The Loyal Jones Appalachian Center presents a new exhibition of 40+ color photographs and film footage by the late railfan/photographer Bill Price, whose work covers the 1930s to the 1960s in West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio.  Price’s photos are characterized by the composition of beautiful landscapes that have steam trains in them, or “trainscape.”  He used Kodachrome film and Leica cameras to record very high-quality images, which with the latest in printing technology has given us the works on exhibit, transporting the viewer through time.

William P. “Bill” Price was born in Cumberland, Maryland, in 1922 and grew up in that railroad hub for Appalachian coal transportation.  Virtually all of the Central Appalachian coal destined to be shipped overseas traveled through Cumberland via rail. Timber and other commercial stock, along with passenger trains traveling between the Midwest and Baltimore, also made their way on rails through the “Queen City” in those days.

In World War II, Price was trained as an X-ray technician and served as a medic in the Army Air Corp, stationed in Charlotte, North Carolina, continuing to pursue his love of train photography in that region, as his time allowed.  After the War, he returned to Cumberland, working as a printer at the local newspaper and spending his free time chasing trains with his 35mm cameras in his 1950 Chevy.

“Steam in Central Appalachia” will run through September 30, 2010, in two locations on the Berea College campus: the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center, and Hutchins Library.  There will also be a booth devoted to his photography at the annual L&N Day on June 5, 2010, at the Depot (now the Berea Welcome Center) in Old Town.

Opening reception: June 4 at 5:30 P.M., in the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center Gallery. There will be live music, and refreshments. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Thom Price: thomas_price@berea.edu