California Train Stations. Larry Shapiro. July 8 to August 15, 2024

I have always found downtown San Jose an interesting place to photograph. One day wandering downtown with my Noblex panoramic film camera, I found myself at the Diridon Train Station. Walking inside, I realized I had found a subject for my panoramas and set about to make some serious photographs. My photographic technique of using a swing lens panoramic camera seemed like a good fit with the station’s pace and architecture.

After I developed, scanned, and printed the Diridon Train Station pictures, I knew I needed more. Through Internet research I found a list of passenger stations in California, and set about the work of building a photographic project. Over the next six months I photographed 18 stations: Barstow, Corcoran, San Jose, Emeryville, Richmond, Fresno, Fullerton, Glendale, Hanford, Oakland, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Salinas, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, and Victorville. I still have at least eight more to photograph.

This project offered me the opportunity to talk to train station staff—many of whom were interested in, even enthusiastic about, my project. A station guard in San Diego wanted to make sure I photographed the original tile work. The staff at Union Station permitted me to use a tripod in the building and waived the $800 fee they charge for “professional” photography. (On the other hand, a staff member in Salinas threatened to call the police if I did not leave the waiting room immediately.) I’ve also had engaging conversations with many passengers waiting for trains. A passenger in the Corcoran waiting room told me that his father was a panoramic photographer of the Central Valley.

This exhibition is in a diptych format. The top image is the exterior of the station and the bottom image is the interior.

In 1869, the first transcontinental railroad linked California to the rest of the country. By 1900, the railroads had expanded up and down the state until almost everyone in California lived near a train station, but passenger automobiles quickly surpassed train travel. What remained were the train stations, classic works of modern architecture frequently of the Mission Revival style. Compared to airport terminals filled with bustling crowds, stations are not very busy places these days.

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