Highlights

"Conversations" Conference

Photo by Henry Koshollek, M.A.

The Center's eighth "Conversations About Photography" conference will be held April 23-25, 2010, in Lake Forest, Illinois. Photos of the 2009 conference are on the conference page.

It's Work

Center for Railroad Photography and Art

Photo © David Plowden

The Center, as a conclusion to its "Representations of Railroad Work" project, has published a 32-page summary with memorable images from all the exhibits, which is available for purchase. It appears in place of an issue of Railroad Heritage. Classic Trains (Summer 2007, page 90) and Railfan & Railroad (June 2007, page 12) featured It's Work in news and reviews.

Photography Awards

Creative Photography Award

Photo by Brandon Smith, 2010 winner.

As a part of its commitment to excellence, the Center has established annual national awards for outstanding contributions to railroad imagery. See the 2010 winners.

Center for Railroad
Photography & Art
1914 Monroe St.
P.O. Box 259330
Madison, WI 53725-9330
(608) 251-5785 / Email Us!

Previous Issues of Railroad Heritage

No. 15, 2005

Railroad Work Exhibits Ready for Travel, 2
Looking Ahead, 2
Rose Memorial Program Gains Support, 3
Conference Moves to Marquette, 5
Awards Program Focuses on Work, 5
Ryan Wins Third Awards Program, 6
Beebe Promotes Railroad Imagery, 10
Evolution of Early Draft Gear Designs, 14

No. 12, 2004

Looking Ahead, 2
Amtrak: Basics and Posters, 2
Breck's Calendars Show Railroad's "Presence," 4
Silver Legacy, 8
From Pure Delight to Downright Frustration, 10
Program Set for Third Conference, 12
Third Creative Photo Award, 13
Stein's Passion, 14
The Great Train Robbery, 15

No. 11, 2004

.railphoto-art.org gets new look, 2
Cashin Wins Creative Photography Award, 3
Silver Legacy, 3
Looking Ahead, 3
Facing the "Conversations" Audience, 4
Gallery: Black & White, 6
Contest Winners, 8
Schnitzmeyer and Montana, 10
Robbery at 100, 13
An Artistic Approach to Poster Art, 14

No. 10, 2004

No. 9, 2003

No. 8, 2003

No. 7, 2003

No. 6, 2002

Chicago & North Western

Bern Hill created 65 paintings from 1950 to 1956 for advertising for the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors. The scene here shows the Chicago & North Western. Railroad Heritage No. 6 features Hill's work for EMD. Greg Palumbo collection

No. 5, 2002 (out of print)

Editorial: A Preservation Discipline

Railroad photography has transcended its origins as a creative hobby or tool of railroad promotion and, over the last three decades, has emerged as a legitimate preservation discipline. Its images are becoming recognized widely as a distinct form of visual art and a powerful research tool.

Beginning with a formal exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art nearly 25 years ago, a succession of popular and museum exhibitions have brought the work of railroad photographers and artists before millions of people--further evidence of its mainstream recognition.

By far the most visible current exhibition, "Railroad Vision" at the prestigious J. Paul Getty Museum (www.getty.edu/museum) in Los Angeles through June 23, presents 90 images from the Americas, Europe, and South Africa. "From the 1850s onward photography and the railroad embarked on a journey together. This complex new relationship shaped a visual culture that dealt with issues of space, time, and distance in a way that never before existed," Anne M. Lyden, assistant curator in charge of the exhibition, writes in an illustrated brochure.

Another exhibit, "Traveling the Pennsylvania Railroad: The Photographs of William H. Rau" through September 20 is at the Library Company of Philadelphia (www.librarycompany.org). The railroad commissioned Rau, Philadelphia's preeminent photographer, to take hundreds of photographs to promote travel on the railway. A companion volume, edited by John C. Van Horne with Eileen E. Drelick, has been published by the University of Pennsylvania Press in cooperation with the Library Company. The book includes introductory essays by three scholars including John Stilgoe.

