Plate 27. Supply Trains

Andrew Joseph Russell

National Gallery of Art

The image shows a convoy of horse-drawn covered wagons moving towards the right side, where a group of steam locomotives from the U.P.R.R. (Union Pacific Railroad) line the railway tracks. The horizon lies high in the frame, with the terrain gently rising and falling in the distance, marked by sparse vegetation and rolling hills. The focus of the photograph is on the mix of transportation methods, with the detailed figures of people, horses, and wagons sharing the space with the trains. The image is monochrome, with a sepia tone that adds an antique quality, highlighting the textures of the earth, the rails, and the materials of the wagons and trains. This palette, along with the sharp focus and slightly blurred motion of the horses closest to us, emphasizes the historical and dynamic nature of the scene.