An Industrial Summer

Mill Ruins, Uxbridge, MA

I have found a heightened sense of purpose in photographing the crumbling vestiges of the Industrial revolution. The mills in our section of the country are a remnant of what once was; they've been demolished, burned or in more recent times, found a new life as residences and offices. I started with this fascination almost 30 years ago, as a beginning photography student at URI. Many of the mill sites I trespassed then are long gone, now parks, shopping centers and empty lots.

In addition to occupying massive volumes of space, often two and three city blocks long with 5 and 6 stories, there are pieces and parts that make a whole; a massive brick stack, a connecting walkway bearing the ingenuity of gears and pulleys, to the smallest, precision ventilation grates bearing the name of the manufacturer.

      Brick Chimney Stack, WoonsocketThe immense height of this stack is a subject all its own Overhead Passage, Taft Pierce Mill, Woonsocket

It is in exploring and documenting the past through photography, that the forgotten returns to life. I look forward to discovering new sites that stand as a testament to our industrial heritage.