The Center's exhibit, "Railroads and Photography: 150 Years of Great Images," has been touring the country since 1999. We are flattered that the Getty has adopted an approach similar to ours. In brochure/catalogs published for exhibits at the John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, St. Louis, 2000, and Nevada State Railroad Museum, Carson City, 2001-02, the center said, "Railroads and photography grew up together as two of the technologies that profoundly changed American life. We are a nation based on mobility and images, so it should not be surprising that railroads embraced photography--and vice versa." The center's exhibit also is at the Middleton, Wisconsin, railroad depot, which has offices for the city's tourism center and excursion train.

As archival collections held by nonprofit institutions continue to grow in quality and quantity, so too railroad images are continuing to become more accessible and available to the public eye. Some 18 major depositories have an estimated 2,586,000 images. At six of these locations, images are available on the Internet. Nine have at least minimal motion picture holdings. In the future, the Center plans a comprehensive review of these holdings.

Railroad photography as an artistic discipline often has been overlooked, as I pointed in the Preservation Points column in Trains (June 2002). But after 160 years in a pivotal role in the industry's life and evolution, it should be no surprise that the rest of the world is "discovering" the power of railroad images. We can look forward to more respect for what we have for so long taken for granted.

No. 4, 2001

Center for Railroad Photography and Art

We mourn the passing of Ted Rose, 61, an important railroad painter who had gained recognition in the mainstream art world. He died at home on Friday, July 26, 2002. Rose, born in Milwaukee, had lived in Santa Fe since 1966. He was a member of the American Watercolor Society. In the Traces (Indiana University Press, 2000) included many of his paintings and his philosophies and inspirations. His painting, Ground Blizzard (detail), appears on the cover of Railroad Heritage No. 4, 2001. © 2001 Ted Rose

Editorial: The Diesel Commemoration

In a wide ranging address last fall, historian John Hankey challenged the railroad preservation and museum community with a simple question: Who is going to commemorate the centennial of the diesel-electric locomotive in two or three years? For decades, the railroad history community more or less uncritically accepted the mid-1920s as the beginning of the diesel-electric locomotive era. But important precursors stretched back to the turn of the century, and Kyle Williams Wyatt, now a curator at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, wrote about what likely is the first North American diesel-electric locomotive in the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Newsletter (fall 1996). Planning started in 1904, and the locomotive was built for the Southern Pacific in 1905.

Wyatt's research, sparked by a two-page article in the December 1904 Marconigram (published in New York City), establishes that the SP worked creatively with the newly-formed American Locomotive Company to design a locomotive similar in concept and layout to today's AC behemoths. The Railway Master Mechanic (April 1905) described it thus: "The Southern Pacific company has been making a series of experiments with a motor car which is driven by electric motors at the axles, the current being furnished by dynamos, direct connected to large Diesel oil engines, located in the car." The New York Times (March 15, 1905) and Chicago Tribune (March 14, 1905) wrote about it.'

'Even a century ago, American railroading was part of a global technological community. "The diesel-electric locomotive is based on a prime mover perfected by German engineers (Nikolaus Otto and Rudolf Diesel), based on the thermodynamic theory of a couple of mid-nineteenth century French mathematicians (Sadi Canot and Alphonse Beau de Rochas). The electrical gear included the dynamo perfected by Thomas Edison, but it was merely an elaboration of the dynamo invented by Werner Siemens in Germany a few years earlier. The English chemist Michael Faraday and Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell had laid the theoretical groundwork for applied electromagnetism. And it all began with Alessandro Volta, who perfected the battery in Italy two centuries ago," Hankey noted.

Hankey's challenge went much farther than recognition of the centennial. An act of commemoration would probe deeply. It would look for causes, connections, motivations. It would search out what is real and important and novel. The diesel locomotive changed the railroad industry-but where did it come from? These questions should be part of a thoughtful commemoration."

