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Jim Westphalen
With his everlasting affinity for the built landscape, photographer Jim Westphalen seeks to capture the features and patterns that reflect human occupation within their natural surroundings. His current body of work, Vanish, is a continuous narrative speaking to the corrosion of iconic structures in rural America. Inspired by artists Andrew Wyeth, A. Hale Johnson & Edward Hopper, Westphalen's photography is an open window to a rapidly disintegrating world.
Often mistaken for paintings, Westphalen employs a vintage 4x5 view camera that has been adapted to digital capture. Along with his artful eye, Westphalen's consideration for the nuances of nature serves as a major component to the process of creation: light, weather, & wind play key roles key in capturing capturing each image.
To create his signature "sharp/soft" look, Westphalen applies a series of processing methods to create dynamic detail while simultaneously rendering an overall softness. His limited edition prints are further finessed using archival pigment on 100% acid free matte rag paper onto which Westphalen apples three coats of optically clear varnish to ensure UV, handling, & dust protection
Widely published & collected both nationally & abroad, Westhpahlen is a self taught artist that has been practicing photography for over 30 years. Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Westphalen moved to Vermont in 1996, where he currently resides with his wife Kendra.
Additional sizes available
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Nieland Barn Study
Sisseton, South Dakota
Built circa 1930s
Immigrating from Norway, the Nieland family settled on this land in 1865 and established it as a cattle operation. Although the herd is long gone, the family still farms crops here today, growing corn and soy. When built, this barn was used for livestock, but is now only used for equipment storage. It has survived the harsh weather of the plains (including a direct lighting strike) for nearly a century.
36 x 36" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Built circa 1930s
Immigrating from Norway, the Nieland family settled on this land in 1865 and established it as a cattle operation. Although the herd is long gone, the family still farms crops here today, growing corn and soy. When built, this barn was used for livestock, but is now only used for equipment storage. It has survived the harsh weather of the plains (including a direct lighting strike) for nearly a century.
36 x 36" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Norwegian Settlers Church
Williams County, ND
Built circa early 1900s
The long abandoned St. Olaf Lutheran Church sits at the end of a lonely gravel road in North Dakota. Turning around in the middle of the field where I have my tripod and camera set, I take in the 360 degree view, the only sign of modern civilization is a very distant oil rig. Although vandals have found their way into the structure, as I peer in the glassless windows, I can still see the pulpit, remains of the organ and many pews laying in silent disarray. With never more than 60 people in its congregation, the church eventually joined with another small congregation in the nearby town of Tioga, with its last service being held here in the 1960s. Today, the structure in all its fading beauty, hangs on by a thread, its steeple poised and ready to relent at any moment. Note of interest: Tioga is the Iroquois Indian name for “Peaceful Valley”.
36 x 41" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Built circa early 1900s
The long abandoned St. Olaf Lutheran Church sits at the end of a lonely gravel road in North Dakota. Turning around in the middle of the field where I have my tripod and camera set, I take in the 360 degree view, the only sign of modern civilization is a very distant oil rig. Although vandals have found their way into the structure, as I peer in the glassless windows, I can still see the pulpit, remains of the organ and many pews laying in silent disarray. With never more than 60 people in its congregation, the church eventually joined with another small congregation in the nearby town of Tioga, with its last service being held here in the 1960s. Today, the structure in all its fading beauty, hangs on by a thread, its steeple poised and ready to relent at any moment. Note of interest: Tioga is the Iroquois Indian name for “Peaceful Valley”.
36 x 41" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Dakota Homestead #5
Donnybrook, North Dakota
This forgotten homestead sits near the western foothills of the Des Lacs Valley in the small town of Donnybrook. Though Donnybrook shares its name with a district in Dublin, Ireland, this Dakota rail town was specifically named for the fair that took place in Donnybrook, Ireland for two weeks each year between 1204 and 1855. The celebration devolved from a fair proper to a site of public entertainment and drinking. Two years after its founding, the town postmaster, taking offense to the historical fair because of its drunken and violent nature, renamed the town Goetz. A few years later this was reversed and it became Donnybrook once again. Curiously, the fair’s demise predates the foundation of the this Dakota town by 40 years and only a few Irish names populate the cemeteries around Donnybrook - most being farmers from Canada. It’s a mystery why and who was so fond of an event that most likely took place before their lifetime almost 4000 miles away.
