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Rail Lines

72 images Created 19 Aug 2013

The Rail Lines project is a photographic exploration of the landscapes along the railway lines of the north east. A reoccurring experience of photographing along rail lines is finding things left on the landscape by previous generationsu2014old buildings, large structures, signs, modified topography, mounds on the landscapeu2014without stories attached to explain them. They are dislocated bits of history without a narrative. Much of my work explores these places which occupy the landscape which have lost their references. They hint at a history and social structure, their incompleteness encourages story making to fill the gaps.
My interest in rail lines evolved from their having strong ties to the development of cities and towns across the country. These lines changed the landscape of the country. They provide a path through the landscape where history and culture are concentrated. Traveling rail lines provides access to places which owe their existence to the rail. These areas reveal layers of historyu2014older buildings and structures can be discovered like fossils amid the newer layers of architecture.
The landscape accumulates memories and displays its own history. It is the sum of the events that have occurred in that place.

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  • East Portal, Hoosac Tunnel. The Rail Lines project follows a number of different rail lines and industrial corridors in areas around the North East US. The emphasis is as much on the regional architecture, infrastructure and landscape as it is on the rail lines themselves.
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  • Hoosic Tunnel looking into the five mile long tunnel from the east portal, Florida, MA
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  • Green Mill, Deerfield River, Monroe Bridge, MA
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  • Rail Bridge in Fog, Holyoke, MA
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  • Keystone Arch Bridge, Chester, MA
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  • Monolith, Troy NY
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  • Big Wheel, Troy NY
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  • Hudson River Crossing at Albany
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  • Railyard, South Deerfield, MA
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  • Houses, Shamokin, PA
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  • RV, Rail line and Houses, Shamokin, PA
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  • Rail Line, Shamokin, PA
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  • Hudson River
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  • Holyoke, MA
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  • Holyoke, MA
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  • Hinsdale, MA
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  • Rail Line approaching the Hoosac Tunnel
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  • St. Nicholas Breaker,  St. Nicholas, PA
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  • Burden Iron Building, Troy NY
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  • Burden Iron, Troy NY
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  • Pittsfield - North Adams line
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  • Near Shamokin, PA
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  • Ashley Breaker, Ashley, PA
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  • St. Nicholas Breaker, PA
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  • Roadside, W. MA
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  • Little Hoosic Tunnel, North Adams, MA
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  • Trailer and Garage
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  • Rt. 22, NY
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  • Hinsdale Flats
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  • Plymouth Belvedere abandoned in the Hoosic Tunnel canal. The water power from the canal was used to power air compressors during tunnel construction.
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  • Merry Christmas, North Adams, MA
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  • Albany Port RR
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  • Farm Field, Fultonville, NY
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  • Tahawus, NY
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  • Tahawus, NY
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  • Hudson River Crossing, Albany, NY
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  • Hudson River Crossing
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  • Rail crossing, Hoosick Falls, NY
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  • Rail Tracks, North Adams, MA
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  • Eagle Bridge, NY
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  • North CT
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  • Rail Tracks, North Pownal VT
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  • Keystone Arch Bridge, Chester, MA
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  • Holyoke, MA
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  • Sunrise, New Years Day, Holyoke, MA
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  • Greenfield, MA
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  • Springfield, MA
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  • Hinsdale, MA
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  • Mickey Mouse Bridge, Hinsdale, MA
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  • Becket, MA
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  • Keystone Arch Bridge, Becket, MA
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  • Windsor Locks, CT
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  • Windsor Locks, CT
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  • Windsor Locks, CT
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  • Windsor Locks, CT
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  • Harrisburg, PA
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  • Harrisburg, PA
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  • Harrisburg, PA
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  • Harrisburg, PA
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  • Hudson River rail trestle
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  • Waterbury, CT
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  • Waterbury, CT
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  • Waterbury, CT
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  • Waterbury, CT
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  • Waterbury, CT
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  • Waterbury, CT
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  • Holyoke, MA
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  • West Portal, Hoosac Tunnel
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  • West Portal, Hoosac Tunnel
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View: 100 | All

Portraits of Place - Photographs by Shaun O'Boyle

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