O. Winston Link -- Last Days of Steam Locomotives

In the 1955, photographer O. Winston Link set out with flashbulbs, specialized reflectors, and an assistant to capture the last days of steam locomotives in the US.

Link collected the these images two books, Steam, Steel, and Stars (published by Harry N. Abrams) and in a new book The Last Steam Railroad in America (text by Thomas Garver, published by Harry N. Abrams, October 1995).

The Spring 1996 issue of Photographer's Forum* magazine carries an excellent interview with Link, now 81, and includes some of striking images from the 1995 book, and rare pictures of his equipment. For his dramatic outdoor shots, he sometimes used up to sixteen flash bulb units with powerful Wabash #0 bulbs.

In October 1995, the Smithsonian Institution offered a retrospective of Link's work, and they have placed it online for your enjoyment


* Photographer's Forum: 511 Olive St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101 1-805-963-0439.

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