My favorite image image of Miss Montana Red - Photographed in the 1940s era Chesapeake and Ohio Railway depot in Prince, West Virginia. The C&O was known as one of the first railroads to have air conditioned passenger trains. To advertise these trains, the marketing department came up with the slogan “Sleep Like a Kitten,” which was first published in the September, 1933 issue of Fortune Magazine. That’s where Chessie, the C&O’s mascot makes her mark on railroad history. Shortly after running that first advertisement, the railroad picked the name of Chessie for their new mascot. A systemwide branding followed shortly after. Of note, in 1946, the original 1886 depot was demolished and a newer Art Deco style depot was built with Chessie imbedded in the Terrazzo floor. Chessie is a testament to railroad history.
On a humid summer day in the summer or 2020, we paddled and swam in the New River outside of Prince, WV. Months before, I had this exact photo in mind before making the trek to West Virginia. We wandered into the depot, and I explained to the stationmaster what I hoped to accomplish. I was recriprocated with a smile and nod of approval from the stationmaster, I pulled a ladder out of my truck and set it up in the depot. After a few test photos, and due to space and lighting constraints, I opted to shoot this photo upside down, and correct in post processing. The beautiful thing about photography is sometimes you get the exact shot you came for, and other times you strike out.
Needless to say, In the case of Miss Montana Red, I hit it out of the park with her.
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Hiking along the Sycamore Crest Trail. Avila Beach, California.
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Cumberland, Maryland
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Somewhere in the Bitterroots.
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