Making of the New York and Erie Railroad Organizational Diagram

By Nicholas Rougeux, posted on March 29, 2025 in Art Org charts tend to be a rather boring affair—with their lists of names and who reports to whom—but they didn’t start out that way. One of the first in American business, is a stunning portrait of a classic institution—the New York and Erie Railroad. Drawn in 1855 and only rediscovered in recent decades, this diagram captured my attention and I finally took the time to recreate it from scratch as a fun technical exercise. What was unexpected was the depths I ended up going to in order to learn about its fascinating history. Source material Unlike my previous projects, the source one was not a lengthy book with hundreds of illustrations or scientific explanations, but a single image available at the Library of Congress. Original New York and Erie Railroad diagram (top) and details (bottom). Source: Library of Congress This sprawling diagram was designed by Daniel McCallum in 1855 shortly after he became general superintendent of t ... Read full article.