Wallace W. Abbey: A Life in Railroad Photography

By Scott Lothes, Kevin P. Keefe and Wallace W. Abbey

From the late 1940s onward, Wallace W. Abbey masterfully combined journalistic and artistic vision to transform everyday transportation moments into magical photographs. Abbey, a photographer, journalist, historian, and railroad industry executive, helped people from many different backgrounds understand and appreciate what was taken for granted: a world of locomotives, passenger trains, big-city terminals, small-town depots, and railroaders. During his lifetime he witnessed and photographed sweeping changes in the railroading industry from the steam era to the era of diesel locomotives and electronic communication. Wallace W. Abbey: A Life in Railroad Photography profiles the life and work of this legendary photographer and showcases the transformation of transportation and photography after World War II. Featuring more than 175 exquisite photographs in an oversized format, Wallace W. Abbey is an outstanding tribute to a gifted artist and the railroads he loved.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Release date: Feb 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9780253032256

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Reviews for Wallace W. Abbey

[dpevers_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A journalist's (and photographer's) view of railroading, as a railfan, as a railway journalist, and as a railway employee. The photography is good--showing not just railroad equipment and structures, but the workers, communities, and passengers in context--culled from a very large collection; but the context is even better and more important.