An American Journey: Images of Railroading During the Depression
by Mark S. Vandercook

At the height of the Great Depression, the Farm Security Administration (FSA) set out to document, in photographic form, the state of America and its people. The FSA photographers, regarded today to be among the best of the 20th century, amassed a collection of more than 270,000 negatives. “The work of the photographic section of the Farm Security Administration,” declares the Encyclopedia of Photography, “stands as the high-water mark of social documentary in this country.” Forever frozen in time, these photographs have captured a significant point in American history that will never be forgotten.

Upon observing these photographs it becomes obvious that during this time in American history it was almost impossible to separate the American people from one thing that bound them all together: the railroads. How else can one account for the number of railroad related photographs in the collection if, by their very nature, the railroads were not tied in some fundamental way to American society? The railroads were, in fact, essential to the life and livelihood of countless Americans.

This book then, is a snapshot of what could be called the "railroad culture," a culture that has long since vanished. So sit back and take a photographic journey through time. These photographs cover a wide range of subjects, each with an underlying railroad theme. The linear journey begins in 1935 and concludes just before our entry into the war in 1941. With the diversity of subjects and situations presented, the more enlightening journey will be that into the paradigm of the “railroad culture.”

What others have said about the book:

"It's exciting to see how nine creative photographers treated railroads and railroad people in the 1930's. Vandercook presents a significant review of a time when railroads were a part of everyday life. . . "
- John Gruber, Center for Railroad Photography and Art

"This book will be quite valuable to those interested in railroad history of this period, both from a social history perspective as well as a railroad equipment viewpoint."
- J. Parker Lamb, noted railroad photographer and author of "Classic Diesels of the South"

"it's one of the most impressive railroad books I've ever seen"
Read the complete August, 2001 Railfan & Railroad "Camera Bag" Review

About the author

Mark S. Vandercook has been a history buff and a student of the Iron Horse for more years than he will admit to. His interest in photography extends back nearly as far. Mark grew up in Palo Alto, California, along the Southern Pacific’s “Coast Line” and teeming commute corridor between San Francisco and San Jose. As the grandson of a Southern Pacific official, Mark was reared by a family full of train enthusiasm, right down to an SP caboose his father restored as a cabin in the Sierras. The evolution into a railroad buff was a natural inevitability he says.

Mark stumbled upon the FSA collection while doing research at the Library of Congress for a forthcoming book on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad. Immediately recognizing the quality and potential of the photographs, Mark envisioned an opportunity to share these wonderful pictures with anyone that has an appreciation for photography, history, and, of course, trains.