The image shows a view along railroad tracks curving through a forested area. The tracks lead into the distance where they disappear with a slight bend to the right. To the left, there is a sharply angled bank of earth with rough texture and sparse vegetation at the top. The bank displays various earthy tones from dark browns to blacks. In the distance, there is a dense line of tall, slender trees flanking the right side of the tracks, with their trunks creating a natural wall of dark greens and browns. The horizon is obscured by the thick tree line, with the sky appearing pale and fading into a soft, muted cream color. The overall color palette is subdued, consisting of earthy tones and natural hues, typical of a black-and-white or sepia-toned photograph.
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The image shows a view along railroad tracks curving through a forested area. The tracks lead into the distance where they disappear with a slight bend to the right. To the left, there is a sharply angled bank of earth with rough texture and sparse vegetation at the top. The bank displays various earthy tones from dark browns to blacks. In the distance, there is a dense line of tall, slender trees flanking the right side of the tracks, with their trunks creating a natural wall of dark greens and browns. The horizon is obscured by the thick tree line, with the sky appearing pale and fading into a soft, muted cream color. The overall color palette is subdued, consisting of earthy tones and natural hues, typical of a black-and-white or sepia-toned photograph.

National Gallery of Art · Photograph

Atlantic & Great Western Railway

James F. Ryder

Date
1862
Medium
albumen silver print
Dimensions
image/sheet: 18.7 × 23.5 cm (7 3/8 × 9 1/4 in.) mount: 25.5 × 32.8 cm (10 1/16 × 12 15/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Accession number
2006.133.117
Credit line
Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon and Patrons' Permanent Fund
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CPH

Portfolio and series

Series
Atlantic & Great Western Railway

Subjects and terms

  • American
  • albumen silver print
  • Landscape
  • United States
  • landscape
  • Trees
  • Railroad
Provenance

Mary and Dan Solomon; purchase and gift to NGA, 2006.

Inscription

lower center below image on mount, stamped in gold: J. F. Ryder, Photographist, Cleveland, O. / Atlantic & Great Western Railway.; by unknown hand, upper right in graphite: 30; on verso, by unknown hand, upper right in graphite: 30 / 3000-; lower left in graphite: 4864

NGA object ID 136560. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.