I saw this item posted over on Sub-Chat and felt it was important enough to be posted here.
On Thursday, June 14, 2023, Don Harold, who is considered (along with unnamed others) to be the 'founder' of what we now know as the New York Transit Museum has passed away at age 91. Below is the official NYTM announcement as posted on Facebook:
"Yesterday, the New York Transit Museum and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority - MTA New York City Transit celebrated the centennial of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation with shuttle rides at Kings Highway aboard a BMT Standard vintage train. After the inaugural shuttle ride and press event, we at the Museum learned of the death of Don Harold- the man to whom we are most indebted for the very existence of the New York Transit Museum.
As is the case so often with passion projects and labors of love, there are differing opinions and recollections about who did what, who was responsible for which parts and how the New York Transit Museum came to be.
It is, however, uniformly agreed that Don Harold is the patriarch of the New York Transit Museum- as beginning in the 1960's he and his like-minded colleagues decided to save all sorts of things- from documents to entire subway cars- from the scrapheap of history. He knew that these irreplaceable transportation objects were vehicles of connection to our shared past, current reality, and future aspirations. This belief, combined with some remarkably effective salvage efforts, is what laid the foundation for the 1976 New York City Transit Exhibition which would ultimately become the New York Transit Museum.
I will forever be grateful for our October 2017 afternoon together in Whitestone. I opened with "Sir, you're already on the record in the Times about changed car numbers and 'temporarily relocated' trains; can you tell me how you did it?" He replied "You must call me Don!" and he did just that for the next two hours.
There is much more to be said in the coming days about Don's legacy and lasting impact on New York City Transit and the beloved museum that he, along with others, practically willed into existence. For now, we mourn Don's passing and invite you to share your memories of Don Harold here.
- New York Transit Museum Director Concetta Bencivenga"
Don, for your work and foresight, I am (along with every other NYC Subway railfan) forever grateful.
Don Harold 1931 - 2023
Rest in Peace
On Thursday, June 14, 2023, Don Harold, who is considered (along with unnamed others) to be the 'founder' of what we now know as the New York Transit Museum has passed away at age 91. Below is the official NYTM announcement as posted on Facebook:
"Yesterday, the New York Transit Museum and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority - MTA New York City Transit celebrated the centennial of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation with shuttle rides at Kings Highway aboard a BMT Standard vintage train. After the inaugural shuttle ride and press event, we at the Museum learned of the death of Don Harold- the man to whom we are most indebted for the very existence of the New York Transit Museum.
As is the case so often with passion projects and labors of love, there are differing opinions and recollections about who did what, who was responsible for which parts and how the New York Transit Museum came to be.
It is, however, uniformly agreed that Don Harold is the patriarch of the New York Transit Museum- as beginning in the 1960's he and his like-minded colleagues decided to save all sorts of things- from documents to entire subway cars- from the scrapheap of history. He knew that these irreplaceable transportation objects were vehicles of connection to our shared past, current reality, and future aspirations. This belief, combined with some remarkably effective salvage efforts, is what laid the foundation for the 1976 New York City Transit Exhibition which would ultimately become the New York Transit Museum.
I will forever be grateful for our October 2017 afternoon together in Whitestone. I opened with "Sir, you're already on the record in the Times about changed car numbers and 'temporarily relocated' trains; can you tell me how you did it?" He replied "You must call me Don!" and he did just that for the next two hours.
There is much more to be said in the coming days about Don's legacy and lasting impact on New York City Transit and the beloved museum that he, along with others, practically willed into existence. For now, we mourn Don's passing and invite you to share your memories of Don Harold here.
- New York Transit Museum Director Concetta Bencivenga"
Don, for your work and foresight, I am (along with every other NYC Subway railfan) forever grateful.
Don Harold 1931 - 2023
Rest in Peace
