BERN HILL (1911-1977) JERSEY CENTRAL - THE BIG LITTLE RAILROAD. Circa 1950s.
23¾x18 inches, 60¼x46¾ cm.
Condition B+ / B: restoration and overpainting along horizontal fold; restored loss in top right corner; restoration at edges.
Throughout his work for General Motors Hill "single-handedly managed to represent almost every railroad of the day" (Vintage Rails, January / February, 1998, p. 75). He also graphically captured architectural, engineering and natural wonders along the various train routes. Here, an EMD F3 Locomotive, produced between 1945 and 1949 by General Motors, is shown here crossing the original Newark Bay Bridge connecting the Elizabeth port and Bayonne at the southern end of Newark Bay. The Central New Jersey Railroad bridge was superseded by the current Newark Bay Bridge which opened in 1956. The original bridge slipped into disrepair and was eventually abandoned. Demolition of the structure began in 1980.