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Showing posts from July, 2013

Former H. J. Mills Paper Box Company

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The Box Man's Legacy: How H. J. Mills Went from Match Boxes to a Parking Lot There is a community parking lot in downtown Bristol, Connecticut, that does not look like much. Cars pull in, cars pull out. The lot sits in the middle of the business district, unremarkable by any measure, crossed underneath by a culverted stream called Ivy Brook that runs east to west beneath the pavement. For twenty-three years before the asphalt went down, this ground held a burned ruin, then a vacant lot, then weeds so thick and deep that homeless people took shelter in them. Before any of that, for 120 years, it held a factory. The man who built that factory also ran a newspaper, served in the state legislature, belonged to the Masons, the Knights of Pythias, the Bristol Lodge of Elks, and the Hartford Gun Club, and died in 1933, leaving behind a house that still stands on Summer Street. His name was Herbert J. Mills. His company made cardboard boxes. And al...
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Camera Repair by Rick Oleson

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Rick Oleson is recognized in the photography and vintage camera enthusiast communities for his extensive knowledge and skill in repairing and refurbishing classic cameras. With a deep understanding of both the mechanical and optical components of a wide range of camera models, Rick has become a go-to source for those seeking to restore their cherished photographic equipment to working order. His work often involves intricate processes, such as disassembling, cleaning, recalibrating, and sometimes machining replacement parts for cameras that are no longer supported by their original manufacturers. On his Flickr page, Rick Oleson shares detailed photographs that document the meticulous steps involved in each repair job. These images not only serve as a visual record of his restorative work but also as educational material for hobbyists looking to learn more about camera mechanics. From common fixes like replacing light seals and mirror dampers to more complex tasks like rangefinder alig...
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Graffiti Cans (Decades Old)

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Takumar 55mm Bokeh - Old Graffiti Cans The amount of empty, derelict and rust out cans shows the amount of layers of covered art pieces forever lost to new artful pieces never to be seen again. Graffiti art is like love lost. It is there one fleeting moment and the next moment it is gone forever. Gritty street art does not always last forever. Brooklyn is in the house! Lens Info: Super-Takumar 55mm 1:1.2 @ f/2  © Digital Ink'D Photography
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My Führer...

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Underground German American Führer 1 - Buddy, what you looking at? Underground German American Führer 2 A very colorful portrait I call the German Hitler. This boxed looking portrait reminds me of the Führer in a whimsical caricature light. I am so pleased to release these never before seen graffiti people rarely see this deep in Brooklyn where I live. It really shows the character and flavor of these unknown artists whose works most people will never know about except those who traverse this graffiti line I frequent. Bringing these artworks to life and spreading it to the masses is a duty. What is so different from a Rembrandt and a Picasso in a museum to a tagged wall filled with such vibrant works of color and composition? I hope you like it as much as I do because it brings a smile to my face trying to figure out what mood and mindset the artist came to creating such pieces. Lens Info: Super-Takumar 55mm 1:2 @ f/2  © Digital Ink'D Photograph...
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Forever Young, Forever Lost & Forever Forgotten

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Old Schenectady Avenue Subway line This old Brooklyn rail line will be lost forever. Tracks of a bygone era when subway trains rolled endless along its track. Man and machine rolling along the steel so effortlessly. Millions of hard working Brooklynites traversing each corner back and forth. Night after night. Day after day. Now all is lost. Service gone no more lumbering along the narrow tracks. Nature has come to take back its rightful place. Eating away tirelessly at its anti-rust core. All nature can do is hide it away from sight until that final day comes when it shall be no more.  Lens Info: Super-Takumar 55mm 1:2 @ f/2  © Digital Ink'D Photography
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Inside the Abandoned Albany Central Warehouse: A Forgotten NY Industrial Giant (Photos)

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In the heart of Albany, nestled amidst the echoes of its bustling past, lies an abandoned warehouse, a treasure trove of stories untold until now. This isn't just any derelict structure; it's the cornerstone of my urban exploration journey, the first of many, but forever the one that initiated me into the world of forgotten spaces. Let's call it the ultimate introduction, the genesis of a passion that has since defined my adventures. Our story begins on a crisp, cold morning that promises adventure. I vividly remember the excitement bubbling up as I set off to pick up my companion, referred to here as "A," from Queens. The journey from the familiar streets of our neighborhood to the unknown mysteries of Albany stretched over three hours, a pilgrimage to our very own urban Mecca. We arrived ahead of schedule, anticipation building as we waited in the chilling embrace of dawn, our breaths visible in the air, our spirits undeterred. Our early morning venture led us t...
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Kings Park Psychiatric Center: The Abandoned Long Island Asylum

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Kings Park and the Education of an Explorer Every pursuit has a place where beginners go first. Skateboarders have their parking lots and curbs. Climbers have their local crags. And if you are just finding your way into the world of urban exploration on Long Island, sooner or later someone points you toward Kings Park. The former Kings Park Psychiatric Center has become, over the years, something like a finishing school for people who don't yet know they're enrolled. Getting onto the grounds is straightforward. Finding a way inside the remaining buildings, if you know where to look, is not much harder. Which is exactly why the Parks Police have written thousands of trespassing tickets here in a single calendar year, why security visibly tightens every Halloween, and why local photography groups have been known to show up with large, enthusiastic crowds of people who want to take what they call "creepy" photos of old hospital asylums. The place attracts everyone, which...
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Crown Heights' 73-99 Empire Boulevard Erased for Luxury Housing

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Photo courtesy of NYC Municipal Services / 1940s.nyc From Mack Trucks to Apartments: A Century on Empire Boulevard For most of the twentieth century, the block at 73-99 Empire Boulevard in Crown Heights handled the heavy work of the city. Trucks came in for service. Tires were swapped out. Parts were stocked and sold. The buildings on this stretch of Brooklyn were built for vehicles, and for about sixty years, that's exactly what they served. The site directly neighbors the much taller Ebbets Field Apartment complex, which is the housing that replaced the ballpark. By 2025, both were rubble. By September 2026, the foundation of a 13-story apartment building was going in. A hundred years of industrial and automotive history on a single block, cleared in a matter of months. The main building at 73-99 Empire Boulevard went up in 1925 and opened as a Mack Truck auto service facility. At 29,000 square feet, it was built for the scale of commerc...
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Inside the Abandoned St. Michael and St. Edward Church in Brooklyn

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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...
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Inside Yonkers' Abandoned Glenwood Power Plant (Photos & History)

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A former coal-fired power plant in Yonkers sits quietly by the waterfront, its redevelopment ambitions repeatedly running aground against community resistance and logistical hurdles. Once an industrial hub, the site has spent years in limbo, tangled in unrealized visions of transformation and contention with local stakeholders. The most recent development proposal called for a 157,000-square-foot mixed-use office space. However, the Yonkers Planning Board faced strong pushback from residents. Parking became a flashpoint, with the community voicing concerns over how the new project would accommodate vehicles. Efforts by the developer to secure parking access at nearby Trevor Park and the John F. Kennedy Marina were met with such resistance that the plans were scrapped altogether. Adding to the tensions, critics took issue with the property owner's financial contributions to the city. Many residents felt the developer had been avoiding paying a fair share of Yonkers' property tax...
Read more: Inside Yonkers' Abandoned Glenwood Power Plant (Photos & History)