Railroad Heritage, Summer 2021: Los Angeles River, Pentrex, Malo

Three fabulous feature articles form the backbone of our Summer 2021 issue. Take a deep look at railroading along the Los Angeles River with Elrond Lawrence in the cover story, the latest in our “Art of Place” series. If you grew up watching Pentrex railroad videos (or just enjoy a well-told tale of the rise and fall of a media empire), you will not want to miss Justin Franz’s oral history of Pentrex, “I sell train tapes.” For exceptional creative nonfiction writing paired with equally exceptional photographs of contemporary railroading in Texas and Kansas, settle into a favorite chair for Rick Malo’s “Writes of Passage” photo essay.

We also commemorate Amtrak’s 50th anniversary with a gallery from our collections, offer tips for how best to house your collections in “Out of the Archives,” consider the European rivalry between the German Rheingold and French Edelweiss trains, and sit down with Joel Jensen for an interview about his photography and why he values the Center.

$7.95, 68 pages, color and b/w

Railroad Heritage 65: Spring 2021

Railroad Heritage, Spring 2021: Masters, Sullivan, Jordan

Savor of the work of two supremely talented graphite artists whose work falls a century apart. Frank Bird Masters illustrated railroad fiction stories in the early twentieth century with dramatic drawings that appeared regularly in national magazines. Gregory P. Ames brings Masters’ work back into print with an in-depth look into his life and art, which includes an unexpected trove of cyanotype photography. Kate Sullivan, a contemporary artist from Boston, revels in eastern Europe’s steam locomotives, which she portrays in vivid drawings that get at the essence of these dynamic machines. Join native New Yorker Richard Jordan III for a tour of the beauty and tragedy that is Buffalo Central Terminal in this issue’s “Art of Place” feature.

Adrienne Evans, our archivist, shares more about cyanotypes in her “Out of the Archives” column, which also introduces the newest members of our archives team. In “Art of the Railway Poster,” Arjan den Boer presents the Art Deco influence on Germany’s Mitropa services. Inga Velten shares the Center’s early history in an interview with Bonnie Gruber, widow of our principal founder, John Gruber. We also present our annual Honor Roll with great thanks to our 2020 donors, who helped us thrive in a challenging year.

$7.95, 84 pages, color and b/w

Railroad Heritage 64: Spring 2021

Railroad Heritage, Winter 2021: Postcards, Hallock, Stanley

Steam into a new year with the spectacular winter photography of Ralph Hallock, featuring the Denver & Rio Grande Western’s Tennessee Pass with commentary by Mark W. Hemphill, in this issue’s cover story. Get inspired to keep in touch with “The Rise and Fall of the Railroad Postcard,” an in-depth history of railroad postcards by Den Adler, which includes more than seventy images from his extensive collection. Explore railroading on the San Francisco Peninsula in the 1970s with Dave Stanley in our latest installment of “The Railroad and the Art of Place.”

In our columns, learn about our new research and usage fees in “Out of the Archives” by Adrienne Evans, which also includes an update on our processing efforts. Arjan den Boer shares the work of British artist Paul B. Mann in “Art of the Railway Poster.” Inga Velten interviews Richard Tower, a member of our board of directors, in a new column spotlighting the people of the Center. Kevin P. Keefe reviews the new book Logomotive: Railroad Graphics and the American Dream by Ian Logan and Jonathan Glancey, while Hailey Paige provides a rundown of our traveling exhibitions and online events.

$7.95, 72 pages, color and b/w

Railroad Heritage 63: Winter 2021

Keep in touch with CRP&A postcards

In conjunction with an article in Railroad Heritage 2021:1 by Den Adler, “The Rise and Fall of the Railroad Postcard,” the Center has published a set of six postcards with images from our collections. In this time of limited contact and so much electronic communication, we want to encourage physical, tangible correspondence. Our postcards are printed on 130-pound linen cover stock, and they feature the work of photographers Katherine Botkin, William Botkin, Victor Hand, Ronald Hill, Thomas McIlwraith, and James Shaughnessy.

$5 per set of six cards, which includes domestic postage

Railroad Heritage, Fall 2020: Awards, Cartoons, Creativity & Covid

While 2020 has brought unimaginable challenges, our members have remained deeply engaged in railroad photography and art. They share samples of their recent work in this issue’s cover story, “Creativity & Covid,” edited by Alexander Benjamin Craghead. From contemporary photography and painting to personal archiving projects and even creative nonfiction, their work is inspirational, offering ample proof that our creative spirit is alive and well. Further proof of that comes from the winners of our 2020 John E. Gruber Creative Photography Awards, which we also present in this issue along with comments from the judges. Rounding out the feature articles is a look back at New Haven Railroad cartoons that highlight travel difficulties of World War II. They come from the Archives and Special Collections of the University of Connecticut Library in a story by archivist Laura Smith.

In our columns, Arjan den Boer looks at the precise work of Pierre Fix-Masseau in his “Art of the Railway Poster.” Adrienne Evans shares the second of her two-part overview about the history and care of glass plate negatives in “Out of the Archives.” And Hailey Paige previews our next online conference, Virtual Conversations: Fall Edition, whose presenters will share railway photography and art from around the world.

$7.95, 84 pages, color and b/w

Railroad Heritage 62: Fall 2020