51 x 36" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
This forgotten homestead sits near the western foothills of the Des Lacs Valley in the small town of Donnybrook. Though Donnybrook shares its name with a district in Dublin, Ireland, this Dakota rail town was specifically named for the fair that took place in Donnybrook, Ireland for two weeks each year between 1204 and 1855. The celebration devolved from a fair proper to a site of public entertainment and drinking. Two years after its founding, the town postmaster, taking offense to the historical fair because of its drunken and violent nature, renamed the town Goetz. A few years later this was reversed and it became Donnybrook once again. Curiously, the fair’s demise predates the foundation of the this Dakota town by 40 years and only a few Irish names populate the cemeteries around Donnybrook - most being farmers from Canada. It’s a mystery why and who was so fond of an event that most likely took place before their lifetime almost 4000 miles away.
51 x 36" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Dakota Homestead #1
South Dakota
Built early 1900s
The homestead Act of 1862 lured many settlers from the east to the Great Plains. Homesteaders could claim 160 acres of land as long as they paid their $18, were 21 years of age or head of their households, farmed the land, built a home and lived on that land for at least 5 years. If all these requirements were met, they would then be issued the deed and ownership of the land. Although this seemed like a great deal, these settlers paid greatly in other ways. Drought, disease, isolation, locust plagues, skirmishes with the indigenous peoples and even death were just some of the hardships they faced. Abandoned prairie homesteads like this one are becoming increasingly rare in the Dakotas. Most of these beautiful old structures fall prey to wild fires, lightning strikes and often demolition for planting crops. And as these gems slowly disappear, so do their stories. If these walls could talk…
42 x 24" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Built early 1900s
The homestead Act of 1862 lured many settlers from the east to the Great Plains. Homesteaders could claim 160 acres of land as long as they paid their $18, were 21 years of age or head of their households, farmed the land, built a home and lived on that land for at least 5 years. If all these requirements were met, they would then be issued the deed and ownership of the land. Although this seemed like a great deal, these settlers paid greatly in other ways. Drought, disease, isolation, locust plagues, skirmishes with the indigenous peoples and even death were just some of the hardships they faced. Abandoned prairie homesteads like this one are becoming increasingly rare in the Dakotas. Most of these beautiful old structures fall prey to wild fires, lightning strikes and often demolition for planting crops. And as these gems slowly disappear, so do their stories. If these walls could talk…
42 x 24" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Cattle Shed 3
Sisseton, South Dakota
Built circa 1930s
Immigrating from Norway, the Nieland family settled on this land in 1865 and established it as a cattle operation. Although the herd is long gone, the family still farms crops here today, growing corn and soy. When built, this barn was used for wintering livestock, but is now only used for storage. It has survived the harsh weather of the plains for nearly a century.
36 x 36" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Built circa 1930s
Immigrating from Norway, the Nieland family settled on this land in 1865 and established it as a cattle operation. Although the herd is long gone, the family still farms crops here today, growing corn and soy. When built, this barn was used for wintering livestock, but is now only used for storage. It has survived the harsh weather of the plains for nearly a century.
36 x 36" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Marshfield Barnside I
Vermont
Built in 1889, this weathered piece of Vermont history belongs the Burroughs dairy barn. In the autumn of the year 1800, patriot and soldier of the Revolutionary War (and the famous Battle of Bunker Hill), Mr. Jesse Martin, moved with his wife and seven children from New Hampshire and settled in Marshfield, Vermont. It was his family and ancestors that went on to establish much of the agriculture in the area. In 1943, the Burroughs family purchased the farm to start their own dairy operation and it remains in their family today.
