#promontorysummit

[railwayhistorical]

Historical Echo

Not a big deal, but I was pleased to see two of my photographs published in the Union Pacific Historical Society's journal, The Streamliner, recently (Vol. 33 No. 3, Summer 2019).

This was in relation to sesquicentennial events, at Ogden and Promontory Summit; one of the images was on the back cover—juxtaposed with the work of one of my heroes, A. J. Russell.

[huntingtonlibrary]

On this day in 1869, the eastbound and westbound railroad tracks met at Utah's Promontory Summit, marking the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Though it remains a monumental moment in history, many Americans felt the railroad created a new empire, ruled by "masters of the iron horse rather than the people."

More over on Verso...

[railwayhistorical]

After Promontory - The Trackside Photographer

After Promontory: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Transcontinental Railroading was put together by the Center for Railroad Photography & Art and published by Indiana University Press. With the sesquicentennial of the Golden Spike looming, the creators of this book chose this time to look back not only at the Pacific Railroad, but also the…

Here’s a book review I penned, out today—The Trackside Photographer.

[railwayhistorical]

Golden Spike Sesquicentennial

As I was scheduled to speak about my work, Contemporary Views Along the First Transcontinental Railroad, in Ogden on May 9th, I felt obliged to make it to Promontory Summit for the sesquicentennial reenactment. And I was glad I did so, even though huge crowds are decidedly not my thing.

It was a great day for the descendants of the Chinese and Irish workers who built the first transcontinental railroad with their hands and backs. I personally thanked many Chinese for being there, but was unexpectedly rocked (emotionally) by a short speech by the Irish Ambassador. (I mention the contribution of the Chinese workers more than the Irish in my presentation, but I have some amount of green blood in my veins.)

Regarding the photo: I had no press credentials, and so was not able to obtain close access and a clear shot. This image is to simply prove (for myself, more than anyone else) that I was present—and as a feeble homage to A. J. Russell.

One image by Richard Koenig; taken May 10th 2019

[railwayhistorical]

Ogden, May 9th 2019

In conjunction with the sesquicentennial of the completion of the Pacific Railroad, a joint conference will be put on by the Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society and the Union Pacific Historical Society (from May 8th through the 11th) in Ogden, Utah.

At 7:00 PM on May 9th 2019 (at this conference), I will present my signature work, Contemporary Views Along the First Transcontinental Railroad.

The project is made up of a series of landscapes taken along the original route of the line between Omaha, Nebraska, and Sacramento, California. My goal is to give the viewer as strong of a connection as possible to this historic 19th century engineering marvel through the remaining visual evidence of the human-altered landscape. And while no people are present in the images, I hope to conjure the people who built the line as well as those who were gravely affected by it.