Thompson Hotels

Visions of Empire illuminates the remarkable changes wrought in the United States by the “iron horse.” Coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the Pacific Railroad Act, the exhibition follows the evolving notion of spanning the North American continent by rail from its earliest appearance through its eventual implementation in 1869. In doing so, it also depicts the astounding engineering feats and intricate technological advances required to achieve that goal as well as the striking entrepreneurial audacity involved and the vast amounts of financial and political energy necessary to propel such endeavors forward. “Visions of Empire” highlights the sweeping economic, social, and cultural transformations unleashed by the unfolding era of transcontinental railroads across California, the West, and the nation as a whole. http://www.huntington.org/huntingtonlibrary_02.aspx?id=10450