Status: Maintained and used for storage
16 x 16" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Coal Silo Study I
Randolph, VT
Randolph Coal and Ice Company Built circa 1912
Rail-side coal sheds or “coal pockets” were once a common feature in railroad towns throughout the Northeast, but are now rare. The original structure was built by Richard B. Osher in 1912. The 2 cylindrical bins or silos were later added in 1919. Coal was delivered by rail and offloaded into the silos where it was then delivered by horse and cart and later by trucks to the end users. In recent years, unsuccessful appeals (including having the shed removed and reconstructed at the Shelburne Museum) have been made to secure and preserve this rare example of silo and flume technology which has all but disappeared in the United states.
16 x 16" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Randolph Coal and Ice Company Built circa 1912
Rail-side coal sheds or “coal pockets” were once a common feature in railroad towns throughout the Northeast, but are now rare. The original structure was built by Richard B. Osher in 1912. The 2 cylindrical bins or silos were later added in 1919. Coal was delivered by rail and offloaded into the silos where it was then delivered by horse and cart and later by trucks to the end users. In recent years, unsuccessful appeals (including having the shed removed and reconstructed at the Shelburne Museum) have been made to secure and preserve this rare example of silo and flume technology which has all but disappeared in the United states.
16 x 16" Limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Prairie Barn II
Shelby, MT
Built in the tradition of the Dutch barn, Prairie or “Western” barns were typical to the settlers who moved to the Plains in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The larger herds associated with agriculture in the West required greater storage space for hay and feed and therefore, prairie barns are usually larger than other style barns. Long sweeping rooflines, sometimes near to the ground and a peak projecting above a hayloft are the most familiar characteristics associated with the Western barn. The extended roof created greater storage space and late in the nineteenth century, the adoption of the gambrel roof enlarged the storage capacity of the haymow even more.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Built in the tradition of the Dutch barn, Prairie or “Western” barns were typical to the settlers who moved to the Plains in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The larger herds associated with agriculture in the West required greater storage space for hay and feed and therefore, prairie barns are usually larger than other style barns. Long sweeping rooflines, sometimes near to the ground and a peak projecting above a hayloft are the most familiar characteristics associated with the Western barn. The extended roof created greater storage space and late in the nineteenth century, the adoption of the gambrel roof enlarged the storage capacity of the haymow even more.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Savoy Schoolhouse
Harlem, MT
Savoy, Montana is an unincorporated village originally organized by a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway when it laid its tracks through northern Montana in the late 19th century. Only a few years earlier, the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was formed to move the Aaniiih and Nakoda people from these tribal homelands.
Savoy and the surrounding outposts were “platted” in the 1890s following the new rail line. The village prospered as a busy community in the early 1900s boasting a depot, two grain elevators, two churches, a bank, a hotel, a post office, two stores and this little school. The Great Northern rail depot closed in 1956, followed by the post office in 1958 and then finally the school in 1974.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Savoy, Montana is an unincorporated village originally organized by a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway when it laid its tracks through northern Montana in the late 19th century. Only a few years earlier, the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was formed to move the Aaniiih and Nakoda people from these tribal homelands.
