Richard Steinheimer

Richard Steinheimer (born 1929) is considered to be one of the greatest American railroad photographers, often called the "Ansel Adams of railroad photography." His work has been published in "Trains Magazine", "Railfan", "Locomotive and Railway Preservation", and "Vintage Rail", and more than seventy books. He lives in Sacramento, California. A pioneer in railroad photography, Steinheimer lived through and documented the railroads' heyday and their transition to diesel motive power from steam. He is one of very few photographers who appreciated the aesthetics of all locomotives, from steam engines to the latest diesel-powered behemoths. He had 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 trains, Steinheimer had an enormous creativity and productivity. His photograph, "Southern Pacific steam helper at Saugus, California, 1947," was included in the Center for Railroad Photography and Art's 20 Memorable Railroad Photographs of the 20th Century.

Early life and later career

Richard Steinheimer was born in Chicago in 1929. His parents divorced in 1935, and with his mother and sister moved to Phoenix, Arizona. It was this trip that was his first exposure to trains. In 1939 his family moved to Glendale, California. The Southern Pacific main line was adjacent to his home. In 1945 he started his photographic career with a Kodak Baby Brownie, shooting wartime traffic in the common ¾ "wedgies" style. Also in 1945 he received two books by Lucius Beebe, "Highball" and "High Iron," from which he drew inspiration. By 1946 his photos had evolved into more of an experimentation style. In 1946 he began using an Argus A-2 camera, and in 1947 he started using a 3¼×4¼ Speed Graphic. With the Speed Graphic now in hand, the flood gates were opened for the creation of some of the best night photos of railroads ever taken. He used yard lights, flashbulbs or whatever lights were available. His night work predates O. Winston Link's by almost seven years. By 1949 he was going to San Francisco City College and one of his teachers was Joe Rosenthal. From 1956 through 1962 he worked for the "Marin Independent Journal" as a photojournalist. Kalmbach Publishing produced in 1963 his "Backwoods Railroad of the West". Although it failed commercially at the time, it would one day become one of the most sought after railroad books in history.

From 1948 through 2001 "Trains Magazine" published over 400 of his photographs.

Steinheimer has become recognized as one of the masters of railroad photography especially across the Western USA, while also pursuing a little-known career in commercial photography. His specialties included the use of telephoto lenses in railroad scenes, and a devotion to Southern Pacific's Donner Pass crossing of the Sierra Nevada.

In 2004 Steinheimer was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. In late September 2007 he suffered a stroke. He remains in convalescent care.

References

* Richard Steinheimer (photographs) and Jeff Brouws (text), "A Passion for Trains: The Railroad Photography of Richard Steinheimer", W. W. Norton & Company (2004), ISBN 0393057437, ISBN 978-0393057430.

Online references

* [http://www.railphoto-art.org/memorable.asp The Center for Railroad Photography and Art]
* [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393057437 Amazon ad for "A Passion for Trains"]