Industrial Districts

I first photographed in an Industrial District in 1983, in New Haven, Connecticut. One of the images from that foray is on the site, in color. Since then I have photographed on this project every year, in black and white, primarily in Portland, Oregon, but also in Seattle, Vancouver, B.C., Pittsburgh, and elsewhere. Most of the images are from Portland, from the Guilds Lake Industrial District of Northwest Portland. This was formerly swamp land. It was filled in to create usable land for the Lewis and Clark Centennial of 1905. After the Centennial exposition closed, the area gradually became industrial. It has been industrial ever since. It is a magical place to me, full of mystery and unusual scenes. My interest in industry has roots in my childhood, where I would go by the steel mills on the south side of Pittsburgh as a wide-eyed boy, marveling at the factories that were many blocks long, some with huge doors open. Into those huge doors, I could peer in and see vats of molten metal being made, moved, and forged. Just a few selected images from the Series are included here. More are available on request.

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