John Gruber, founder of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art, died on October 9, 2018. His influence on the field of railroad photography is impossible to overstate, from his own paradigm-shifting black-and-white work beginning in the 1960s to his 2018 book that reexamines the lives and photography of Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg. Beyond his own luminous work, Gruber shined a spotlight on other notable photographers while also encouraging young and emerging practitioners. Classic Trains magazine dubbed him a “provocateur of railroad photography” in a 2014 profile by Kevin Keefe. There would be no Center without Gruber’s vision and tireless efforts, and all of us here stand always on his shoulders. Photograph by Henry A. Koshollek
Read more:
- Tribute by Scott Lothes, the Center’s president and executive director, with a gallery of John’s photographs
- Blog post by Justin Franz on the Trains magazine website
- Obituary by Kevin P. Keefe on the Trains magazine website
- Blog post by Kevin P. Keefe on the Classic Trains magazine website
- Blog post by Brian Solomon on his website
- John’s own self-authored obituary on the Cress Funeral Service website
