The Railroad Photography of J. Parker Lamb

In this comprehensive collection, Keefe, a former editor of Trains magazine, celebrates the career of J. Parker Lamb, an influential postwar railway photographer. Lamb was born in Alabam in 1933, fell in love with both photography and trains at an early age, and aimed to create in his images scenes “that elicited some level of appreciation and enjoyment.” Lamb’s gift was his ability to show the human aspect of the railroading world (many photos highlight train workers, such as one oiling a train’s wheel gears in 1955 Dayton, Ohio). Lamb showcases diesel trains—mainly from the 1950s through the ’80s—as hardworking and reliable, laboring to keep pace amid changing times throughout the Deep South, Midwest, West, and British Columbia. Indeed, images abound of trains traveling through Texas cattle country, for example, and hauling cars and trucks through North Carolina. Keefe wonderfully displays the best of Lamb’s portfolio, while providing ample information on Lamb’s distinctive style (“Lamb was drawn to superelevated curves, as a way of heightening the drama of an approaching train”). For train and railway enthusiasts, this is a no-brainer. (Nov.)