This is a large pencil drawing by noted American artist Otto Kuhler. It's from a series of drawings depicting the oil industry (see other items in shop). This features a refinery with the various distillers and cracking towers in background with Kuhler's favorite subject, railroad equipment in the mid and foreground. The detail is incredible. Many workers are hauling equipment, while one is running alongside a row of tank cars towards a switching unit. A diesel locomotive is seen at the very left of the image. This is just an incredibly well-composed scene that captures both the structure and action around a refinery. This could be a study for a painting or etching; however it is signed Kuhler lower right. This is done in the industrial WPA style or which Kuhler is most noted.
Otto Kuhler 1894-1976 Kuhler was born in Germany into a family that was very successful in the iron and steel industry. This likely explains his affinity for industrial images, although he is best known for his images of steam locomotives. He emigrated to the United States in 1923 as the family business collapsed in the aftermath of World War I. Prior to coming to this country he worked as an engineer, designer, and magazine editor, the fusion of these diverse experiences contributing to his artistic vision. He was successful as an etcher initially in New York and then Pittsburgh where he created images of the steel industry. He also worked designing locomotives for Milwaukee Road, Lehigh, and other companies, including the famous Hiawatha, the fastest locomotive in the world in the 1930s. He also designed the famous finned observation car for the Milwaukee Road. He is an iconic artist working the in WPA realism style, although was not funded by the Works Progress Administration. His etchings capture the power, energy, and industry in the United States in the pre- and post-World War II era.