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Silent Monoliths

The Coaling Tower Project

Author Jeff Brouws

Foreword by Marcella Hackbardt

Introduction by John P. Hankey

Hardcover

$39.95 US

The MIT Press

8.38"W x 10.38"H x 0.92"D (21.3 x 26.4 x 2.3 cm) | 41 oz (1,151 g) | 10 per carton

On sale Feb 17, 2026 | 216 Pages | 9780262051750

Sales rights: World

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Nonfiction > Arts & Entertainment > Photography
Nonfiction > History > U.S. History > 20th Century U.S. History
Nonfiction > Reference

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A beautifully arresting photographic record of North American coaling towers, which once fueled steam locomotives and powered the country.

A fine art photography must-have for railroad enthusiasts and anyone interested in the industrial golden era.

In 1906, America commenced a major railroad modernization project, driven by massive industrial era investment and development. A lasting symbol of this time in history remains today: the imposing coaling towers that pepper the country and which once held the coal that powered steam locomotives. Over the course of five years and 20,000 miles, photographer Jeff Brouws documented these towers. Silent Monoliths tells their story.

The towers, built of concrete, a modern material with historical roots traceable to the Roman aqueducts, were constructed to replace aging (and less fire-retardant and less efficient) wooden coaling wharves and chutes. As the railroads transitioned from steam to diesel in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, most of these coaling towers slipped into obsolescence—some demolished, others “retired-in-place” and left standing. As a result of the latter, many examples of these sculptural, architectonic remnants of industrial brawn stand in silence across North America—from Flomaton, Alabama, to the northernmost reaches of Ontario, Canada; as far west as Glenns Ferry, Idaho, to the eastern seaboard in New Haven, Connecticut.

Essays from industrial and railroad historian John Hankey and art historian Marcella Hackbardt illuminate the significance of these otherworldly relics. In the spirit of Hilla and Bernd Becher, Brouws’ photographic portfolio presents over 105 examples of these austere monoliths, conveying their unique place in cultural history.

ENDORSEMENTS

“This book is a sure-fire winner. The photographs are superb; the writing is stark, straightforward, and graceful, befitting not only the importance of the subject but the form and often beauty of the towers themselves. This is a rare work of art first and an equally powerful record of an important and ignored technological achievement.”
—John Stilgoe, author of What is Landscape?

“Jeff Brouws captures the eerie grandeur of monolithic structures that resemble relics from an alien world—but are, in fact, vital remnants of America’s industrial past. Through richly tonal black-and-white photographs, these towering forms emerge as silent witnesses to a bygone era, evoking the scale, labor, and ambition that once powered a nation—an immensely important visual project."
—Michael Ernest Sweet, F-Stop Magazine

“Jeff Brouws has a singular gift as a photographer. In forgotten corners and crevices of the North American industrial landscape, he sees things no one else sees.”
— Kevin P. Keefe, former editor and publisher, Trains Magazine

“In these deadpan photographs, the towers have become both obsolete and futuristic, standing stubbornly trackside like robots and rockets, or collapsing post-apocalyptically into the vines. A wonderful book for all who love the landscape of trains.”
—Sandy Sorlien, author of Inland: The Abandoned Canals of the Schuylkill Navigation

“With a clarity of vision reminiscent of a William Carlos Williams poem, Jeff Brouws unleashes his talents upon the unused, but still standing, coaling towers of the early 20th century. Beyond the quality of seeing here, the scope of the project is simply staggering—making this volume critical for any railroad historian.”
—Richard Koenig, Genevieve U. Gilmore Professor of Art, Kalamazoo College

REVIEWS

“A bleak but beautiful observance of past progress.” – Kirkus

Jeff Brouws is a photographer, writer, and graphic designer. His publications include Various Small Books (MIT Press), Approaching Nowhere, Readymades, and Highway. His photographs are held in major museum collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Fogg Museum, the Nelson-Atkins Museum, and the Getty Museum.

Marcella Hackbardt is a writer, curator, visual artist, and professor of art and photography at Kenyon College.

John P. Hankey served the B&O Railroad in a variety of capacities, including as company historian, locomotive engineer, and Curator of the B&O Railroad Museum. He has published over 100 articles.

Jeff Brouws View titles by Jeff Brouws

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Unexpected Architectures by MARCELLA HACKBARDT
A Most Efficient Form by JOHN P. HANKEY
Coaling Tower Typology
Coaling Tower Topographies
Coaling Tower Specifications
Index
Map
Acknowledgments

Photos

About

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