Author: Scott Lothes
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David Kahler, 1937-2026
All of us at the Center for Railroad Photography & Art mourn the passing of David Kahler, who died on April 14, 2026 at the age of 89. He was our longest-serving board member and a visionary photographer who reminded us to pay attention to the inherent art of everyday places. David practiced architecture for…
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Introducing our new site
Our newly overhauled website was a two-month project that we’ve been wanting to do for the past five years. Staff members Jordan Craig and Scott Lothes will take you behind the scenes in their next blog post; in the meantime, here are some of the basics about the new site. E-commerce changes We now use…
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PBS Wisconsin program: Railroads of Madison and South Central Wisconsin
On March 19, 2026, PBS Wisconsin aired the Center’s program “Railroads of Madison and South Central Wisconsin,” a presentation by Scott Lothes about the history and development of railroads in and around the Center’s home city. At their zenith, nine railroad lines radiated out of Madison, and the program traces their arrival, development, consolidation, and…
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Spring 2026: Freedom Train, Hudson Highlands, Travels with Don, and more
Just in time for the America 250 celebration, the Spring issue of Railroad Heritage will take readers back fifty years, to a time when the American Freedom Train crossed the west … plus spectacular photography of New York’s Hudson River Valley, photographer Victor Hand’s lifelong friendship with railroad journalist Don Phillips, and more! Highlights include:…
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Zoom program: Charting the Wolverine with artist Elaine S. Wilson
In the Center’s March 2026 Zoom presentation, artist Elaine S. Wilson describes her ongoing project, Charting the Wolverine, a series of digital prints about the views from Amtrak’s Wolverine train from Michigan to Chicago. She examines the process from its inception in 2008 to its current state that features thirty-one “map-prints” and more than 200…