O. Winston Link: Steam & Steel
In 1955, photographer O. Winston Link set out with massive arrays of flashbulbs, specialized reflectors, and an assistant to capture the last days of steam locomotives in the U.S. Viewing himself as more of a preservationist than artist, Link devoted himself to capturing images of the trains, workers, and communities that were rapidly changing as steam engines gave way to diesel. His work, however, is not straightforward documentary photography. As Ken Johnson of the New York Times observed, “The truth is that Link’s train pictures were not products of chance but of elaborate planning and ingenious stagecraft. His process was more like a movie director’s than a photojournalist’s.”
Steam & Steel is sponsored in part by Potter Stewart Jr. Law Offices and Berkley & Veller Greenwood Country Realtors. The exhibit consists of 24 signed silver-gelatin photographic prints on loan to BMAC from one of Link’s former studio assistants.
IMAGES:
Click here to view selected images from the exhibit.
RELATED EVENTS:
September 9 – The Demise and Return of Passenger Train Service in America
October 7 – Trains That Passed in the Night
SEE ALSO:
O. Winston Link Museum
