America’s Great Railroad Stations is art of art by artists

Posted on March 19, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews, world's first book color commentator, book reviews with a twist

Am I the only one in love the with insight professional architects and photographers display when they capture their visions and transfer them to a canvas intended to remain forever? To me, there is a special magic about a masterpiece conceived beyond the human eye of an artist who sees something individually their own and articulates their world through a collection of colors, shapes, and styles.
Like God who supernaturally creates a beautiful woman, some architects and photographers are deeply inspired by their maker to imitate such beauty by giving birth to a building design or capturing a moment in inspired history, that testifies to that building’s emotion, evokes its life and history.
I am in awe of that person who can yield a pencil and ruler like a Samari sword and a star-shaped shuriken to slice timber, shape stone, and sculpt lasting, useful buildings that stand for centuries into the future. I am in awe of the person whose natural creative gift, attention to detail, deeply-sought-after skillset, and mastery over a camera’s lifeless lens can further highlight the master architect’s creation.
And so my hat is off to authors Roger Straus III, Ed Breslin, and Hugh Van Dusen who joined their creative forces to create a stunning photographic display of America’s Great Railroad Stations.
This photographic journey captures a collection of regal historic railroad stations, built decades before our time, and used to serve men, women, and children as a nexus meeting place, a shelter and safe respot for travelers who used America’s railroads to travel from one destination to another.
Inspiration in these stations is evident in their lasting impact over time. Some remain in use today. Some are re-purposed into new, interesting accommodations that remember and accentuate yesterday’s artistic tool kit.
One of my favorite pass times is to ride the MetroLink train to Los Angeles’ Union Station – at a time of day that it is safe to be present – and walk its antique halls, alive today with men, women, and children who continue to pass from one location to another. I love to scan the walls and appreciate the golden-lined details of this station’s childhood of existence. I adore sitting on its long, wooden benches staring skyward into the vast storytelling hidden in its arches and tiled ceilings.
I love to walk this station’s halls, cross its front doors, and shuffle across the street to the colorful Olvera Street waiting for my wonderment of the reds, yellows, greens, and blues dancing on the wind; the smell of roasted Serrano peppers, steaming pots of refried beans …
I’m making myself hungry. And, planning my next non-COVID weekend trip —
My point of this diatribe, of course, is that America’s railroad stations are full of this history, full of these stories, some of them our own relatives, and family friends. Strauss, Breslin, and Van Dusen capture this romantic period of architecture in America’s Great Railroad Stations and make this beautiful hardcover tabletop book an excellent gift for a host of art-and railroad-loving readers.
Sometimes, spending a little more money for a lasting work of art is well worth the expense. In this case, America’s Great Railroad Stations is, as its subject matter, worth spending the money. Buy this book and gift it to a dearly-loved friend or to keep it for your own table. There is no price tag for simple enjoyment, honest distraction, and automatic inspiration of one’s imagination.

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Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2