NEWS RELEASE ARCHIVES
Norfolk
and Western Railway Photographs by O. Winston Link
Alice R. and Sol B. Frank Photography Galleries
July 1 through December 31, 2005
O. Winston Link (American, 1914-2001) |
In the 1950s, railroads replaced aging steam locomotives with modern diesel engines. The new trains were more efficient, in addition to being quieter and cleaner. However, they did not possess the personality and romanticism engendered by the steam locomotive with their billowing plumes of smoke and noisy rumbling and high-pitched whistles. O. Winston Link, a commercial photographer, began what can only be termed a “mission” to document these steam giants before they vanished from the rails. From 1955 to 1960, Link photographed the steam locomotives of the Norfolk and Western Railway—now Norfolk Southern—in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland. Link photographed the trains, the towns, the people, and the employees of the Norfolk and Western to create a remarkable document of a vanishing era of Americana. In a surprising twist of technique, Link made many of his photographs at night, using skills he had learned while working on a secret project for the US military during World War II. After the war he worked as a freelance photographer performing commercial and public relations photography. A native of Brooklyn New York his given name was Ogle Winston Link. Although his mother was from Virginia and his father West Virginia, Link lived his entire life in New York.
The Chrysler is exhibiting 101 of these unique photographs thanks to the generosity of David and Susan Goode. “I’m pleased to participate in this exhibition of O. Winston Link photographs,” said Norfolk Southern Chairman and CEO David R. Goode, who made the photographs available to the Chrysler. “I think Link represents a special place in photography, joining his artistry and technology with a slice of history. Trains are the subject, and naturally that interests me, but Link goes much further and records people, places and a time when an era was passing. The photographs speak on several levels. I’m eager to share them with as broad an audience as possible.” Interestingly, the Norfolk Southern Railway and the Chrysler Museum joined forces in 1983 to publish Link’s first catalogue while hosting an exhibition of his work. Although Link was in attendance at that Chrysler Museum exhibition, he died in 2001 at the age of 86. Today, Link has numerous publications and exhibitions serving as a testament to his passion.
To understand the importance of the group of photographs on view, Robert Mann of Robert Mann Gallery in New York City a longtime dealer of Link’s work made this comment: “This collection of O. Winston Link photographs was compiled by the artist himself. Each image was specifically selected by Link to chronicle the last days of the Norfolk & Western's steam locomotives. This is the most comprehensive set of original signed prints, printed by the artist himself. The collection is truly unique.”
The exhibition is on display in the Alice R. and Sol B. Frank Photography Galleries; and an entire roster of exciting programs and other special events are planned during the run of the show.
The Chrysler Museum would like to acknowledge
the assistance of the O.
Winston Link Museum in Roanoke Virginia, in the preparation of this
exhibition.
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images: (clockwise left to right)
O. Winston Link (American, 1914-2001)
Buck Stewart Calling Trains at The Roanoke Station, Roanoke, Virginia,
1956
Hotshot Eastbound at the Iaeger Drive-In, Iaeger, West Virginia, 1956
Old Maud Bows to the Virginia Creeper, Green Cove, Virginia, 1956
Hawksbill Creek Swimming Hole, with Freight No. 96 Northbound, Luray,
Virginia, 1956
Gelatin-silver prints
Promised gifts from David and Susan Goode
© O. Winston Link Trust
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