https://www.blurb.com/books/11767060-former-glory
The Northeast Corridor or “Rust Belt” of the United States is the most industrialized location of the U.S. and as such holds much history in the way of infrastructure development during the industrial revolution. In the so-called “gilded age of travel” of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, railroads were the dominant force of transportation, competing against each other for ridership and freight shipment. Many innovative and eye-catching designs were developed to capture the public’s eye and elevate each railroad’s status in opulence and timeliness, some of which have unfortunately been lost to history. From the railcars and locomotives themselves being scrapped to former magnificent stations being abandoned and left in a state of uncertainty, the decay in the rust belt is present. While some of these historical pieces have been saved by museums and restored to their former glory, this book displays images of the railroad gems that are still in line for preservation, or perhaps never will be. In any form, these staples of revolutionary transportation history must be captured and immortalized in order to tell the story of America’s glorious past and perhaps inspire the future.
I think your images do a really great job of capturing the history and the ‘railroad gems’ that are being lost. I really enjoy the clarity in your images and especially the up-close shots of rust. Although not entirely true, your images feel like they’re capturing something stuck in the past. I’m not sure if it’s the eeriness of your photos or the angles and time of day, but I really enjoy it. I think you did a really great job as your photos look great!
I agree with Angelique– your photos feel like they are capturing something stuck in the past. All of the photographs have such a historic feel to them; I particularly love the one of the train releasing steam. The up-close images of rust encapsulate that historic feel because you’re able to see that these trains have wear and tear from their pasts. I also think the words (whether it is the location or the train numbers) are a great addition to the book because they demonstrate how these beautiful train sites are relatively common among several states.
These photos are super cool and interesting. I love seeing beautiful old trains like these, whether running or not. And like what the other 2 said above, this is definitely capturing something that is stuck in the past, and what I find even more interesting is the areas that hold these trains to a higher priority to restore also follow suit with capturing that time period. In your images you can see the architecture of the buildings and the trains match time periods, especially in jim thorpe. This was super cool to see, great job!
I particularly like the close-up cropped images like number 47. Your color is also very rich. You made some good selections for what to include in the collection.