SPAAMFAA Library and Archive
About the Library and Archive
The SPAAMFAA Archives consists of more than 120 feet of shelved materials, flat files, vertical files, and thousands of photographs, books, and fire service periodicals. We collect materials on the design, manufacturing of American fire apparatus including sales literature, parts lists, repair manuals and fire apparatus blueprints. The collections include information on hand-pulled (manual), horse-drawn (steam) and motorized (gas & diesel) equipment from the smallest details to the complete operating machine.
Established in 1985, as a program of SPAAMFAA, the archives were initially located in Hershey, PA as part of the Antique Automobile Club of America (ACA). In 2015, the SPAAMFAA Archives collection was moved to a new space in Kansas City, MO shared with the Antique Truck Historical Society (ATHS).
SPAAMFAA Archive - History and the big move
What Goodies are in the archive collection
SPAAMFAA Archives - Plans and Past Perfect
About the Collection
The SPAAMFAA Library and Archives consists of more than 120 feet of shelved materials, flat files, vertical files, and thousands of photographs, books, and fire service periodicals. We collect materials on the design, manufacturing of American fire apparatus including sales literature, parts lists, repair manuals and fire apparatus blueprints. The collections include information on hand-pulled (manual), horse-drawn (steam) and motorized (gas & diesel) equipment from the smallest details to the complete operating machine.
This massive collection is in the process of being organized, sorted and indexed. We hope to eventually make large amounts of this collection viewable online, but as a starting point SPAAMFAA National members can look at a number of indexes and finding aids with more specific details about the collection.
Doing Research at the SPAAMFAA Library and Archive
In Person Research:
The archives is located in Kansas City, and is open by appointment. We are a “closed-stack” research library (IE: visiting researchers can not simply brows the collection on their own). Please fill out the Research Request Form (see below) and let us know when you would like to visit, and what subject area or materials you might interested in in viewing.
researching.
Other Research Requests:
Archives Research Request Form
Donating Materials to the Archive
The library is interested in accepting collections of books, catalogs, photographs, sales records, and other two-dimensional, archival materials pertaining to fire apparatus and the fire service in general. If you have material you think might be of interest, we encourage you to contact us using the form below.
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Archives Donation Form
Supporting the SPAAMFAA Library and Archive
With the vast holdings of the SPAAMFAA Archives comes great opportunities and great responsibilities. We are now own the collection outright, and are solely responsible for it’s storage and maintenance. In the past year, we have hired professionally trained staff, and purchased archival storage materials to better preserve and protect our holdings. We are also embarking on a long-term project to organize, inventory, and ultimately digitize the collection to facilitate online accessibility.
With these great opportunities and responsibilities also comes a “great” need for additional financial support. We encourage you to make a tax-deductible contribution to the “Lee Soderbeck Memorial Fund” which directly funds and benefits the Archives and Library.
Online via Credit Card or PayPal
Make a one-time or monthly donation via our convenient PayPal button:
