MADISON, Wis. — The Center for Railroad Photography & Art will receive the Kalmbach Media art collection, a total of 58 original paintings spanning the company’s history since its founding by A.C. Kalmbach in 1934.
CRP&A Executive Director Scott Lothes announced the acquisition today after working closely with Kalmbach executives to find a permanent home to keep the collection together. The collection includes works from artists including Howard Fogg, George Gloff, Gil Reid, Ted Rose, John Swatsley, and others — many the company’s own artists and designers — and were commissioned for use in Trains Magazine and Kalmbach Books. They have appeared in the pages of Kalmbach’s magazines or on their covers, or been part of best-selling books such as The Hiawatha Story and The Nickel Plate Story.
“Kalmbach is a name that has thrilled, educated, and inspired generations of railfans, photographers, and artists, and this collection couldn’t be a better expression of the Center’s mission to preserve and celebrate significant railroad art,” said Lothes. “It’s a tremendous honor and responsibility to care for the Kalmbach art collection, and to honor the work of so many artists and designers who poured their talents into illustrating the railroads that they loved.”
The collection has been moved to Madison as Kalmbach sold its longtime offices in Waukesha, Wis., where the pieces involved have long been displayed in the hallways and offices, and sold titles including Trains, Classic Trains, Model Railroader, and Classic Toy Trains to Firecrown Media of Chattanooga, Tenn. The former Kalmbach titles will remain based in Wisconsin and are relocating to new offices not far from their former home.
“The Center is beyond thrilled to be the recipient of the Kalmbach art collection,” said Bon French, CRP&A board chairman “Not only is it a spectacular collection in its own right, but the art invokes many memories for those of us that frequented the hallowed halls of the Kalmbach offices. As the Kalmbach name will otherwise disappear, it’s great that we can preserve the legacy of a 90-year-old company with a revered name through the collection.”
Kalmbach is in the process of seeking buyers for its remaining assets.
“I can’t imagine a better outcome for Kalmbach’s corporate art collection than to have it find a permanent home with the Center,” said Kevin P. Keefe, a Center board member and former vice president-editorial at Kalmbach, as well as a past editor of Trains. Keefe brought the collection to light in the mid-2010s when he detailed the most important pieces and their histories in a company report he authored prior to his retirement. “In so many ways, Trains and Kalmbach Books played indispensable roles in creating the world of railroad imagery we love so much, and the company’s original art is a big part of that legacy.
“Over the years, there has been a strong bond between Kalmbach and the Center. The donation of this collection is a celebration of that relationship.”
Kalmbach CEO Dan Hickey said founder A.C. Kalmbach “would be very proud to know that the railroad art accumulated by Kalmbach Media and enjoyed by our employees for decades will also be appreciated by future generations through the expert stewardship of the Center.”
