Railways in Camera, 1860-1913
undreds of striking photographs of the great age of steam are preserved for posterity in the archives of the Public Record Office (PRO) in London. The range of imagery is vast, both in terms of the subject matter and its geographical spread, covering British, Irish and foreign railways as far afield as Switzerland, India and South Africa.
The variety of these rare photographs extends from a panorama of the GWR'S mixed gauge track at Penzance station in 1870, to Queen Victoria's funeral train in 1901; and from the terrible accident that befell the Sunday School excursion train near Armagh in 1889, to a 0-4-0T negotiating one of the single loops of the Darjeeling Railway in 1909.
Many of these photographs were taken by local professional photographers who would sally forth from their studios, armed with their unwieldy plate cameras and tripods, to photograph the arrival of a member of the Royal family or a political personage at the local railway station, to record the construction of a bridge or the excavation of a cutting. Some of the railway subjects that appear in this selection were originally deposited for copyright purposes at Stationer's Hall between about 1884 and 1912, and the photographer was then given copyright of the image upon payment of one shilling.
The photographs which appear in Railways in Camera are drawn mainly from the COPY 1 collection held at the PRO, with additional photographs from the records of individual railways also deposited at the PRO.
Illustrations are grouped under individual railway companies and each picture is accompanied by an informative caption.
Comprehensive appendices record the operating statistics for fourteen of the railway companies, together with full details of the photograph copyright holders.
This remarkable collection of some 300 photographs from the golden age of steam contains many images that are rare and previously unpublished. Railways in Camera will appeal to a wide readership, including railway enthusiasts, local and transport historians, and students of the history of photography.
Hardback with dust jacket, 20x27cm, 244 pages, black & white photographs
Condition: Good/Very Good
ISBN: 9780750910606
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