It has been a year since Hankey issued the challenge. He cast it as a very broad effort shared by railroad history organizations across the continent. The Center is ideally poised to work with many different kinds of institutions interested in how this revolutionary technology was represented in the visual arts. Almost every aspect of the diesel electric era in American railroading is well documented in photos and art, and any serious presentation of its history has to rely on images.

The Center is ready to do its part in this exciting and important commemoration. Who else will accept the challenge?

John Gruber, President, Center for Railroad Photography and Art

No. 3, 2001 (out of print)

William Rittase's cloud negative

William Rittase's cloud negative dramatically outlines Reading 2102 in 1945. For more about Rittase, see Railroad Heritage No. 3. John Gruber collection

Editorial: Railroads and Society, the Visual Record

As the larger field of railway heritage grows and evolves, it becomes more and more important for organizations to both take the lead in their own areas of expertise and collaborate with others to move projects forward. that is the situation the Center finds itself in today.

Indiana University Press, along with several other academic presses throughout the United States, has made a commitment to publish both scholarly and trade books on railroad subjects. These respected publishers have realized that there is a market for quality railroad books, and that such works are important contributions to the growing literature of railroading.

One of the most important works IUP has in the works is a comprehensive encyclopedia of North American railroading, being assembled under the general editorship of William D. Middleton and George Smerk. The encyclopedia will involve hundreds of authors, almost a million words, and several years of effort.

The result will be the first truly comprehensive source on railroading ever produced in this country. It will be an important resource for libraries, scholars, and anyone interested in railroad history and heritage. There will be the usual short entries on the usual subjects. But the encyclopedia's editors hope also to include many forgotten and obscure topics and to correct some of the myths and misunderstandings which have crept into railroading's vast literature.

One of the primary objectives of the Center is to document the history of railroad artists, photographers, and the use of imagery throughout the industry. Recognizing that expertise, John Hankey, editor of the encyclopedia's section on railroads and society, approached the Center about collaborating on a series of encyclopedia articles treating its area of expertise--railroad art and photography.

This is just the kind of collaboration which benefits the center, the encyclopedia project, and the larger goal of presenting a complete and accurate story of North America's rich Railroad Heritage. It represents a common sense approach - the Center has a large and growing database and the ability to solicit high-quality articles from people knowledgeable in its field of interest.

But it also represents the fruits of our efforts over the past few years to create an active and useful organization. The fact that Hankey reached out to the Center for its participation - and that he, as one of the editors, recognized the importance of railroad art and photography - is evidence that the Center is on the right track.

The details remain to be worked out. But we are pleased to be part of the Indiana University Press railroad encyclopedia project. We look forward to giving the men and women who created the visual record their due.

No. 2, 2000

Editorial: Why an Archive?

The response to the first issue of Railroad Heritage was rewarding. We were pleased to hear from so many people, with comments such as this one from Virginia: "It is about time that someone started a center for railroad photography and art. After all, railroads and railroading are as much a part of the American culture, as say, the automobile. There is just such a wealth of excellent rail art/photography in this country that most of the American public is totally unaware of."

We described our vision for the magazine itself, and its part in our efforts to showcase the best in railroad photography and art. Already, the size (24 pages) of the quarterly is proving inadequate. To preserve space for art and articles, and to make the information timely and even more useful, we placed some features, such as the exhibits and events calendars, on the Center's Internet site at www.railphoto-art.org.

In this issue, we want to begin a conversation with our readers and supporters about a second initiative of the center: building an archive. You may ask, Why is it important to build an archive? Why don't we use other collections as the foundation for our exhibitions and publications?

We use as many sources as possible for our research, education, and service activities, and list resources on our web site. We scour the country for images and information, often finding evidence and insights in the most unlikely places. That is the nature of research in general, and the rich and complex story of railroading in particular. But sometimes that just isn't enough. It's important to have images easily and quickly available, first and foremost so you can set the standards for high quality and usage.

