Link, O. Winston. Ghost Trains: Railroad Photographs of the 1950s by O. Winston Link.

October 28-December 31, 1983. Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA, 1983. With 7 inch 33 1/3 RPM vinyl disc of train sounds. Introduction by Carolyn Carr. Catalogue of the exhibition with notes by Link. First and only edition. Stiff illustrated wraps, 50 pages, 30 black-and-white photos taken at night, with custom-made polyester jacket. Fine.

Publisher: For five years in the 1950s, Link took photos of the steam trains of the Norfolk and Western Railway and the communities along the tracks. This early catalogue for a traveling show features his images as well as recordings he made of train sounds. Photographs by O. Winston Link; essay by Carolyn Carr; introduction by David W. Steadman. 52 pages; 31 full-page b&w plates; 11 x 8.5 inches. Bibliography. Exhibition list with notes by Link. 7-inch, 33 1/3 rpm recording in paper sleeve, in card-pocket tipped-in to inside back cover, as issued.  Summary:

Ghost Trains: Railroad Photographs of the 1950s by O. Winston Link is a seminal collection of black-and-white photographs documenting the final years of the American steam locomotive.

Core Themes and Content

• The End of an Era: Between 1955 and 1960, Link—a commercial photographer and civil engineer—made over twenty trips to Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina to capture the Norfolk & Western Railway. It was the last major mainline American railroad to still operate exclusively with steam power before transitioning to diesel engines.

• Man and Machine: Rather than taking static "hardware shots" of trains, Link juxtaposed the massive, powerful locomotives against the everyday life of rural Appalachian communities. His photographs depict trains passing seamlessly through the background of domestic and social scenes—visible outside a living room window, moving past a crowded public swimming pool, or framing couples at a drive-in theater.

• Nocturnal Mastery: The collection is famous for its evocative, cinematic night photography. Link meticulously staged his photos using an elaborate, custom-designed synchronized flash system that utilized miles of wire and dozens of powerful flashbulbs to freeze the speeding trains against the dark landscape.

• Nostalgia and Idealization: Influenced by his commercial background, Link’s photos are highly choreographed, utilizing local residents as "actors" to construct an idealized, noir-esque, and deeply human portrait of a vanishing American way of life.

The original book and exhibition are celebrated for preserving a vital piece of industrial and cultural history, transforming what began as a private documentation project into an acclaimed artistic triumph.