The factory (photo: 1991) is on Water Street and Dock Street (one of the nice things about shooting with the view camera is that there’s almost always a sign that’s easy to read). And I was wondering whether the Bridge or the building came first. I sort of remember reading that the factories went back to at least the Civil War, but I could be wrong about that. Anyway, I already know that there’s a historian among the blog readers, so just out of curiosity, sort of chicken or egg question – which came first?
Did the iron stars have political significance – or just some contemporary decoration?
I’ll bet that the owners of condos will want these images soon to put in the lobby so that they have a sense of what the place used to be like. For you, I put this keyword phrase in:
photographs of DUMBO in black and white (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass).
Another aside — I don’t remember why, but the flag on the bridge is at half mast. Since I was working at a “real job” at the time, I wonder if it was a national holiday, and I used the day to return to these haunts, but I don’t think the flag flies at half mast for any national holidays.
This is one of those photos that it would be very cool if you could click on it and explore it at full size. I can’t see anyway of doing that (though there might be some widget to do it?) other than sticking the whole thing up with real resolution so that you could pan and zoom in and out (without stealing the thing).
I’d love to find that kind of widget too…
.-= David´s last blog ..bolhao-5 =-.
I think those factories or warehouses are from the early 1900s, after the bridge was built, when the New York Dock company owned 150 buildings in the area, making it the largest private freight terminal in the world.
Both those buildings are still there today, although the one with the iron crosses has been gutted and only the outside stands. Across the street is St. Ann’s Warehouse which was once a spice milling facility and is now a performance venue.
On April 8, 1991, Texas Senator John Tower was killed in a plane crash in Georgia. It’s possible that the day after George Bush, who was a good friend of Tower’s, ordered flags flown at half staff. It looks kind of like April, with that leafless tree under the bridge.
“Did the iron stars have political significance – or just some contemporary decoration?”
As I understand it, the stars are caps attached to the ends of long rods that hold up the floors inside the building. I believe they’re called iron tie rods. Not sure why the star shape was chosen – patriotic symbol, maybe? I’ll see if any of my expert friends know.
.-= steve´s last blog ..New House =-.
Steve is right. But they are not a patriotic symbol – they are used throughout the world. Lots of them here in Europe.
You are some smart people out there. It’s one of the fascinating things about the blog for me – what I learn.
zoomify is built into photoshop and allows to enlarge photos using flash.
http://www.zoomify.com/
.-= Markus Hartel´s last blog ..Leica M9 =-.
Thank you all again. To see how I’ve used your info, here’s a link to this image in the photo store:
http://www.beckermanphoto.com/brooklyn-bridge-and-factories-bb1f.html