One of the frequent subjects photographed by Darius Kinsey during his trips out to the early logging camps of the Pacific Northwest were the powerful locomotives used to haul the massive fallen trees back out of the forests. Unlike the locomotives used to pull freight and passengers, the specially designed logging locomotives had to deal with steep inclines, tight turns, and unstable tracks.
Related post: The Photography of Darius Kinsey
During the early history of Washington state, a man by the name of Darius Kinsey built a successful career and business out of taking pictures of wild scenery and the settlers and loggers who came to conquer it. His wife, Tabitha Kinsey would help him process the plates at home.
From the inside cover of Kinsey Photographer by Dave Bohn and Rodolfo Petschek:
The photographs of Darius Kinsey, taken at the turn of the century, provide our most vivid and moving record of the dawning of the Pacific Northwest. Working with his wife Tabitha, Kinsey set out to capture the rugged beauty of the landscape and grit and humanity of its pioneers, men and women engaged in carving out lives on the frontier, just as they carved through the lumber that provided their livelihood.
Most amazing are the pictures showing the massive trees that once covered the western portion of state, many of which were large enough to build homes inside of them (and some were, as shown in a few pictures inside the book).
Update: It turns out most of the photography collection is available online thanks to the University of Washington. Go check it out.
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