A sepia photo showing three elderly Chinese men wearing coats and woven hats.

Silent Spikes

Following in the Footprints of Chinese Railroad Workers
19 January - 22 May 2022
Main Library
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100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

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Photographer Li Ju travelled the entire route of the Transcontinental Railroad seven times to chronicle the historic achievement of uniting the United States from East to West with the construction of the railroad.

In this 30-panel exhibition, Li Ju places his contemporary photos next to the historic photos to show the tremendous accomplishments of the largely anonymous 12,000–20,000 Chinese workers who built the railroad.

 

Special event: Film and panel discussion on the Chinese and the Transcontinental Railroad. March 12, 11:00 a.m., Main Library, Koret Auditorium.

 

Banner image: Ging Cui, Wong Fook and Lee Shao, three of the eight Chinese workers who put the last rail in place, on float at a 50th Anniversary celebration in 1919. Photograph courtesy Amon Carter Museum of American Art Archives, Fort Worth, Texas.

 


Weaving Stories: Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Interest
Connect with AANHPI heritage with programs and workshops, book recommendations and more.

Weaving Stories is the Library's celebration of the many diverse histories and cultures from Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.