Savoy and the surrounding outposts were “platted” in the 1890s following the new rail line. The village prospered as a busy community in the early 1900s boasting a depot, two grain elevators, two churches, a bank, a hotel, a post office, two stores and this little school. The Great Northern rail depot closed in 1956, followed by the post office in 1958 and then finally the school in 1974.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Prairie Sentinels
Rapelje, MT
Formerly called Lake Basin, "The City of Wheat", Rapelje, Montana (Pronounced Rapel-j) was renamed in 1913 for J.M. Rapelje, one of the heads of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The town was built as a home for railroad workers in the late 1800's. As the railroad grew so did the town. A hotel, grocery store, town hall and school were all built followed by the post office soon thereafter. In 1963 over a cup of coffee, Leland "Bud" Kay Marsh and his business partner Wayne "Cork" Erfle decided to open the Rapelje Grain Co. They built four grain elevators, Leland owned the two eastern elevators (one of them depicted here) and Cork owned the western ones. Leland managed them right up until his death in 2010. The elevators took advantage of the Northern Pacific Railroad spur built through Rapelje in 1920. The wheat farmers and the Grain Co. were thrown a curve-ball when the rail-line was pulled up in 1980, but Leland stayed in business by transporting the wheat from the elevator to market by truck. Both Leland and Cork were born and raised in Rapelje and graduated from the local K-12 school in 1948. 100% of their graduating class (5 in total) met and remained married to their sweethearts for their entire lives.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Formerly called Lake Basin, "The City of Wheat", Rapelje, Montana (Pronounced Rapel-j) was renamed in 1913 for J.M. Rapelje, one of the heads of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The town was built as a home for railroad workers in the late 1800's. As the railroad grew so did the town. A hotel, grocery store, town hall and school were all built followed by the post office soon thereafter. In 1963 over a cup of coffee, Leland "Bud" Kay Marsh and his business partner Wayne "Cork" Erfle decided to open the Rapelje Grain Co. They built four grain elevators, Leland owned the two eastern elevators (one of them depicted here) and Cork owned the western ones. Leland managed them right up until his death in 2010. The elevators took advantage of the Northern Pacific Railroad spur built through Rapelje in 1920. The wheat farmers and the Grain Co. were thrown a curve-ball when the rail-line was pulled up in 1980, but Leland stayed in business by transporting the wheat from the elevator to market by truck. Both Leland and Cork were born and raised in Rapelje and graduated from the local K-12 school in 1948. 100% of their graduating class (5 in total) met and remained married to their sweethearts for their entire lives.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Orwell Barn I
Orwell, VT
Built in 1880 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this classic multi-purpose English barn has been used for feed, machinery and hay storage since the end of the 19th century. The horse track conveyor system, used to load hay into the upper loft, is still intact inside the barn. The Audet family bought the land with this barn in 1972 and have farmed there ever since. The barn is maintained and used for equipment storage.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Built in 1880 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this classic multi-purpose English barn has been used for feed, machinery and hay storage since the end of the 19th century. The horse track conveyor system, used to load hay into the upper loft, is still intact inside the barn. The Audet family bought the land with this barn in 1972 and have farmed there ever since. The barn is maintained and used for equipment storage.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Elevator Study I
Glengarry, MT
Founded in 1880 by Angus McMillan whose family hailed from Glengarry County, Ontario, Canada, Glengarry was once a station on the Great Northern Railway. In 1909 the town opened its post office (closed in 1924) followed by a few stores, a church, school and 2 grain elevators. As one of the elevators burned down many years ago, the town's people agreed that this remaining elevator was a vital part of their town’s history and paid $500 to save it from being torn down for lumber. The railroad tracks were pulled up in the 1990s and the rail bed has since been converted to a Rails to Trails rec path. The rusted articulating spout seen swinging at the top of the frame, was used to funnel grain down into the awaiting box cars below.
Founded in 1880 by Angus McMillan whose family hailed from Glengarry County, Ontario, Canada, Glengarry was once a station on the Great Northern Railway. In 1909 the town opened its post office (closed in 1924) followed by a few stores, a church, school and 2 grain elevators. As one of the elevators burned down many years ago, the town's people agreed that this remaining elevator was a vital part of their town’s history and paid $500 to save it from being torn down for lumber. The railroad tracks were pulled up in the 1990s and the rail bed has since been converted to a Rails to Trails rec path. The rusted articulating spout seen swinging at the top of the frame, was used to funnel grain down into the awaiting box cars below.
