Photography and Text by Brent Taylor
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Capturing a Location in Time
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Art is all around us. The world we live in has subtle beauty in nearly every nook and cranny. We just happen to ignore it. Armed with cameras at almost all times everyone is capable of trying to share the beauty all around us. However, we’re all distracted by what’s in front of us, whether it be our careers, our hobbies or in this particular case our destinations.
Usually Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station is merely a road bump in our various journeys. As the city’s largest railroad center hundreds of people pass through the station every day seeking their specific destination. This building however exists as a testament to the artwork we miss out on during our busy daily lives. Alongside the station itself, there’s a diverse amount of beautiful artwork in the station that gets frequently ignored by the passerby.
This project showcases travelers simply walking past or missing out on the elegant statues that decorate the station. In particular, a wall sculpture in the center of the station called “The Spirit of Transportation” was created in 1895 by Karl Bitter, and moved to the station during its construction in the late 1930s. This particular work of art stands out as a visual salute to human progress in the field of transportation.
Another noteworthy piece of art is “The Angel of Resurrection” also known as the Pennsylvania Railroad World War II Memorial. This statue has the engravings of 1307 railroad employees who died during the war and was created by WWII veteran Walker Hancock. The goal of this project is not to begrudge every station user for not stopping to admire the scenery. Everyone passing through the train is doing so with important business to attend to. However, what I would like to do is draw attention to this amazing scenery with the solemn hope that some amount of time can be given to appreciate it.
Photography and Text by Brent Taylor, Copyright 2016.
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About The Author: Brent Taylor is a History major enrolled in the College of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2017.