Vernon J. Sappers (1917 – 1995) was an East Bay historian and photographer. His lifelong photography of Oakland which he preserved and archived to museum-quality standards in his home is an invaluable resource for historians (he is particularly credited in the archeological research reports prepared for the I-880 reconstruction project). His particular area of historical expertise was the Key System. He was one of the founders of the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association and curator and archivist at the Western Railway Museum (Rio Vista Junction, Solano County), which the group founded. His original photographs and personal archive of primary materials are housed at the museum. He was the author of numerous articles and three books (two of which were about the Key System).
Bibliography
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From Shore to Shore: The Key Route [Peralta Associates, 1948]
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Sacramento Northern: Through the Sacramento Valley [I.L. Swett, 1962]
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Key System Streetcars [Signature Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-1-930013-07-0]
Links and References
- Vernon J. Sappers obituary San Francisco Chronicle March 22, 1995
- Author profile on Signature Press site
