[1]The early twentieth century saw major technological innovation, nation building, and westward expansion in North America. The construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was an attempt to bridge the continental divide between Asia and Europe to open trade routes for the continuous flow of goods. Building the railway was considered one of the greatest construction projects of its time and was sponsored by partnerships between the Canadian government and transnational private enterprise. The railway was both sign and agent of a new economic order and rapid social change.
Rail travel was the focus of considerable political, economic, and popular attention. Political and financial backers embraced optimistic (and often vastly unrealistic) projections as to the positive transformative and profit potential of the railways. Canadian cities were quickly populated with young men eager to work on the many railway projects which were transforming the physical, political, and social landscape.
[2]Among them was Norman Jacobs, an Englishman, who corresponded with a friend in Pittsburgh between 1905 and 1910. His letters, diary, and photographs are preserved in the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway collection and form the basis of this exhibit.