Virjune Manufacturing Co: Inside Waterbury's Vacant Factory

Image
J and I were already having a rough day. We'd just driven across town to check out an old industrial site he hadn't visited in a while, only to find it erased. Nothing left but a slab of concrete and chain-link fence. So we took a detour. Sometimes you salvage a disappointing afternoon with a backup plan, even if you're just ticking a box. The former Virjune plant hides in plain sight off Thomaston Avenue. If you drive past in summer, you'll miss it completely. Trees and shrubs swallow the building whole, nature reclaiming what industry left behind. Come winter, though, when the branches go bare and the world turns gray, the red brick skeleton reveals itself. Even then, you have to know where to look. I pulled up old Sanborn maps to trace the building's history. The earliest tenant was an auto body shop in 1922. By February 1950, something bigger had moved in. The map labels it simply "Stamping Wks." No company name. No flourish. Just function. That namele...
Post a Comment

Musa Acuminata (Banana Leaf)





Added a new lens to the camera bag recently and so far it's been a learning curve in how best to capture unique perspectives in a world of billions of images. It's been a trying experience so far in the field wielding the Canon 100mm macro lens. It definitely takes a different approach than my Sigma wide-angle lens. The results haven't been extraordinary but I wanted to try something new from another perspective. I have been shooting the same subject matter for quite some time and wanted to try something new and different. I've always been curious and quite envious of the work of various macro photographers in some of the photography blogs I read. Although some of those macro photos take quite an elaborate setup to achieve stunning results.

So far I have a lot to learn and small subjects to "model".


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inside the Abandoned St. Michael and St. Edward Church in Brooklyn

Image
For weeks, I had been orbiting the perimeter of the impending demolition of the Church of St. Michael and St. Edward, a once revered church in the heart of Fort Greene, like a moth drawn to a flame. The neighborhood, a patchwork of tight project housing, seemed indifferent to the fate of this historic edifice. The intel I had received suggested that entry was as simple as scaling a wooden fence, yet the timing had never felt right. Until one day, it did. With a mission in New Jersey looming, I knew it was now or never. The demolition was advancing at a startling pace, the church's twin steeples already reduced to rubble. The skeletal remains of timber beams and rusted steel frames peeked out from the ruins, a testament to the relentless march of progress. Summoning a surge of courage, I seized a moment of quiet in the bustling housing project and vaulted over the fence. My heart pounded in my chest as I slipped unnoticed into the church grounds. The once grand entrance now stood as...
Read more

Pennsylvania's Forgotten 'Chop Shop' Factory (Lost Archives)

Image
  It's hard to believe it's been so many years since I stumbled upon that enigmatic, medium-sized factory in Pennsylvania. The memory, dating back to 2016, is like a photograph slowly fading at the edges, leaving behind a mosaic of vivid yet disjointed images. The exact location, shrouded in the mists of time, eludes me, despite my best efforts to pin it down on my ever-expanding Google MyMaps. I remember it as the 'chop shop' factory, a moniker I whimsically assigned but now regret not investigating further. The scene, as I recall, was something straight out of a gritty noir film – a pile of black rubber car tires heaped to one side, the floor covered in a fine layer of dust and grime, and the walls adorned with a kaleidoscope of oddball graffiti. It was a place that whispered stories of clandestine activities and hasty departures. Gaining access to this mystery location was surprisingly easy, a stark contrast to the complex mazes of some larger sites. Its relatively s...
Read more

Hurwood Manufacturing Company (United Pattern Co)

Image
United Pattern Company was an enigma along Railroad Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut. From the outside, it appeared robust, standing tall with its mortar interlocking brickwork, a seemingly steadfast presence on the aptly named avenue. However, beneath this tough facade, the building was but a hollow shell, held together by struts and wooden boards, completely devoid of floors. For years, as I traversed different parts of Bridgeport, the sight of this building became a familiar landmark. I passed it multiple times, and from the rooftop of the nearby Casco Manufacturing building, I could see it from above—a stark reminder of a bygone era. It was an empty husk, a relic of industrial history that I encountered time and again during my travels through various Connecticut cities and towns. My friend J had once advised me that attempting to explore the interior was futile, as it was merely an empty shell. The only interior photographs of the place were taken by Stephen Berner . Aside from B...
Read more

Exploring the Abandoned Aerosol Techniques Factory in Milford, CT (Photos)

Image
When I arrived at the former Aerosol Techniques factory, I was filled with a mix of anticipation and curiosity. Meeting a group of new friends for a day of urban exploration in Connecticut, we had a lineup of intriguing abandoned sites on our agenda. Our itinerary included the hauntingly beautiful Seaside Sanatorium, a former hospital, along with a few other potential spots that we were less certain about. We chose the factory as our starting point, mainly because it offered easy access and was conveniently situated next to a Lowe's hardware store. Walking along a well-trodden path, our group made a seamless transition onto the property. The sense of camaraderie was palpable as we embarked on our adventure with eager enthusiasm. The factory grounds, long deserted, were a canvas for countless graffiti artists. Every inch of the building was adorned with vibrant and eclectic street art, each piece telling its own story. This rich color and creativity set the perfect stage for our imp...
Read more

Potter Hill Mill: Inside Westerly, RI's Abandoned Textile History (Photo Tour)

Image
  In my extensive ventures across various businesses, churches, factories, and plants, I've encountered a plethora of remnants from bygone industrial eras. Yet, none have left as profound an impression as the sight of the leftover machinery at the former Potter Hill Mill. Nestled amidst its surroundings, these aging relics stand as silent witnesses to a vibrant industrial past, their once-potent functionality now subdued by the relentless march of time. The manufacturing equipment, once the lifeblood of cotton goods production, remains steadfast, firmly bolted to the floor, slowly succumbing to the relentless embrace of rust and decay. It's a scene frozen in time—a rare glimpse into the mechanical marvels of the 1800s, preserved in their original state, untouched and unscathed by modern interventions. As I gaze upon the weather-worn structures and rusted machinery, I'm struck by the poignant juxtaposition of past and present. The former textile mill, once a bustling hub of...
Read more