R(ichard) Van Dyke Reid was a South River native, born in 1833, and a graduate of Rutgers College. He taught in South River and later moved to Red Bank, where he served as schools principal from 1864 to 1871. After the death of his wife Sarah in 1886, Reid returned to South River, where he died in 1915.

His photographs and scrapbooks reflect the shared interests of small communities in the latter half of the 19th century: marriages, deaths, religion, politics, and photographically, the buildings, the streets, and the people.

What follows is essentially a transcription of Van Dyke Reid's original handwritten index to his photograph collection. Changes have been made only when a photo number or page number was found to be incorrect, or when a photo in the album was omitted from the index.

Unless otherwise noted, photographs in the collection are available for viewing at the
South River Museum.

South River Streets

South River Residences

South River Stores, Factories, Shops, and Public Buildings

South River Churches, including Interior Views

South River Trolley, Ruins After Fires, and Views from Tops of Buildings

South River Cemetery

South River Hotels and Saloons

Various Views of South River

South River Public and Sunday School Classes

South River Individuals and Groups of People

Red Bank

North and South Shrewsbury River

Excursion Resorts and Beaches - Black Rock, Boynton Beach,                Highland Beach, Midland Beach, Richmond Beach

Sayreville, Parlin, South Amboy, Milltown, and Weston's Mills

Around New York, Morristown, and Matawan Station

New Brunswick, Bound Brook, Newark, Duke's Farm - Raritan,                and Rumson Road

Miscellaneous photos not included in index