Friday, July 25, 2008

Thematic Photographic 8: "Monochrome" v.3.0


"1950 Chevy Pickup"
Near Lenoir, NC - February 2001 (Click to embiggen)

Thematic Photographic hosted by Carmi - Button Image by Smarmoofus Hosted by Written Inc.

"Bethlehem Steel"
Bethlehem, PA - November 2005 (Click to embiggen)

Thematic Photographic hosted by Carmi - Button Image by Smarmoofus Hosted by Written Inc.

"Fender Champ"
Clayton, NC - July 2004 (Click to embiggen)

Thematic Photographic hosted by Carmi - Button Image by Smarmoofus Hosted by Written Inc.

Still working from film shots from the archives. These were all converted from color negative film.

I caught the truck in the first photo loitering around a gas station near Lenoir on my way back from Boone in February of 2001.

The second photo is part of the now-defunct Bethlehem Steel mill in Bethlehem, PA. I suppose the residents of Bethlehem are accustomed to people with cameras frequenting their quiet little town and taking post-mortem photos of the steel mill that sustained the town for so long. Living several hundred miles south of Bethlehem, it's hard to imagine what became of the people who depended on the plant for their livelihood once it shut its doors.

Down in Clayton, NC is The Coffee Mill, which is connected to The Flip Side (which is ironically on the back side of the building). The last shot came from a gig played at the Flip Side by a jazz quartet my son occasionally sat in with.


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9 comments:

Barbara said...

Love the Chevy, and it is actually older than me! As usual striking perspective on all the shots.

Mojo said...

It was a remarkably well-preserved example of Chevyness, especially for living its life in the mountains (read snow + salt). The place I came across it was a quiet little crossroads -- not a town really, not even a major junction, just a cluster of buildings on both sides of the highway. I'm not even sure I could find it again.

And the truck's older than me by 10 years. Hope I'm holding up that well 10 years from now.

Anonymous said...

oohhh I really like the Bethlehem Steel photo. ;-)

Canadian Mark said...

I enjoy the factory photo also. It's funny how B&W and abandoned go so well together.

Pam said...

fantastic photos...wanna guess which is my fave in this set?? it's the fender amp. that one just reminds me of my son. he plays guitar, writes music, etc. just seeing that photo evokes warm memories :)

p.s. i've added you to my reader and soon i will add you to my blogroll.

Jenelle said...

Oh, wow, I love the Bethlehem shot. I could see that hanging on my wall. :)

The car you posted is in a lot better shape than the one I put up!

G. Harrison said...

the creation of rounded windows, especially from random stone must have been such a lot of work at the time but I'm guessing the labourers were paid a pittance.

still, the results of an unknown's effort are amazing, producing arches that live on as art, in my opinion.

well done, mojo. a great look back

gord h.

Mojo said...

@jenelle: When I saw the car you shot my reaction was "how sad". The pickup in this post was --as far as I know -- still in service and being used by the store where I found it as a delivery vehicle.
@gord: Any kind of stonework like that is always fascinating to me, and you're probably right about the wages paid to those who did the actual masonry. It seems a shame to let such marvelous craftsmanship crumble to ruin. I don't know if there are any plans to restore the old mill and preserve it as a historic site, but it would be a worthwhile project if someone had the funds and the inclination to do it. As bard pointed out in a comment on another post, it may be a ruin now but at one time Bethlehem was second only to US Steel in steel production worldwide. Seems like a plant that sustained so many people for so many years could be salvaged -- if only for its historic value.

G. Harrison said...

one block from our house is an old 'normal school' or teacher's college; the last tenant moved out two years ago, pieces of the roof started to fall and a chain link fence went up around it as a safety precaution. i thought it was a goner.

but, the roof has been fixed and we may see new life breathed into the building - an amazing structure.

we can't save everything, i know; even if small parts of structures can be integrated into new buildings I'd be satisfied that our history is important to us.

i'll take my camera for a walk around soon; it would fit into this week's theme quite well.

cheers, gord h.