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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 779.93850973
EAN num: 9780393057430
ISBN number: 0393057437
Label: W. W. Norton & Company
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 192
Printing Date: November 30, 2004
Publishing house: W. W. Norton & Company
Sale Popularity Level: 70864
Studio: W. W. Norton & Company
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Product Description:
A tribute to the most revered railroad photographer of our time.
To the true rail fan, Richard Steinheimer is an authentic hero, the best of the best. A pioneer in train photography, Steinheimer lived through and documented the railroad's heyday and its decline. He is one of very few photographers who appreciate the aesthetics of all locomotives, from steam engines to the latest diesel-powered behemoths. He has a particular fondness for the landscape of the American West, and many of his images situate trains in the larger geography and culture of the time. Known for taking pictures at night, in bad weather, and from risky perches on top of moving train platforms, Steinheimer has an enormous creativity and productivity. This, the very first full-length celebration of his work, presents 160 of his duotone images, with an introduction by Jeff Brouws.
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Rated by buyers -
Richard Steinheimer has often been described as the "dean of railroad photographers" and I see no reason to argue. It takes an artist to convey well what Stein's images in this book convey: the relation of man to machine, the romantic quality of machinery (why railfans love trains) and the beauty and harmony of man's mechanical devices with nature.
This is a very good book, reasonably priced, and serves as a showcase for some of Stein's classic work.
"DW" critiqued this book because of the quality of reproduction. I agree it is not what it could be, but some of these photographs have appeared in other publications with reproduction quality far inferior to what appears here.
Rated by buyers -
Richard Steinheimer has captured in grey and white the everyday life and romance of railroading in a bygone era with an incite that earns him a prominent place in recorded railroad history. As a rail buff and life member of the Waterford Township Historical and Preservation Society in Waterford, Michigan, I recommend that anyone who is drawn to the sound and thrill of railroad action should experience atleast one of Richard's publications to place a picture in their minds eye.
Rated by buyers -
The photographs capture more than trains, but never less. They capture the beauty of the land that trains opened up. They bring us people, both on and near the trains. His sense of composition draws us into the scene and makes us want to look at it again and again.
Rated by buyers -
Black and white photography's superior ability to communicate both detail and atmosphere is dramatically demonstrated by Richard Steinheimer's A Passion for Trains.
This is one of the most totally satisfying railroad books I own, and I own over a hundred.
Steinheimer has a unique ability to display both the railroad and the faces and geography of its environment. Landscape and nature over conspire against railroaders, as Steinheimer frequently demonstrates in A Passion for Trains, yet the weather never quite overwhelms the trains or the men who keep them moving.
The photographs contain detail you can just about feel. Text on most pages is limited to a single line identifying the location. Thumbnails at the back of the book contain an additional paragraph about each photo.
If you have a passion for trains, you'll love this book. It covers a wide variety of railroads, geographic environments, and weather. Many of the photos will soon become your favorites. In fact, I considered getting a second copy, just to be able to frame some of the pages!
The term "coffee table book" is often used derogatorily. Yet, what's wrong with a book so fine that you'll want to keep it on your coffee table where you, and your friends, can frequently enjoy it?
Rated by buyers 
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As the antique dealer haughtily remarked to a customer who expressed shock at the astronomical price of an exquisite 1780 Philadelphia Highboy, "My dear sir, it is sufficient that it is available."
So it may be said of Richard Steinheimer's big new book of railroad photographs, A PASSION FOR TRAINS. The images are superb, indeed, in a class by themselves. These are pictures that anyone who is interested in great photography will admire, regardless of whether or not they care about railroads and trains.
It is regrettable, therefore, that the reproduction of Steinheimer's photographs in this volume aren't far better than they are. The problem is that the blacks are consistently too dense, with a disturbing loss of shadow detail in nearly every instance. Furthermore, the whites are generally grey and flat when they should be bright and buoyant.
It is difficult to tell from the book whether these defects are a result of poor printing, poorly made, excessively contrasty photographic prints or a combination of the two. However, flaws notwithstanding, it can safely be predicted that many railroad enthusiasts and some photography buffs will snap this work up (as I did myself), gratefully acknowledging that it is sufficient that it is available.
For nonpareil examples of photograph reproductions as they should be, see CALIFORNIA (Adams, Little, Brown, 1997), IN THE LAND OF LIGHT (Smith, Houghton, Mifflin, 1983), COURT HOUSE (Pare [ed], Horizon Press, 1978), NEW YORK, EMPIRE CITY 1920-1945 (Stravitz, Abrams, 2004) and THE CHRYSLER BUILDING (Stravitz, Princeton Architectural Press, 2002).
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