John Harder

Although he claims he was just having fun, Alameda native John Harder was already recording rail history at age 10 with his buddy, electric rail and ferry aficionado-to-be, Harre Demoro. As the SN and Key System were winding down operations in 1957-1958, John produced striking testaments to the rail lines with images of final fan trips, empty right-of-ways, and finally stark views after abandonment. Although typically more comfortable in the background, John did publish one book with Demoro, Light Rail Transit on The West Coast, but over the past twenty years he has preferred to play a supportive role as a contributor to a number of books, articles and WEB sites. The images he produced from that era were distinct from the majority of his contemporary rail photographers in the emphasis given to the surrounding landscape, and in many cases, he dispensed with the need for a train at all. John continues to be a major archivist of Bay Area transportation photos, and is in the process of writing a book about transportation in the region to be published by Signature press. John has also made several audio visual presentations at the Southern Pacific Historical and Technical Society conventions in addition to Winterail.