Scott Herring will bring his enthusiasm and stunning photography back to Minersville on Aug. 20 when he presents “Trains of the Anthracite,” as part of the Minersville Area Historical Society’s America250 Speaker Series. The program will be held at 7 p.m. at the Valley Road Venue, 1332 Valley Road, Pottsville.
Known as “The Last Anthracite Photographer,” he has promoted the history of the Anthracite region and his admiration for “People of the Black Diamond” through his programs and gallery displays of his photography.
For this program, Herring will introduce his striking photograph of the Union Pacific #4104 “Big Boy” taken on July 2 on its way to Philadelphia for the America250 Fourth of July celebration.
The Minersville Area Historical Society will offer posters of this photograph for purchase in addition to many other posters of Herring’s train photography. The popular license plates featuring various ethnicities of the region will also be available for purchase. All sales (cash or check only) will benefit the Minersville Area Historical Society.
Herring is a native of Tamaqua and a fifth-generation underground miner who by the age of thirteen began learning deep mining skills and the art of coal train and mining photography. After completing his studies in geology, geography, cartography, and economics at Ohio Wesleyan University, as well as post-graduate course work in transportation logistics at The Ohio State University, he worked as a capacity expansion planner in the bituminous industry for 28 years while he continued to pursue his passion for the Pennsylvania Anthracite region.
The result, “The Hardcoal Chronicles 1973 – 2023 Fiftieth Anniversary Show,” just closed after being on display at the Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton, PA, since May 4, 2024. It encompassed 1,270 images covering over fifty regional topics on sixty-six panels and included a timeline showing the evolution of photography and archival processes. His archive comprises 288,546 images spread across all Anthracite railroad and mining companies and families of the region. He has never sold any of the images for personal profit; instead, they are available exclusively in support of the many Hardcoal cultural heritage and historic restoration efforts throughout the Anthracite region.
Herring has also shown his commitment to the Anthracite region and its cultural heritage by helping to revitalize two of the region’s four mine tours and by serving as chairman of Anthracite 250th, the only region-wide celebration of its type, 2-1/2 years celebrating 2-1/2 centuries (1768-2018).
All are invited to this free program on Trains of the Anthracite where there will be complimentary refreshments, displays, and giveaways while supplies last. Doors open at 6:30 pm. The venue has ample parking and is handicapped-accessible.
For more information, contact The Minersville Area Historical Society, (570) 399-5037 or (610) 329-3328, or email mahistsoc@gmail.com.
Information from a press release
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