Circle Cinema Art Gallery

Join us for an art gallery opening & reception at 12pm followed by a selection of train-related short films celebrating railroads past and present at 1:00pm. All Seats $5.00.

Short Film Program:
"Race For A Life" (1913, 13 minutes, live accompaniment by Bill Rowland on Circle's original 1928 pipe organ)
"Daybreak Express" (1953, 5 minutes, D.A. Pennebaker)
"Train Time" (2022, 43 minutes, Stephen Low)

About the Art Gallery Show:
The late 1970's and early 80’s were considered a "Golden Era" for train-watchers and enthusiasts alike as the landscape in Oklahoma and across the country was changing. It was an unforgettable time to be trackside and the late Tulsa photographer John A. Kimball was there to capture some indelible images. This unique exhibit features additional railroad photography and support from Samuel and Sammy Carlile of Skiatook, OK and display courtesy of Tulsa NEON’S N-Scale Model Railroad Club.

John A. Kimball (1955-2016) John was born in Tulsa and at a very early age his father Keith took him for a morning visit to the railroad yard downtown. The rest, as they say, is history. In turn John did the same thing for his younger brother David, and soon they found themselves taking trips small and large, many times across the country for the sole purpose of photographing railroads. This display is a small sampling of the thousands and thousands of slides and images that he developed.

Sammy Carlile has been taking photos of trains since 1984 when he was exposed to heavy duty American railroading from taking long distance trips on Amtrak Trains with his parents at an early age. After learning black and white photography and dark room development in high school, he progressed from shooting print film to 35 MM slides throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s before moving into the digital age. He has taken railroad photographs in 45 states over the last 40 years and has had his work published in several nation wide publications.

Samuel Carlile is a lifelong Tulsa area resident and has been a train enthusiast for his entire life. Samuel picked up his love for the railroad from his father, Sammy. At an early age, Samuel spent lots of time trackside with his father around the Tulsa metro as well as across the state of Oklahoma. Samuel took to the railfan hobby seriously just a few years ago and is now an accomplished railroad photographer, having won photography awards and been published in national magazines for his photography. Samuel also enjoys model railroading with his father and loves to travel for railfanning and model railroading trips across the country.