The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) was founded as the Brotherhood of the Footboard in Detroit, Michigan, on May 8, 1863. The union—the nation’s earliest—has represented the interests of its members for 150 years and is celebrating that history with an anniversary meeting in Detroit on May 8, 2013. Sponsored by the North American Railway Foundation (NARF), the Center for Railroad Photography & Art attended and brought its traveling exhibition, “Still a World Apart: 150 Years of Railroaders at Work.”
The exhibit showcases the lives and stories of railroad workers, and it includes a preview of the Center’s “Faces of Chicago’s Railroad Community: Photographs by Jack Delano” exhibition. That project is also sponsored by NARF and opens at the Chicago History Museum on April 4, 2014.
The Center congratulates the BLET on 150 years and thanks the NARF for its ongoing support of the Center’s exhibitions, publications, and programs. See more photographs from the anniversary meeting on the Center’s Flickr site.
Attendees of the 150th anniversary of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, held in Detroit, Michigan, viewing the Center’s exhibition, “Still a World Apart: 150 Years of Railroaders at Work,” sponsored by the North American Railway Foundation.
Center member John Fasulo’s iconic image, “The Engineer,” is featured on a special publication about the 150-year history of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.