Posts Tagged ‘B&W photos’
Saturday, June 13th, 2009
Koenig Coal Coal Yard silos was built in the 1920’s. The company, established in 1870 were dealers that sold coal and wood. They had two office locations in Detroit (circa 1878). The 362 Atwater Street location contained a dock and the 368 Gratoit Ave location contained a coal and wood yard.
The silos could be seen from 2 blocks away. A diagonal path through gravel and grass led to an artificial ravine once used for trains. A steep 45 degree incline almost guaranteed a twisted ankle. Later discovered an easier way to get to the site. There were pools of standing water near the silos and the interior had few artifacts.
From 1996-2009, involvement in electronic music and a long distance relationship resulted in regular visits to Michigan. After 14 years, this archive concluded the last expedition in Detroit.
B02 Archive
Tags: 35mm film, abandoned buildings, abandoned factories, abandoned places, abandoned silos, after 13 years the last silentbuildings expedition in Detroit, analog photography, B&W photos, Black and White photography, Canon t70 camera, Dequindre Cut, Detroit abandonded factories, Detroit abandoned buildings, Detroit architecture, Detroit industrial archeology, Detroit Industrial buildings, Grand Trunk Railway Detroit, historic preservation, industrial ruins, infiltration, Koenig Coal Coal Yards, Koenig Coal Coal Yards Detroit, manual photography, ruins, silent buildings.com, silentbuildings, silentbuildings.com, steam train coal silos in Detroit, steam train fueling stations in Detroit, Thorn Apple Valley Inc, Thorn Apple Valley Inc Detroit, Thorn Apple Valley Inc. meatpacking company, UE, urban decay, urban exploration, urban infiltration, urban ruins, Urbex, w roland hamilton
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Saturday, June 13th, 2009
2900 Slaughter House
The 2900 building structure is comprised of a metal frame, clad in red brick. Examples of this type of warehouse construction are usually found in Detroit areas near factories or heavy industry centers. This 3 story, 60,000 square foot structure was built in 1920 and originally served as an industrial distribution warehouse. A now defunct tannery is conveniently located across the street. The Thorn Apple Valley Inc. meatpacking company ran an operation from this facility till 1998. After closing, the site has remained abandoned.
What started as a clear day eventually changed to an overcast sky threatening rain. Obtaining an ideal exposure in rapidly changing lighting conditions required some patience. Decided to use the remaining available light to take photos of the Koenig Coal Silos before it rained.
B02 Archive
Tags: 2900 Slaughter House, 35mm film, abandoned buildings, abandoned factories, abandoned places, American Industrial ruins, analog photography, B&W photos, Black and White photography, Canon t70 camera, Dequindre Cut, Dequindre Cut graff, Detroit abandonded factories, Detroit abandoned buildings, Detroit architecture, Detroit industrial archeology, Detroit Industrial buildings, Detroit industrial storage building 1920, historic preservation, industrial ruins, infiltration, manual photography, overcast sky photography, ruins, silent buildings.com, silentbuildings, silentbuildings.com, Thorn Apple Valley Inc, Thorn Apple Valley Inc Detroit, Thorn Apple Valley Inc. meatpacking company, UE, urban decay, urban exploration, urban infiltration, urban ruins, Urbex, w roland hamilton
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Friday, June 12th, 2009
From 1904 to 1908, Ford built Model T cars at its Piquette Plant (*2) before moving to Highland Park. The Highland Park Plant was designed by Albert Kahn and built in 1910. In 1913, Ford was the first auto manufacturer to implement use of the continuously moving assembly line. Its revolutionary design set a precedent in factory design thereafter. In the late 1920s Ford relocated to the River Rouge Plant (*1) complex in Dearborn. Tractors were the last product manufactured before Highland Park closed in the 1970’s. This site is currently used as a storage facility.
Ford’s Highland Park facility is a massive brick and concrete structure with each floor punctuated a seamless row of industrial windows. A centre courtyard allows for traffic and parking. A shuttered administrative building sits on the northwest edge of the property. Design flourishes on the office building are a sharp contrast to the minimal modernist look used for the factory.
Mass production of cars reduced the prices of cars and increased wages thus making it cheaper for people to travel long distances. This mobility changed America as nation.
References
A description of Fords moving assembly line and how it changed the manufacturing process
www.ford.com
(*1)
The Detroit Institute of Arts archive of Charles Sheelers photographs at the Ford, River Rouge Plant
www.dia.org
(*2)
T-Plex is an organization that successfully preserved the birthplace of Fords Model T Piquette plant.
tplex.org
A58-3 Archive
Tags: 35mm film, abandoned buildings, abandoned factories, abandoned places, Albert Kahn, American Industrial ruins, analog photography, B&W photos, Black and White photography, Canon t70 camera, Detroit abandonded factories, Detroit abandoned buildings, Detroit architecture, Detroit Industrial buildings, Ford Highland Park Plant MI, Ford Model T manufacturing facility, historic preservation, industrial ruins, manual photography, modern industrial factory design, Moving Assembly Line 1913, ruins, silent buildings.com, silentbuildings, silentbuildings.com, UE, urban exploration, urban ruins, Urbex, w roland hamilton
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Thursday, June 11th, 2009
Park Avenue Building
Albert Kahn designed both the Kales and Park Avenue buildings in downtown Detroit’s Grand Circus Park. Kahn’s Park Avenue Building, built in 1922 was located in an area with many commercial, retail and office space centers. On either side of the building facing the street there are carved reliefs adorning panels between arched windows. An old marquee above an old boarded up entrance can still be seen with vintage lettering still visible. A vintage restaurant sign can still be seen on the south corner of the building, it’s neon tubes long destroyed or removed. Abandoned since the 1970’s, it hobbles into the new century.
