EBOOK

Railroad Nation

The Art of Selling America, 1825–1925

Carlos Arnaldo SchwantesSeries: Railroads Past and Present
(0)
Pages
300
Year
2025
Language
English

About

From passenger tickets, wall calendars, and advertising posters to train orders and bills of lading, railroads have left a colorful paper trail across America. In Railroad Nation, historian Carlos Arnaldo Schwantes examines a fascinating array of these materials, showcasing the railroad industry's incredible variety of eye-catching illustrations to enliven their timetables and promotional brochures.
Schwantes traces the evolution of railroad commercial art from drab black-and-white broadsides and text-only advertisements that the early railroads placed in local newspapers to the riotous mélange of color graphics in the early twentieth century, when the visual appeal of public timetables and their thousands of different brochures enticed settlers to create farms, ranches, and towns alongside newly laid tracks.
Railroad Nation offers readers an unparalleled look at the ephemera of the railroad industry, highlighting the vibrant history of railroading in America through its rich tapestry of visual materials.

Related Subjects

Extended Details

Artists