Homer R. Hill B&W Railroad Postcards

Homer R. Hill, proprietor of Hill Press operated as a personal and commercial print shop in Bernardsville, New Jersey, passed away in the year 2000.  Not only a printer by trade but an accomplished amateur photographer and railfan Mr. Hill leaves behind a modest collection of black and white railroad postcards, the subjects of which were personally photographed by him over 40 years from the late 1930s through approximately 1990.  All printing of the postcards was handled in his own shop.

There is a primary focus on railroads operating in North Jersey (Erie, DL&W, NYO&W, PRR, Lehigh Valley, Central of New Jersey, etc.) but his camera accompanied him on personal travels as evidenced by other views featuring N&W, CB&Q and Boston & Maine.  Coverage includes the end of the steam era and early dieselization through to the coming of second generation diesels.  There are also steam excursions in the diesel era and a few examples of reproductions of historical photographs dating back to the mid-to-late 1890s.  Many of the photographs show action as opposed to roster shots in both mainline and local service.  All are out of print today so existing numbers are finite but still to be found.

For a postcard collector and/or railfan (both apply to me), Mr. Hill’s series of postcard views provides an opportunity for assembling an interesting assortment of subjects and usually at very reasonable prices in today’s postcard market.  The only drawback to me is that the postcards are not numbered so how many were actually published is yet to be determined.  I now have enough to offer a beginning checklist with hopefully many more yet to be discovered online or at postcard shows.  Since the postcards are not numbered my checklist arrangement is alphabetical first by railroad and second by location. The checklist can also serve to identify key words in finding Homer R. Hill postcards online.

My first Homer R. Hill postcard purchased remains my favorite – a mid-afternoon diesel powered view of the Lehigh Valley’s Black Diamond at Lehighton, Pennsylvania.  The coaches pictured and the Alco PA1 locomotives bring back many memories of similar views witnessed in Towanda in the 1950s.

Mr. Hill also wrote and self-published a pamphlet titled Railfan Potpourri reminiscing about his 40+ years as a railfan and photographer.  It is frequently still to be seen on EBAY and AMAZON.