Before the Interstate system and the growth of domestic air service, trains were the main way people went from city to city and train stations were at the vital heart of every town. Architectural historian David Naylor visits the archives in Railroad Stations, uncovering a trove of photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries of stations from the east coast through the west. A few of the pictures are magnificent examples of the photographer's art, especially the noirish cover shot of light streaming through windows into a dark bevy of policemen at Chicago's Union Station. Others showcase the art that was invested in the interiors of the grander stations, especially murals depicting history and progress. Many architectural styles are represented in the over 600 photos and drawings, most of them revealing the central place public transportation once had in America.
