With The Railroad and The Art of Place, David Kahler has achieved something novel in the world of railroad photography book publishing. His focus is not the equipment, infrastructure or even history, but rather the visual and cultural landscape as shaped by the railroad. Kahler’s tough unflinching views have a grittiness not normally associated with railroad enthusiast photography. His unsanitized realism shows what actually abides in the landscape, and the trains are never divorced from their surroundings. Working with a 35mm Leica M6 camera, Kahler’s negatives reveal a gutsy artist.
David Kahler was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Syracuse and a Master of Arts degree from Princeton University. He had a private architectural practice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for 36 years. Kahler presently serves as the Vice President of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art and lives in Pittsboro.