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| Windows to the past London, ON April 2022 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
On the one hand, I’m fascinated by the sight of decaying architecture, the stories these once-vibrant places would tell, if only they could talk.
On the other hand, I have a strong aversion to breaking the law by trespassing. Also not my cup of tea: impaling myself on some rusty rebar. I’m also pretty sure getting arrested “for the photo” wouldn’t play out well at home.
So while I admire the skills and exploits of true urban explorers, I accept that I’ll never qualify for membership in their club.
Still, I found myself parking the bike during a recent ride through an industrial park so I could take a closer look at a place that once rented construction equipment. It just called to me, somehow.
Technically, I was a bad boy, as I’m guessing the property line started at the edge of the sidewalk. But I couldn’t not try to shoot something through those windows and wonder about what this place would have looked and felt like during its heyday.
Who am I kidding? They rented construction equipment, so I’m guessing it wasn’t terribly exciting. But people worked here. Customers relied on them for their own livelihoods. Countless stories played out on these now empty, dusty, sun-bleached floors.
The least I can do is look from the outside in and give it a moment of quiet reflection.
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Retail ruinporn, January 2021
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Life after Frosted Flakes, March 2019
Deep inside an old cereal factory, August 2018
An industrial past, reclaimed, December 2012
If you veer get the chance to visit Bethlehem, PA you can probably still find parts of the steel mill that you'd love. I spent a weekend there in 2005 before they started the makeover and got several (35mm) rolls worth of industrial blight with nary a chance of a citation. Most of the windows, and some of the walls were no longer impeding the view. The main mill was closed, thoguh I'm told you could arrange a tour. I went back in 2013 to see what they'd done with the place, and the Sands Corp has built a casino on the river and the property formerly known as Bethlehem Steel had undergone a reformation, becoming the "supporting cast" for the casino. Boutiques, and cafes, and a PBS affiliate's studios inhabited spaces that once house coal or iron ore or finished steel in various forms. But a few of the original buildings were still in their post closure state of decay, as were the row houses that once were home to all of the people who made "The Steel" (as it's known locally) run and their families.
ReplyDeleteIt warms my heart to see your comment, Mojo! Thanks to you, I've added Bethlehem to my list of must-visit locations. It keeps getting longer, as it should, and I can't wait to get back to roadtripping.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine what it would feel like to peer back into history through glass, and I'm certain your pics are remarkable. I wish we had more time.