Gallery Night Event on Oct. 16 Features Rare Photographs and the Experiences of Women Who Worked for the Milwaukee Road in the 1970s
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Oct. 5, 2026 — Three Milwaukee women who entered the largely male railroad operating profession in the 1970s will share their experiences at a Gallery Night event at the Grohmann Museum on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
The event accompanies “Lina Bertucci: Railroad Voices—The Milwaukee Road, 1974–1977,” an exhibition of 70 photographs by New York photographer Lina Bertucci documenting Milwaukee Road railroad yards in Milwaukee from 1974 to 1977. The exhibition remains on view through Dec. 20.
Bertucci will be joined by her aunt, Cindy Angelos, and her sister, Karina. The three women made Milwaukee railroad history as railroad brakemen and conductors.
Angelos was the first woman to work as a brakeman in the Milwaukee Road yards, followed by Bertucci. The aunt and niece began their railroad careers on the same day in 1974; Karina joined them in 1976, forming an unusual family trio in railroad operating positions.
All three were UWM students while working full time in the virtually all-male profession. Their assignments took them to approximately a dozen Milwaukee-area yards and onto intercity freight, Chicago commuter and Amtrak trains operating between Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.
Bertucci’s photographs offer a rare record of Milwaukee Road operations and the women’s experiences in a gritty, physically demanding occupation that had traditionally been closed to women.
At the Oct. 16 event, the three women will discuss their careers and answer questions from the moderator and audience. The event is open to the public.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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