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New Essex Art Exhibit Puts Cinematic Lens on Steam Trains

While trains may seem to be a ubiquitous part of the Valley landscape, a new exhibit at Essex Steam Train & Riverboat aims to showcase steam trains in a new light. The Oliver Jensen Gallery is hosting an exhibition of photographs by Dennis A. Livesey.

Gallery Manager Audrey Conrad curated the exhibition, and notes that Livesey’s background in film and television impacts his photography.

“There is a cinematic approach that he takes to everything,’ said Conrad. “We do a lot of shows—some are documentary, some are night photography—everyone’s vision is different. His background as a cameraman for movies and television sets his photography apart.

“He’s always looking for the scene—they look like a still from a motion picture,” Conrad added.

Livesey is from New York City and a member of the Center of Railroad Photography and Art. Last year this organization held its conference in Storrs, and had its reception at the gallery in Essex. It was there that Conrad and Livesey met and the idea for this exhibit was born.

One of the specifications, however, was that it had to feature the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat.

“Many of the photos were taken here, and others were taken at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania,” said Conrad, noting that nostalgia for steam trains has changed. “It’s not as much about memory as it used to be. These haven’t been in use since the 1960s, so most people don’t have the memory of steam locomotives at all.

“We’re educating people about steam travel and the railroad in the 20th century,” said Conrad. “At one time, not all that long ago—about 75 years—every locomotive was a steam locomotive.

The exhibition is self-guided, with some background information available on site. More detail about the history of the steam railroad in Essex can be found at essexsteamtrain.com.

Gallery admission is free, and the gallery is open during Essex Steam Train operating hours. The current exhibit will be on display until Oct. 22. For more information call 860-767-0103, or visit essexsteamtrain.com/about/oliver-jensen-gallery.