Webinars

Our monthly online webinars showcase a range of voices from across our community, featuring engaging presentations by artists, photographers, archivists, and historians. Each event offers a unique opportunity to explore creative practices, uncover historical insights, and gain new perspectives on railroad imagery and archival practice.

Zoom program: Virtual launch party preview of “Rio Grande Steam Finale”

Join us for a virtual launch of our upcoming book Rio Grande Steam Finale! Step aboard the D&RGW’s spectacular narrow-gauge railway of the 1950s and 1960s through the lens of some of the nation’s most renowned railroad photographers. The Center for Railroad Photography & Art invites you to embark on an unforgettable visual odyssey as…
Zoom member-exclusive: Inside the David Mainey Collection

Step into the world of David Mainey as we take you on a journey through his life and work in this members-only program. Join Erin Rose, reference and digital projects archivist, as she sits down with David for an insightful interview, giving you a glimpse into the person behind the art. Explore decades of creativity, from his very first photograph…
Zoom program: An Evening with the Winners of the 2023 Creative Photography Awards

The 2023 John E. Gruber Creative Photography Awards Program brought in 230 submissions from ninety photographers representing twenty-two states and eight countries. With this year’s theme “The Role of Technology,” the judges reviewed and selected six winning photographs in a fascinating and interpretive competition. In “An Evening with the Winners…” hosted by Hailey Paige, you’ll…
Zoom program: Q&A for the Center’s new collections management system ‘Odyssey’

Launched in June of 2023, Odyssey houses tens of thousands of digitized images from the Center’s various collections. Odyssey allows users to explore the Center’s collections in a dynamic and user-friendly format. Join our director of archives and collections, Adrienne Evans, and our reference and digital projects archivist, Erin Rose, in a tutorial of the…
Zoom program: Linn Westcott’s Wildly Diverse Railroad Photography

Ask any model railroader to name the icons of the hobby, and certainly, Linn H. Westcott (1913-1980) will be mentioned somewhere. The longtime editor of Kalmbach’s Model Railroader magazine pioneered and even invented many of the techniques that continue to drive the hobby. Throughout his career, he also authored nearly a dozen books on model…
Zoom member-exclusive: The History and Development of Madison’s Railroads

Our summer 2023 members-only program features a detailed look at the Center’s hometown Madison, Wisconsin, by executive director Scott Lothes, showcasing the photography of John Gruber. These presentations are open to members of the Center and are presented to express our gratitude for their support. If you’re not a member, consider joining today to see…
Zoom program: Railroads, Art, and American Life, by J. Craig Thorpe

Collecting more than thirty years of paintings and renderings, Railroads, Art, and American Life tells the story of rail transportation in America through the life and works of artist J. Craig Thorpe. His artwork depicts not only the golden art of train travel but considers the present and looks forward to a potential future. Featuring…
Zoom program: Collections from the UK’s National Railway Museum

Photography grew up alongside the mechanized railway, and Bartholomew’s talk will showcase the NRM’s photographic collections from their origins to the present day, encompassing 170 years of photography. It will illustrate the breadth of the collection, with examples of the official photographs that documented the work of railway companies and advertised their services, alongside images…
Zoom program: Inside the Ronald C. Hill Collection

After spending nearly 15 months processing the Ronald C. Hill Collection of approximately 27,000 items including color transparencies, negatives, and prints, Heather Sonntag sees Ron Hill as “the whole rail-fan package.” Join us to hear how Heather first learned about railroad photography through Ron’s impeccable camera work that spans 60 years from 1957 to 2018.…
Zoom program: A Passion for Color – The Railroad Paintings of John R. Signor

In our next free online program, John Signor will showcase his spectacular paintings of the American rail industry, with a focus on western lines. Best known for his books and bird’s-eye view maps; John will relate his journey from a high school student through various attempts to depict his passion for trains. He started by…