What the center can do is provide models for the use and administration of railroad images. With its own collections as a basis, the center can be more effective as a coordinating body for the millions of images potentially available.

An important goal in having collections is making them widely available, and demonstrating how they can be presented in new and innovative ways, to contribute to public understanding. In our organization, the creation and use of image archives will be a priority. Perhaps that sets us apart from other institutions in another way, also. Our goal is not collecting in itself, but for the role of the images in telling the bigger story of the visual heritage of railroading.

No industry has a closer relationship with the growth of America. Main line and tourist railroads continue to draw impressive public attention. If you have any doubt, listen to author Stephen E. Ambrose who saw crowds along the tracks while riding a Union Pacific steam train: "It was then I learned how America has lost her heart to steam-driven locomotives." And he might well have added details about the other aspects of railroads people find interesting.

We ask for your suggestions. Your gifts are vital for our continuing success. Please take a few moments to reflect on our achievements and our goals. If you like what you see, help make it happen by sending contributions. It will be a rewarding journey though railroading's grand artistic accomplishments.

John Gruber, President, Center for Railroad Photography and Art

No. 1, 2000 (out of print)

Herbert D. Stitt painted covers

Herbert D. Stitt painted covers for the Baltimore & Ohio's magazine in 1927, the year the railroad presented its "Fair of the Iron Horse" in suburban Baltimore. Two of the paintings are reproduced here from postcards in John Hankey's collection. For more about Stitt and the B&O, see Railroad Heritage No. 3.

Herbert D. Stitt painted covers

Editorial: The Image of Railroading

Railroading has strong visual traditions, stronger than you may realize at first glance. The images - in silver, on canvas, negative or positive - have been a part of the industry from its beginnings in the 1830s.

The goal of the Center for Railroad Photography and Art is to share this exciting story with you in as many ways as possible: this quarterly, exhibitions, Internet, workshops, an archive, and more. We will explore the visual impact the industry had on the life of America, and look closely at railroading itself in all its splendor and glory and color.

The Center has accomplished a great deal since its founding. The exhibition, "Railroads and Photography: 150 Years of Great Images," opened in June 1999 in Sacramento. It has since traveled to Altoona, Pennsylvania; Madison, Wisconsin; Lake Forest, Illinois; and Champaign and Franklin Park, Illinois; and reopens June 13 at the John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library. A web site (www.railphoto-art.org) provides complementary information including an up-to-date events calendar.

The next step in the Center's growth is Railroad Heritage, which you see here for the first time. This quarterly will showcase the best railroad photography and art. We want to illustrate with dramatic images how railroading touched the lives of people everywhere. The Center and its quarterly plan to encourage creativity, bring new work to public view, and provide a forum for discussion and explanation of creative works of earlier years.

The Center has invited knowledgeable artists, photographers, curators, and educators to form an editorial advisory board. Railroad Heritage will represent the very best work being done in the fields of railroad art and culture - and it will strive to advance a broader appreciation of all forms of the visual representation of railroading. The second issue will include coverage of books and articles about rail photography and art. Your ideas are welcome.

Railroad companies themselves made a stunning visual record of the building of the network and the opening of the Continent. Today an ever-increasing number of artists and photographers portray the romance, history, and continuing development of railroading.

These spectacular sights and sounds are alive and well today on tourist railroads and America's main lines. No industry has a closer relationship with the growth of America. Steel rails, the "iron horse," and the railroader made much of the country's development possible. Scarce indeed is the American whose family tree does not include a railroader or whose life has not been influenced by the railroad. Through the preservation and presentation of art and photography, the Center offers a new and unprecedented view of the railroad's influence on American culture.

We ask for your suggestions and support. Your gifts are vital for our continuing success. Please take a few moments to reflect on our achievements, review our goals - and if you like what you see, help make it happen by sending contributions. It will be a rewarding journey though railroading's grand artistic accomplishments, and a glimpse at an equally bright future.

John Gruber, President, Center for Railroad Photography and Art