Edward B. Watson (historian) dating history

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Edward B. Watson (1906–1991) was an American architectural and transportation historian, photographer, and collector whose work documented New York City’s built environment and transit systems across the twentieth century. His extensive photographic archive, research on Brooklyn’s trolley network, and contributions to illustrated histories of the city earned him sustained recognition in the press. In 1974, The New York Times profiled him as “Mr. Brooklyn Trolley,” highlighting his 42‑volume photographic record of Brooklyn streetcars. Later coverage described him as “an enthusiastic collector” who “knows every building worth knowing,” and as “an expert on old views of the city.” Watson served as director of the Long Island Historical Society and was long‑time president of the Branford Electric Railway Association, where he led preservation efforts for historic trolley and elevated‑railway cars.