30 x 30" limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Founded in 1880 by Angus McMillan whose family hailed from Glengarry County, Ontario, Canada, Glengarry was once a station on the Great Northern Railway. In 1909 the town opened its post office (closed in 1924) followed by a few stores, a church, school and 2 grain elevators. As one of the elevators burned down many years ago, the town's people agreed that this remaining elevator was a vital part of their town’s history and paid $500 to save it from being torn down for lumber. The railroad tracks were pulled up in the 1990s and the rail bed has since been converted to a Rails to Trails rec path. The rusted articulating spout seen swinging at the top of the frame, was used to funnel grain down into the awaiting box cars below.
Founded in 1880 by Angus McMillan whose family hailed from Glengarry County, Ontario, Canada, Glengarry was once a station on the Great Northern Railway. In 1909 the town opened its post office (closed in 1924) followed by a few stores, a church, school and 2 grain elevators. As one of the elevators burned down many years ago, the town's people agreed that this remaining elevator was a vital part of their town’s history and paid $500 to save it from being torn down for lumber. The railroad tracks were pulled up in the 1990s and the rail bed has since been converted to a Rails to Trails rec path. The rusted articulating spout seen swinging at the top of the frame, was used to funnel grain down into the awaiting box cars below.
30 x 30" limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
Norton Barn
Bozeman, MT
Located on the site of what was originally known as the Paulinus “Grand Old Man” McCormick homestead (b. 1845), this small cattle barn was more recently part of the Norton Ranch. In 1934, John Norton and his wife, Della signed the deed to the 240 acre ranch. In a 1950 article from Country Gentleman magazine, John was quoted as saying “When we made the purchase, it was a useless piece of land that would grieve a hungry locust. Over the past decades, the tenants planted wheat, nothing but, with no rest or rotation, until the last crop wasn’t fit to bake a cupcake!”.
Over the ensuing decades, the Norton family built the ranch into a thriving operation that supported alfalfa, sheep, hogs and steer. Today, even as the land around it has been developed into the Norton Ranch Housing Community, this lone barn stands as a testament to the hard-working Norton family who rescued the land from ruin.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Located on the site of what was originally known as the Paulinus “Grand Old Man” McCormick homestead (b. 1845), this small cattle barn was more recently part of the Norton Ranch. In 1934, John Norton and his wife, Della signed the deed to the 240 acre ranch. In a 1950 article from Country Gentleman magazine, John was quoted as saying “When we made the purchase, it was a useless piece of land that would grieve a hungry locust. Over the past decades, the tenants planted wheat, nothing but, with no rest or rotation, until the last crop wasn’t fit to bake a cupcake!”.
Over the ensuing decades, the Norton family built the ranch into a thriving operation that supported alfalfa, sheep, hogs and steer. Today, even as the land around it has been developed into the Norton Ranch Housing Community, this lone barn stands as a testament to the hard-working Norton family who rescued the land from ruin.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Buffalo Abandoned
Buffalo, MT
Buffalo, Montana was named for its most numerous inhabitant at a time when millions of bison roamed the Montana Territory. By 1890, one year after Montana became a state, the less than 500 people that lived in Buffalo would have outnumbered the national bison herd 5 to 1 due to commercial hunting and loss of land to ranching. The town of Buffalo prospered with the homesteading boom and the Great Northern Railway’s Billings and Northern branch line until the drought and collapse of the farm economy in the 1920s.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Buffalo, Montana was named for its most numerous inhabitant at a time when millions of bison roamed the Montana Territory. By 1890, one year after Montana became a state, the less than 500 people that lived in Buffalo would have outnumbered the national bison herd 5 to 1 due to commercial hunting and loss of land to ranching. The town of Buffalo prospered with the homesteading boom and the Great Northern Railway’s Billings and Northern branch line until the drought and collapse of the farm economy in the 1920s.
Limited edition photographic pigment print.
Contact us for pricing & availability.
Elevator Study III
Highwood, MT
16 x 16" limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
16 x 16" limited edition photographic pigment print available in gallery.
Contact us for pricing & additional size availability.
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