The End of an Era: The Last of the Great Lake Steamboats

Since the 1850s when coal-fired, reciprocating steam engines were first heralded as a reliable means of powering ships, these majestic vessels have crisscrossed the Great Lakes transporting everything from coal and grain to iron ore and cement. The speed and efficiency of the lake freighters was unchallenged until the advent of the diesel locomotive engine. Today, however, the massive fleet has been reduced to a handful, and soon the Great Lakes steamboats may be extinct. David Plowden has been documenting the Great Lakes steamers for years, but recently, knowing that their time was coming to an end, he intensified his efforts and spent time on the vessels themselves, learning the life aboard with its excitement and hard work. Plowden's beautiful photographs of the steamboats and his evocative text capture the splendor and day-to-day activities of a vanishing era. From freighters in motion and intricate machinery in the engine room, to the glow of the firehold and the action of the men who operate and maintain the vessels, these images are an evocative testament to the Age of Steam and a rich archival slice of our industrial past.