Nostalgia & History > Vernacular Railroad Photographs

“We behold a picture containing content that no longer exists, created by a photographer no longer alive. And yet the picture’s latent reality miraculously rises from its surface, existing for us in the present as an accurate likeness of the past. Holding a snapshot or glossy 8 x 10 railroad photograph in my hands, then, and contemplating the circumstances surrounding its production, producer, and place in time is still a magical experience, even after a decade of avid collecting.” - Jeff Brouws, from the introduction to Some Vernacular Railroad Photographs.

The above is from the webpage

http://wwnorton.tumblr.com/post/54098575662/some-vernacular-railroad-photographs

The New York Times has more on Brouws and his collection of amateur railroad photographs in the article: "A Collector of Railroad Photographs Uses Them to Track the Past."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/28/arts/design/a-collector-of-railroad-photos-uses-them-to-track-the-past.html?_r=1&

Pictures 1 and 2 are from the website,

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arlonoke/pictures_from_the_past.htm

Picture 1, “Railroad Section Crew near Lonoke, Arkansas.”

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Picture 2, “Unknown, if anyone recognizes the people in the following photos please let me know and I will add there names.”

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I'll add one. Western Oklahoma, KCM&O, Keel middleton collection.

Fred in Wichita

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With a little color correction and sharpness the photo shows some great details

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Just a bit of correction.

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In the 3rd photo, from the dog's brave, high position, it looks like every day was bring-your-dog-to-work day!


ATSF93 Wrote:
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> I'll add one. Western Oklahoma, KCM&O, Keel
> middleton collection.
>
> Fred in Wichita

Photo 1.

That 20 gallon wooden barrel, with a hinged lid and side handles, upon which the man is leaning, would be the crews water barrel.

Long shadows and the foreman wearing a jacket suggest the cool of the morning, but the water, white clothing, and wide brim hats make it look like it's gonna be a hot one.

-John

Dig those Pharrell hats

Thanks edsaalig for improving the photos to show more details and thanks ATSF93 for the additional photo. I enjoy steam era railroad pictures but I enjoy even more the information and comments they elicit. Thanks Westbound, LarryDoyle and jonjonjonjon.

The following website has information on Pharrell hats,

http://www.contactmusic.com/in-depth/pharrell-williams-grammy-hat-history_4096836



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/14 06:32 by flynn.