Exhibitionism
New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Ave., 505- 476-5200, nmhistorymuseum.org
Railroad workers changed the landscape in the United States. When the railroad arrived in 1879, it created jobs for thousands in New Mexico and impacted travel from coast to coast for millions of people. Workers came from regional villages, towns, and Native reservations and pueblos to do the backbreaking labor of building a railroad infrastructure. Opportunities arose for an immigrant workforce that included Chinese, European, and Mexican laborers. Nationally, an estimated one out of every 50 citizens worked for the railroad just 40 years later. The New Mexico History Museum’s exhibition Working on the Railroad is a tribute to the people who did the physical work, which included linking the U. S. rail system with that of Mexico during the long presidency of Porfirio Díaz (1876-1880, 1884-1911), whose tenure was marked by efforts at modernization. Financed by European and U. S. banks, approximately 2,000 miles of track eventually connected Mexico with U. S. rail lines along the southern border. The lines facilitated immigration into the United States, as well as the transport of goods. Further north, immigrants and New Mexicans alike strove to link up the rails with lines from east and west.
But the work was difficult. Laborers had little protective gear and toiled year-round in harsh weather conditions. They were considered expendable by the railroad barons, but their work — machining parts, laying track, cleaning the cars, and conducting, to name a few — was essential.
Working on the Railroad continues through Oct. 18, 2021. While the museum is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, viewers can take a 3D virtual tour on the museum’s website (nmhistorymuseum.org/exhibitions/virtual-tours/), which allows you to see the exhibition as it is mounted in the museum’s Mezzanine Gallery and tour it as you would in person. The virtual tour is ongoing. — Michael Abatemarco