Unions-Firms-Markets

Route 66

Another Reader Submission

...a picture of one of the old motels along Central Ave in Albuquerque, which used to be Route 66. Slowly the 66 motels are being torn down. The city has even condemned quite a few as they tend to attract prostitution and drug dealing. They're too small and lack the amenities that most travelers desire. So it's hard to run a profitable legitimate business in them.

S Clark
http://www.collectorsguide.com/ab/g135.html

Abandoned Old Line Department Store

Birmingham Alabama 2005

Below are two photos I took of an abandoned old line department store in downtown Birmingham Alabama. Most cities boasted a large local department store in the early 20th century. I'm not sure what store this used to be or what stories are to be told about the site. Anyone with any clues please email me or post in the comments.

Industrial Archaeology & Architecture Reader Submission

Photo by Samantha Clark. Location: Cleveland, Ohio 2003

Cleveland is a gem among the old industrial cities. In a way they are fortunate that economic prosperity skipped them in the twentieth century. They have amazing architecture that has remained intact. They also have some public amenities, like their library and museum, that just can't be matched by newer cities of a similar population. Samantha Clark Albuquerque, NM

Other readers are encouraged to send in Photos of Industrial Sites, Buildings etc

Artifacts from the Manufacturing Era

COLGATE CLOCK JERSEY CITY

View of the Colgate Clock looking west from from the Hudson River Photo: C. Karnoutsos, 2001

close-up of the Colgate Clock looking west from from the Hudson River Photo: C. Karnoutsos, 2001

There was a time when manufacturing was the backbone and pride of the nation. It was not uncommon for corporations to erect structures around their plants which symbolized their strenght and importance, eventually defining whole neighborhoods or in some cases entire cities. The Colgate Clock, located in Jersey City, NJ, faces New York City. It is the only artifact left of the sprawling Colgate manufacturing plant which used to be located there. More on the COlgate Clock here.

Industrial Aesthetics

I'm thinking of making this a weekend feature of the blog and save the more serious stuff for the week. Last week I featured the Pulaski Skyway . If any readers have their own favorite 'industrial sites' feel free to submit them.

The Great Falls contributed to Paterson, NJ becoming  the first planned industrial city in the United States. While the picture makes it seem like it is nestled away in a park or protected area the reality is it is less than a 5 minute walk from downtown Paterson and is actually right in the middle of a densly populated residential area: Two qualities which I feel  add to the beauty and significance of the Falls. More on the industrial history of the falls can be found here

Excellent photos of the Paterson Falls can be found Here

More on the industrial history of Paterson Here.

 

Industrial Archaeology and Architecture

I've always been fascinated with the industrial landscape of New Jersey (the butt of many anti-NJ jokes), this probably stems from having grown up in Paterson, NJ.

Here is a link to the Wikpedia entry on the Pulaski Skyway completed in 1932 as the first "super highway." Despite the fact that it is so close to where I live I continue to be in awe of this structure every time I drive over it.

The Pulaski Skyway exists in its original format without any major refurbishments: An architectural success by any standard. Yet, new bridges would never be built with the same type of gritty style as the Skyway which blends nicely into the surrounding train yards, chemical factories, and stockyards. While many view these as eyesores, and to an extent they are, there is something about them which is captivating and representative of an entire way of life, economy, and relationships which depending on your view will either  be replaced by something more dynamic and progressive or become (and in many cases they are already) decaying structures representing lost jobs and the weakening of a nation's productive might.

RESOURCES LINKS:

Industrial Archaeology

Society for Industrial Archaeology