Changing Times; Losing a Piece of History.

Posted by Laurie (New Jersey, United States) on 12 January 2008 in Business & Industry and Portfolio.

This is a view of Bethlehem Steel taken from the bridge last Spring on a hazy and overcast day. It's being torn down to make way for a Casino in hopes of bringing in revenue and more jobs to the city. From what I understand they will preserve some of the Plant including the Blast Furnace as a memorial or museum to the Steel Industry which was such an important part of that area.

I was back there a few weeks ago and there is a lot more demolition activity and a lot less of the old steel works was left.

I don't live near there but depending on who you speak to the locals seem to have mixed feelings about the project. I guess time will tell.

I've still been pretty busy and not able to spend much time visiting and replying. I hope to catch up soon.

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Comments (25)

Kerri from United States

Very interesting picture. I love seeing train tracks!

12 Jan 2008 2:17pm

@Kerri: Thanks.

Ina from Krugersdorp, South Africa

Nice black & white shot. Interesting information.

12 Jan 2008 3:26pm

@Ina: Thanks.

MadScientist from Düsseldorf, Germany

A documentary picture. Similar things happened here years ago and though the air got better it is yet to be proven if changing everything into shopping malls or entertainment centers has been a good solution.

12 Jan 2008 7:28pm

@MadScientist: Thanks. Times change and we have to adapt I suppose. The pollution from the factory has not been missed though I must say. However the jobs have and the economy there has suffered because of it. I should add that the plant actually shut its doors quite a few years ago.

theys roland from Charleroi-loverval, Belgium

Nice black & white shot.cheer!

13 Jan 2008 12:40am

@theys roland: Thanks.

martie from Japan

A great B&W tribute to this former industry!

13 Jan 2008 9:40am

@martie: Thanks.

eddy from Tehran, Iran

I like such images

13 Jan 2008 12:03pm

@eddy: Thanks.

Jen from Alpharetta, United States

I hope they do perserve some of the plant...a piece of history could make for a great structure in the future.
Great image Laurie!

13 Jan 2008 2:39pm

@Jen: Thanks. The plant is fascinating and really the scale of the place is just so incredible. It would be a shame not to preserve at least a little piece of its history.

Kim from Newcomerstown, United States

Great perspective in this shot. I'm glad you were able to document this before the wrecking ball takes most of it away. It's very hard seeing all of the old way of life disappear, to be replaced with "new and improved" solutions which, in some cases, only create more problems. The steel plant was a "money maker" for both the company and its employees. A casino is normally a "money taker" for almost all who enter its doors.

13 Jan 2008 2:51pm

@Kim: Thanks. You make a very good point about the casinos. I generally don't like casinos. Just not my thing.

DTW from Orlando, United States

Very crisp, clear shot, the black and white give you that overcast feel you described. Looks like you found a great spot to capture this photo.

13 Jan 2008 6:15pm

@DTW: Thanks.

Jasp from Plymouth, United Kingdom

Steel to Casino ?.... tragic.

13 Jan 2008 8:49pm

@Jasp: It's sad to see an industry as important as that fail after so many years being a part of the economy. It shut down many years ago but the effects on the local economy was profound and long lasting.

KMF from Kerala,Kalpakanchery, India

nice One

14 Jan 2008 1:17pm

@KMF: Thanks.

MontereyJohn from Salinas, California, United States

The times they are a changin'. It sometimes make me cringe. But then I remember the old joke, "Pittsburgh, the only town in america where the birds cough."

i am NOT a fan of Casinos. we have way too many of them now. They are thhe opium dens of the 21st Century in my view.

Mixed feeling are to be understood.

Cool image.

14 Jan 2008 3:11pm

@MontereyJohn: Thanks. You are right but there is always a trade off to industry. Who knows what it would be like today if the steel factories were still operating on the scale they once were? Would the pollution control technologies they have now been able to apply to the industry? I don't know.

I know that the power industry here at least has been cleaning up it's act through regulation enforcement and new and ever improving pollution control and efficiency technologies. It cannot happen overnight though. Especially with the demand ever increasing as more and more people all over the world move into the modern technology age and all that goes with that. Unfortunately the steel industry is now largely operating in emerging countries without such rigid pollution regulations as we have here...Not a good thing from the aspect of jobs here and the environment of the world.

kairospix from Singapore, Singapore

very nice b7w shot!
nice tones!

14 Jan 2008 3:12pm

@kairospix: Thanks.

Rabbit from Richmond, United States

Wooo Wooo! - Blowing Whistle

14 Jan 2008 4:05pm

@Rabbit: Thanks.

Craig Persel from Montreal, Canada

Very nice composition.

14 Jan 2008 5:18pm

@Craig Persel: Thanks.

amy from Rocky Mountain House, Canada

Nicely done Laurie. I really like the starkness of the b/w to give this image even more of that documentary type feel. I had a boo at the stuff I've missed lo' these many weeks (LOL) and I've definitely missed some fine posts but I have 2 favs: Muted Ice and Brrrrr... absolutely brilliant images!!

14 Jan 2008 6:17pm

@amy: Thanks. It's good to see you back!

Andrew Gould from Sydney, Australia

The lines of the tracks and the freight cars make this a strong image, as does the light and your black and white work. You might consider this to be overfussy, but I would give it a tiny tilt to the left to staighten the uppermost verticals in the centre. Still a fine piece of work as it is.

14 Jan 2008 6:54pm

@Andrew Gould: Thanks.

I used the vertical lines of the factory buildings and smoke stacks as reference for the composition which looks straight to me when I use hash lines as a reference, or if I drag the window over and look closely. It's pretty near perfectly straight actually it looks perfectly straight to me. The pole in the foreground is not straight, but I didn't use that as a reference point.

Reza from Montreal, Canada

Great in black and white

15 Jan 2008 12:29am

@Reza: Thanks.

Dawn Sutherland from Phoenix, United States

Love the lines.

15 Jan 2008 2:59am

@Dawn Sutherland: Thanks.

photowannabe from rocklin, california, United States

Great shot Laurie of the demise of an important part of America's history. I find it interesting what is going to replace it.

15 Jan 2008 3:10am

@photowannabe: Thanks. I thought that was an interesting choice as well.

Nick Passantino from Bronx, United States

nice capture laurie. great composition

15 Jan 2008 4:32am

@Nick Passantino: Thanks.

See The Light from Newcastle, United States

Great Shot... California at least Northern has become Casino-ville BUMMER.

15 Jan 2008 7:27pm

@See The Light: Thanks. Yeah, I don't really fancy casinos.

ankush vimawala from Springfield, United States

beautiful use of converging lines

15 Jan 2008 9:26pm

@ankush vimawala: Thanks.

danthro from Suburbia, United States

i could've sworn i'd left a comment saying i liked this shot, but now i'm visiting again and see i clearly didn't. anyway, i like this shot. nice composition and i like the b&w too. thought it might be from the west coast at first though.

23 Jan 2008 6:23pm

@danthro: That's interesting because I had the same feeling a couple of times today when I was visiting people. I felt like I was having Deja Vu . I would look at an image and think I commented on it but when I looked there was no comment from me. They were all Am3 blogs too. I wonder if something is going on?

danthro from Suburbia, United States

i don't know. i wonder... what a great tragedy if people are leaving us comments and we don't get them. let me know if this one doesn't come through ;)

24 Jan 2008 1:04am

@danthro: I did get this one too. Maybe it was just Deja vu after all.

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