An OWL with a camera

http://www.linkmuseum.org/

One of my favorite photographers is O Winston Link who became famous for his night shots in the 1950's at the end of the steam locomotive era.

He also made sound recordings of trains which also also famous among railroad fans.

The major body of his work is now at the O. Winston Link museum which is located in the Ex-Norfolk & Western Terminal in Roanoke, Virginia.

I recently made my first visit to the museum and was impressed by the collection of photographic prints (most done my OWL himself) and also the collection of the equipment which O. Winston used to make his photographs.

His work challenges me to place the railroads in a greater context. They are less about locomotives and more about how the locomotives interacted with the employees and the landscape. This balance is what makes his work so different than many other photographers of the period who focused on the 3/4 view of steam engines. It really is the difference between a still-life and a landscape.






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Spring is coming - time to get planting

It feels like Spring today in South Carolina. The highs are supposed to be near 80 degrees and everyone is quickly forgetting the recent cold spell.

One great thing about spring is watching the tractors prepare the fields for planting. I enjoy watching the crops grow as I commute back and forth to work. I get to guess what they are planting in each field, then watch the crops as they grow week by week.

This year I plan on doing a series photographing one field each week during the growing season.. we'll discover together what kind of crop it will be.

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It takes dedicated people

The steam engines we have preserved today only exist because of the dedication of railfans. These railfans contribute time and money to help insure that the locomotives continue to be preserved for future generations.

Hopefully one day soon, we'll get to see the C&O 614  back on the rails under her own power.

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Ginning Snow

This old Cotton Gin lost its roof during a storm but the equipment still remains inside. I'm hoping it is preserved instead of ending up as scrap somewhere.

A rare snowfall dusts the rusting equipment in this mornings shot.



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Looking towards Spring and Summer

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Augusta Bridge

Augusta Bridge, originally uploaded by Gene Bowker.

The NS Bridge over the Augusta River is one of my favorite subjects to shoot.

Here is a shot I took back in June of 2009

Wordless Wednesday - Old Iron

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Down the race

Down the race, originally uploaded by Gene Bowker.

A fall shot down the millrace at Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia

Cheraw freight dock

cheraw freight dock, originally uploaded by Gene Bowker.

Here is a side view of the Cheraw Depot.. The loading dock area is in pretty bad shape as the bumper board has fallen.

I've learned since I took the photograph that the depot served as both a freight and passenger depot for the Seaboard in Cheraw.

 Example of a SCL Passenger schedule from the late 1960's before Amtrak took over service.

Cheraw Depot - Icy morning

Snow and Ice are not common in South Carolina, so when they do happen it can make for some interesting photographs.

The subject is the Ex-Seaboard Air Line Freight Depot in Cheraw, South Carolina. I was impressed by the architectural styling of the abandoned depot and also loved the light play on the ice and snow on the building.

The building is in disrepair and I have not heard of any plans to restore or save it. The Passenger depot is used downtown as part of the police/city hall building. The freight depot is left to rot along the tracks.

Click on the photo to see full size on my website at http://genebowker.com/


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Wade Hampton - Controversial SC General and Governor

Wade Hampton: Confederate General and South Carolina Governor has always been controversial. More for his post-Civil War politics than his service in the Confederacy, Hampton is someone that most people either love or hate.

His statue sits on the lawn of the capital building in Columbia, SC.

Want to learn more about Hampton?




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Mushroom.. Ft. Mtn State Park, Georgia

Mushroom.. Ft. Mtn Georgia, originally uploaded by Gene Bowker.

Sometimes it just takes a different angle to make something different

NS 3277 Warrenville, SC

NS3277 Warrenville, originally uploaded by Gene Bowker.

A fall chase last year resulted in this photo at Warrenville, SC where the Ex-Southern route to Columbia continues to the North, while the Ex-Southern now branchline heads East.

This NS branchline was the original SC Railroad between Charleston and Hamburg, SC at the time the longest railroad in the world.

Now the line ends just east of Aiken and is abandoned from there to Branchville, SC where the line between Charleston and Columbia, SC is met.

So long ago... or Museums keep memories alive

http://cityofprinceton.org/MUSEUM.rev.htm
NW 1962 Calendar Princeton, originally uploaded by Gene Bowker.

It is hard to believe it will be 50 years ago that this calendar was printed later this fall for customers and employees of the Norfolk & Western Railroad

It is hard for me to believe that Amtrak (and me) are turning 40 this May (I was born a week after Amtrak)

Luckily through photos and museums there are still memories to remind us how things used to be.  This calendar is at the Princeton, WV museum housed in their great reproduction depot on the side of the Ex-Virginian Railway mainline.

One Cold Palm Tree

The palm tree in front of the office looks pretty cold today. South Carolina experienced a "rare" snow/ice event on Jan 10th, 2011 which caused much chaos in the little prepared area.

My office was closed on Monday but reopened on Tuesday. The main highways were clear but there was still some ice/snow on the secondary roads between Aiken and the office here in W. Columbia

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Love a good fence - South Carolina

I love a good fence. While locations such as the Blue Ridge Parkway are famous for their hand-built fences, this fence lives caught my attention at River's Bridge State Park in South Carolina.

River's Bridge is the only SC State Park to protect a Civil War Battlefield.

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The celebration starts.. 150th Anniversary of the Civil War

The 4 year celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War is starting. South Carolina will play a big part in 2011 with a number of events planned around the start of the war with the bombing of Fort Sumpter in April.

The Civil War of course still causes debate. What was the cause? What were they fighting for? Who has the "right" to claim the symbols of the conflict 150 years later.

No matter what your opinions.. it is a chance to remember history which took place close to home.

 (Free book with eyewitness accounts)

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