Finding Aids

The Eli Bridge Company manufactures Ferris Wheels and other amusement park rides, such as the Scrambler. The company was founded by William Eli "W.E." Sullivan (1861-1932) in 1906. Most of this collection consists of a trade journal on carnival rides and devices dating between 1916 and 1935. The monthly magazine was first titled The Optimist, and later continued as Big Eli News. It featured articles about amusement park rides, parts, and operations, and included advertisements and illustrations.

Consists of Z. Taylor Vinson's collection of transportation ephemera, which focuses primarily on automobile history but also documents other forms of transportation. Includes trade catalogs, books, magazines, and artifacts in addition to manuscripts relating to Vinson's career at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.