having had a Grand Jury interview at the County Jail, then heading over clear across town [about 4-5 blocks] to the Eastern California Museum for an appointment with the Curator to review my substantial archival collections of ephemera and photos of the Carson & Colorado / Southern Pacific narrow gauge and Virginia & Truckee Railroads, along with other associated materials.
Blew the poor girls socks right off!
Other than their having the Baldwin Locomotive #18 (SPng) restored and operable, my collections are vastly more extensive with materials of far greater significance and mostly at a far higher level of preservation than most anything that they have or have ever seen.
Gratifying to say the least.
Of course, it was concerning the ultimate disposition of these materials that I arrange the meeting for a day when the museum is closed and without distraction, just to see how interested they might be in housing such a collection. Not really something that would display well for the average visitor, but of inestimable value to the historical researcher. I plan to campaign the materials to a few other potential future homes, and depending on their levels of enthusiasm and plans for making use of them, I should make my final selection of where some or all of it should eventually go. Of course, selling it all off as a whole collection, or individually piece by piece, is always an option that would at least ensure that some or several individuals would get enjoyment out of some of it, just as I do now, while also possibly maximizing my returns. But that is most certainly not my intent, as money is not the point really, which you can't spend when you're dead anyway, while historical preservation and maximum access is actually the main concerns.
Needless to say, it was a good day!