Robin and I drove from the Virginia Transportation Museum over the O. Winston Link Museum, dedicated to the photography of O. Winston Link, the 20th-century railroad photographer widely considered the master of the juxtaposition of steam railroading and rural culture. He is most noted for his 1950's photographs of steam locomotives at night, lit by numerous flashbulbs. He carefully planned the lighting and the staging of these photos, placing human subjects in many.
Ogle Winston Link (December 16, 1914 – January 30, 2001), known commonly as O. Winston Link, was best known for his black-and-white photography and sound recordings of the last days of steam locomotive railroading on the Norfolk & Western in the United States in the late 1950s. A commercial photographer, Link helped establish rail photography as a hobby. He also pioneered night photography, producing several well-known examples including Hotshot Eastbound, a photograph of a steam train passing a drive-in movie theater, and Hawksbill Creek Swimming Hole showing a train crossing a bridge above children bathing.
In addition to his black and white night shots, Link also recorded the single daytime train on the Norfolk & Western's hilly Abingdon Branch, serving the rural communities from Abingdon, Virginia, 55 miles south to West Jefferson, North Carolina. It was also on this line that most of his railroad color photography was done; a selection is included in The Last Steam Railroad in America. His familiar 1956 view of Maud Bows to the Virginia Creeper (Green Cove, Virginia) exists in black and white and color versions.
Opened in January 2004, the museum is housed in the former Norfolk & Western Railway station in downtown Roanoke. Originally built in 1905, the building was renovated in 1949 by industrial designer Raymond Loewy, and is one of
three contributing structures to the Norfolk and Western Railway Company Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. It displays hundreds of photographic prints and has several interactive
displays, including audio that provide information on Link's photographic subjects. Also displayed is some of the equipment that Link used to create his nighttime photographs.
This houses both the O. Winston Link Museum and the Roanoke Museum, which are operated by the Historical Society of West Virginia. We were met by two of the fine employees of the O. Winston Link Museum, with the gentleman giving a brief background about this great man and the lady gave us a private tour.
This incredible painting in the windows that overlook the former Norfolk and Western main line, the focal point for much of Winston's photography.
One of his greatest works.
A map showing the Norfolk and Western and the territory of Winston's photography.
Norfolk and Western caboose 518505, built by International Car in 1969. It was Winston Link's private caboose.
The view towards the Norfolk Southern Roanoke Shops.
One of Winston's stitch photographs.
Faces of the N&W - Winston always featured the people - the employees - of the Norfolk and Western Railway in his photographs.
Faces captured by O. Winston Link over the years.
A comparison in lighting.
Some of the famous scenes, including a few colour photographs.
The photographic equipment that created these masterpieces.
Winston's guide books for planning his photographs.
To close out our visit and learn more Winston, Robin and I watched a film about his life, which was very moving. We returned upstairs, thanked our hosts and were in awe of what we had just seen.
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