S. S. Kresge Company Building, AKA Kales Building
Grand Circus Park is definitely car oriented with exception of the people mover running above street level. S. S. Kresge Company Building was built in 1914 and designed by Kahn using influences from the Chicago skyscraper style of architecture. The frame is steel and clad in white brick. There are few embellishments and the sparseness is noticeable compared to other buildings in the surrounding area built during the same time period. S. S. Kresge Company Building had it’s name changed to Kales building in 1930 after the company moved to another location also designed by Albert Kahn. The company would later be known as the successful commercial enterprise, K-Mart. It was abandoned in 1986.
Restoration began at the site in 2004. The Kales building, now renovated into lofts has added to the possibility of reviving the surrounding area.
Reference
kalesbuilding.com
A58-01, B01 Archives
Tags: 35mm film, abandoned buildings, abandoned Detroit commercial and retail structures, abandoned places, Albert Kahn, analog photography, B&W photos, Black and White photography, Canon t70 camera, Commercial Buildings Grand Circus Park Detroit MI, Detroit abandoned buildings, Detroit architecture, Grand Circus Park Detroit Mi, historic preservation, Kales Building Detroit MI, Kodak TMAX 400 Professional Film, manual photography, Park Avenue Building Detroit MI, restored historic Detroit commercial and retail structures, S. S. Kresge Company Building, silent buildings.com, silentbuildings, silentbuildings.com, Successful historic renovation Detroit MI, UE, urban exploration, urban renewal Detroit MI, Urbex, w roland hamilton
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Thursday, June 11th, 2009
Lous Kamper was the architect of the Fine Arts Building built in 1905. Howard Crane designed the Adams Theater which opened in 1917 and the United Artists Theater. For a short time it was a vaudeville house, until Kunsky installed a Vitaphone in 1927. This brought the silent era to a close at this theater. In 1953 it was one of the earliest Detroit theaters to install Cinemascope.After trying to fight the decline in business after Hudson abandoned it’s downtown store, the theater closed in 1988. The marquee was demolished in the late 1990’s. In 2009 only the facade remained buttressed by supports.
In this case the buildings could not be saved. it was a dangerous building to explore due to unstable structural elements resulting from extensive water damage.
Update: Detroit’s lost public transportation artifacts
Most vintage grates found in the Detroit area usually date from the years of 1905, 1910, 1913, 1921, 1925. 1938, 1954 and 1956. Grates from the earliest years are usually from Edison Illuminating Co. (1905-1910). From 1913-1956 a mix of grates are labeled by the Department of Public Works or Public Lighting Commission.
(*1) During the 1890’s, Detroit had several privately owned electric powered streetcar lines which replaced horse drawn trolleys. Detroit street railway consolidated operations under the privately owned Detroit United Railway (D.U.R) in 1901.
The City of Detroit assumed control over streetcar lines and formed the Department of Street Railways (D.S.R) in 1922. All streetcar and bus lines were run by the Department of Street Railways by 1932 until electric streetcars were replaced with diesel buses in 1956 . From 1974 to present bus service is provided by the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT).
References
cinematreasures.org
(*1) Detroit Transit History
www.detroittransithistory.info
A description of early electric streetcar travel in Detroit
detnews.com
B01 Archive
Tags: 35mm film, abandoned buildings, abandoned cinemas, abandoned places, abandoned theaters, American cinema ruins, B&W photos, Black and White photography, C. Howard Crane architect, Canon t70 camera, CinemaScope theater, Detroit abandoned buildings, Detroit architecture, Detroit Industrial buildings, early American cinema, early American cinema Detroit MI, Grand Circus Park, historic preservation, infiltration, Kodak TMAX 400, manual photography, ruins, silent buildings.com, silent film movie houses in Detroit MI, silentbuildings, silentbuildings.com, UE, urban decay, urban exploration, urban infiltration, urban ruins, Urbex, vaudeville house before 1917 Detroit MI analog photography, Vitaphone theater 1927 Detroit MI, w roland hamilton
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Thursday, June 11th, 2009
This is one of the lesser known abandoned buildings downtown. This Art Deco style building was built in 1938 as cornerstone confirmed before being removed sometime before March 2010. Some wonderful examples of art deco styling is still evident in the detailing around windows and light fixtures. Other notable features are a large Salvation Army ghost sign and front entrance resembling a vintage movie theater marquee.
B01 Archive
Tags: 35mm film, abandoned buildings, abandoned places, analog photography, Art Deco buildings in Detroit, B&W photos, Black and White photography, Canon 28mm FD lens, Canon t70 camera, Detroit abandoned buildings, Detroit architecture, historic preservation, infiltration, Kodak TMAX 400 Professional Film, manual photography, ruins, Salvation Army Bagley Service Center 1938 AD Detroit MI, Salvation Army Bagley Service Center Detroit MI, Salvation Army Detroit MI, silent buildings.com, silentbuildings, silentbuildings.com, UE, urban decay, urban exploration, urban infiltration, urban ruins, Urbex, w roland hamilton
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