The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 21, 2025
Hemlock Forest, Lehigh Valley Railroad
c. 1895
(American, 1855–1920)
Image: 43.2 x 51.8 cm (17 x 20 3/8 in.); Mounted: 43.5 x 52.5 cm (17 1/8 x 20 11/16 in.); Matted: 76.2 x 81.3 cm (30 x 32 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 2002.50
Location: Not on view
Description
Realizing photography's advertising potential, the Leigh Valley Railroad, in the mid-1890s, commissioned the distinguished, widely traveled commercial and documentary photographer William H. Rau. He recorded a series of scenic views that would be seen while traveling along the new line running between New York and Niagara Falls. Rau utilized mammoth plate and panoramic negatives, developing them in a rail car specially outfitted with a darkroom. In this photograph, one of his most dramatic compositions, the parallel steel rails, positioned slightly off center, slice through a dense, mysterious forest. Ironically, the train line alters the pristine landscape so that a greater number of people can enjoy it.- Icons of American Photography: A Century of Photographs from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 24-September 16, 2007); Frick Art and Historical Center, Pittsburgh, PA (October 3, 2009-January 3, 2010).Charles Isaacs and Carol Nigro Collection of American Photography. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 26-September 10, 2003).
- {{cite web|title=Hemlock Forest, Lehigh Valley Railroad|url=false|author=William H. Rau|year=c. 1895|access-date=21 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2002.50