Thursday, May 13, 2010

132/365 - Rivets

An abstract black and white composition of light and shadows on steel rivets.
Click the photo to see it on Flickr.

100 years ago, steam power was ubiquitous. Boilers were the primary means of creating steam, for mechanical power -- steam engines, steam hoists, steam power of all kinds. The Copper Country was home to some of the largest steam engines in the world (and still is, at the Quincy Mine).

Nowadays, of course, boilers are rather rare. During the world wars, most of the old metal boilers were scrapped. Occasionally it's possible to find an old one, lying out and ruined.

Inexplicably, this one survived, in place, still attached to its water feed and vents -- but totally exposed to the elements, too. This was apparently in the old dry house at the Delaware mine. Perhaps the scrappers missed it.

1 comment:

D. Travis North said...

Textures and dramatic lighting - two of your favorite things. This is one of my favorites of yours to date. One of...there are so many. But it's in good company. The composition is simple, the subject matter even simpler. I just love it. I also love the fact that you're getting up close-up. It's a side of you we don't see often enough.

Thanks for sharing.