A Page about time travel....

jimgalli · Dec 19, 2006

I just finished a short page on my little site about stepping back in time. Friday 12/15/2006 I had the privilege to photograph an artisan working at a forge in a 100 year old foundry in our town. What else would do but to make pictures with equipment that would have been at home there in 1913! A 5 minute respite from 2006.

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Skiles/Foundry_Work.html

Comments welcome. No, I couldn't re-build the building to get rid of the window...but...you take the hand you're dealt and go with it right?

[BLINK]Warning! This page contains one photo made with a digital camera![/BLINK]

DougGrosjean · Dec 19, 2006

Nice!

Smithing has always fascinated me.

Doug

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 19, 2006

The construction of that forge is almost exactly like the Deep Springs forge, which I used to fire up occasionally when I was a student. I wonder if he's been invited out to the college for a visit.

jimgalli · Dec 19, 2006

David A. Goldfarb said:
The construction of that forge is almost exactly like the Deep Springs forge, which I used to fire up occasionally when I was a student. I wonder if he's been invited out to the college for a visit.

Same era and close enough together that they could have been built by the same person. Interesting to think about.

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 19, 2006

I'd suspect so. In any case, I just e-mailed Ross Peterson with a link to your page. Maybe he'll give him a call, if the students are interested.

Monophoto · Dec 19, 2006

I've always enjoyed photographing in places like this - Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA, The Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown, NY, Millbrook Village in NJ, Hanford Mills, in NY, and of course Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT. And most of them welcome photographers.

Using a LF camera is always a challenge because the tripod gets in the way of people walking around, but my experience is that the managers of the facilities are usually understanding if you approach it using a little common sense Going mid-week, during the school year when there are not many tourists about, is a good idea.

Mystic used to have a "Photo Day" on the Saturday after Labor Day in which their staff donned period clothing specifically for the purpose of posing for photographers. You can make wonderful pictures in those settings.

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Dec 19, 2006

Two years ago I was in Manitoba visiting Lower Fort Garry, a 19thC fur trade post near Winnipeg, and there was a traditional blacksmith doing the job that his predecessor had done for a living (didn't take any pictures, the inspiration wasn't there that day). What I found amazing was not just the fact that he was manipulating iron like putty, but especially the fact that he was smithing things like nails, hooks, blades, all sorts of small common things whose production have been irrevocably industrialized and standardized.

DougGrosjean · Dec 19, 2006

Yeah, all those fitting were lotta $$$$ - and imprecise / nonstandard - when each one was hammered out on a forge.

It's also why all the barns around here (NW Ohio) are put together with wooden pegs.

grahamp · Dec 19, 2006

In a previous life i used to analyse metal and iron blooms for a smith who was also an archaeologist. One of the fascinating things I learnt from him is that forges are remarkably consistent all over the world for a particular type of work. From the spray and metal residue it is possible to work out if the smith was left- or right-handed, how tall they were (based on anvil working height and spreay patterns), and the purity of the metal they produced. From the impurities it was possible to trace the origin of the iron ore.

Vaughn · Dec 19, 2006

Window remover

jimgalli said:
No, I couldn't re-build the building to get rid of the window...but...you take the hand you're dealt and go with it right?

I have a handy window-remover I can sell you. But you will need a tall ladder to nail the tarp up with -- you could even paint a nice landscape on it -- slightly light to mimic the out-of-doors. Of course blocking the window would have bumped your exposure times up a bit! LOL!

Nevertheless, great photos! I have always enjoyed those early photos in the workplace, and in the woods -- having to stop what they are doing in order to be still long enough for the long exposures. Perhaps that s why I prefer the "posed" image of the 3 you showed us.

Vaughn

Charles Webb · Dec 19, 2006

Well done Jim!

Charlie......................................

BradS · Dec 19, 2006

Yes, as usual, they are very well done. I especially like last two. I love how the subject's arm is in motion in the last one...and the intensity with which he is working in the next-to-last photo. It seems to come through somehow - perhaps his body position gives it away?

Well done and thanks for posting.

copake_ham · Dec 19, 2006

BradS said:
Yes, as usual, they are very well done. I especially like last two. I love how the subject's arm is in motion in the last one....

I can never hope to approach Jim's talent - but I too was struck by the "motion" picture.

I took this shot many years ago - probably was just serendipity but it remains my best "motion" picture....

jimgalli · Dec 19, 2006

copake_ham said:
I can never hope to approach Jim's talent - but I too was struck by the "motion" picture.

I took this shot many years ago - probably was just serendipity but it remains my best "motion" picture....

That WAS a while ago. '63 Ford Fairlane wagon in the crate as we used to say.

BradS · Dec 19, 2006

eh, not that long ago...there's a late 1970' Ford Granada(?) across the street.

copake_ham · Dec 19, 2006

Good eyes, gentlemen. It was taken around 1980 - obviously during the Summer....

Rolleiflexible · Dec 20, 2006

copake_ham said:
Good eyes, gentlemen. It was taken around 1980 - obviously during the Summer....

Who cares aout the cars? Obviously the redeeming element in this photograph is Yonah Shimmels, a culinary delight of the lower east side.

Sanders

cloudance · Dec 21, 2006

Sweet.... and good work by the way.

Ok, so I always look at photos with a critical eye (especially my own work) and wonder: in the third photo from the top, captioned: "Adam Skiles, Kelly Foundry, Tonopah NV. Cooke Aviar 12 1/2" f6" What do you think about it in horizontal format, cropping out the window at the top? Also, even if the fire had died, there were some great opportunities for detail shots in those tools and equipment around the room!!

And I have to agree... the ones with motion and action in them have a terrific feel.

Cheers.
D.

jimgalli · Dec 21, 2006

cloudance said:
Sweet.... and good work by the way.

Ok, so I always look at photos with a critical eye (especially my own work) and wonder: in the third photo from the top, captioned: "Adam Skiles, Kelly Foundry, Tonopah NV. Cooke Aviar 12 1/2" f6" What do you think about it in horizontal format, cropping out the window at the top? Also, even if the fire had died, there were some great opportunities for detail shots in those tools and equipment around the room!!

And I have to agree... the ones with motion and action in them have a terrific feel.

Cheers.
D.

Yes, that might be a good option as most of the interest is certainly at the bottome half. The window is just an unfortunate distraction. If I ever get the 5X7 enlarger cranked up I could enlarge that area.

Certainly, anywhere you turn in that place is a photo op. I could've made more pics but decided it would be fun to follow through and get the developing done. For another look around inside this place, look at this page.

A Page about time travel....

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