Wyoming Arts Council

How the railroad and photography transformed the West

Uncategorized | April 8, 2009

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The role of photography and the railroad on westward expansion is the focus of a Wyoming State Museum lecture series presentation at 7 p.m., April 9. The lecture is free and open to the public in the State Museum Multi-Purpose Room.

Chavawn Kelley’s program, “Rails and Shutters: The Partnership of the Train and Camera in Transforming the American West,” is a Wyoming Humanities Council presentation. From the 1860s into the 20th century, two technologies went to work on the culture and landscape of the American West. The transcontinental railroad provided an engine for “the annihilation of time and space” as it sped across the continent, while photography allowed time to stop entirely. The 45-minute photo lecture is supplemented by extra time for discussion.

Kelley holds a master’s degree in American Studies from the University of Wyoming. A published author, she is the corporate communications manager for the Western Research Institute in Laramie.

Kelley’s presentation is offered by the Wyoming Council for the Humanities through its 2009 Humanities Forum. Council programs explore the human experience – our lives, our communities, our world – in partnership with nonprofit organizations.

For more information about this and other Wyoming State Museum programs, please call 777-7022. The Wyoming State Museum is located in the Barrett Building, 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne.

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