Exhibit features train photos
LIMA -- The Allen County Museum is excited to present the upcoming exhibition, Richard Cook: Rail Images of a Past Era, which highlights 40 photographs, dating from 19401970. The exhibition opens to the general public on Saturday, April 10, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. and runs through Nov. 7.
Richard Cook was well known and respected for his superb photo documentation within the train and railroad circles. A native of Cleveland, Cook married his wife Nola Corrine Garrison, who was from Lima. They resided at Jo Jean Road from 1967-1968 according to county records. He authored several well-received books on locomotives, including Rails Across the Midlands published in 1964, The Beauty of Railroad Bridges published in 1987, and New York Centrals Mercury: The Train of Tomorrow published in 1991. Cook’s photographs capture the essence of the historic era of the train while highlighting his obvious passion for the giant machines regularly heard in the background of daily life – on the railroads, in the rail yards, and at the roundhouses, locomotive factories, and train stations.
A self-trained photographer, Richard Cook reached moderate acclaim, particularly in railroad circles, creating images similar to his contemporaries including Philip Hastings, Jim Shaughnessy, Dick Steinheimer, O. Winston Link, and Lucius Bebe. His interest in the railroads started at a young age. Cook began his photography career in 1936 with a box camera. He eventually landed a position at Eastman Kodak Stores in Cleveland and saved enough money to purchase a Graflex, a significantly better camera. During this period, he set up his own darkroom studio to develop, print, and enlarge photographs. Richard Cook was not only recognized by train enthusiasts for his images, he was also a trained historian unlike many of his contemporaries.
Charles Bates, the Museum’s Curator of Railroads and Transportation, and the Museum’s Director, Amy Craft, worked together to curate the exhibition.
The first guest lecturer, Fred Steiner of Bluffton, is scheduled as part of the museum’s Annual Meeting on April 25, immediately following the business meeting at 2 p.m. Registration for the event will be required due to space limitation. Call the museum at 419-222-9426 to register. The museum also intends to live stream the lecture by Mr. Steiner who will share a Powerpoint presentation about the history of the interurban between Bluffton and Lima. Details about upcoming lectures will be forthcoming.