O. Winston Link

O. Winston Link (1914–2001) was an American photographer celebrated for his pioneering night‑time images of steam locomotives and the communities they served. Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Virginia, he studied civil engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute before turning to photography after encountering an exhibit of Eadweard Muybridge’s work. Link’s engineering background and love of railroads led him to the Norfolk and Western Railway, where he undertook a decade‑long project (1955–1960) to document the final years of steam power in Appalachia.

Link’s signature photographs combined large‑format cameras with synchronized electronic flash to capture trains hurtling through moonlit towns, their billowing steam illuminated against darkened skies. Beyond the locomotives themselves, he framed station platforms, diners, and local landmarks—often enlisting hundreds of volunteers as extras—to reveal how the railroad shaped daily life. His meticulous planning and technical ingenuity produced images like “Hotshot Eastbound at Welch,” which have become icons of industrial Americana.

After publishing Steam, Steel & Stars (1982) and exhibiting widely, Link’s work found its way into major collections including the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the George Eastman Museum. In later years he lectured and taught workshops on photographic craftsmanship. Link’s evocative portraits of a vanishing era continue to inspire both rail enthusiasts and photographers, reminding viewers of the dramatic interplay between technology, landscape, and human spirit.