STEHLI SILK MILL IN B&W.

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I once previously stated that I was through exploring the Stehli Silk Mill but, in a fit of cabin fever, I found myself entering the grounds once again – if only for a brief walk-through. To differentiate this series from prior work, I shifted the images to black and white. I also did my best not to photograph things I had shot previously, which forced me to approach each room with an alternate point of view than my previous four explorations there. (ID# 03.18.2009 Stehli Silk Mill)

For a brief synopsis of this historic building, click on the image below.

THE CONSUMERS ICE FACTORY.

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About a year ago, while out on a walk around the city, I discovered an old, abandoned industrial facility full of ammonia tanks, liquid gas coolant and machinery. Upon finding old blueprints and complex maps, I found it to be the old Consumers Ice factory that later became Hanover Foods here in Lancaster city.

Although much has been removed from the site over the past 12 months, a lot remains the same. I walked through it one more time recently and put together a black and white set, something I hadn't done yet with the site. (ID# 03.18.2009 Consumers Ice)

MY GIRLFRIEND'S ALTER-EGO.

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My girlfriend, Jennifer, has an alter-ego – and in this case that's a good thing! She created her own online vintage store and blog, named Sally Jane Vintage and I often drive her around to sites I know of in order to photograph her for her blog entries. I love the dynamic context these shots often create; her beautiful self in true vintage fashion, posing amongst such wonderful places – it's can be a lot of fun for me. Here's a few of my favorite moments from over the past year or so.

THE GUNTHER BREWERY II, BALT.

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Pt. 2 of 2

Here's a selection of images taken later in the Gunther Brewery exploration. For being devoid of most of its original objects, the walls and colors in this place really made it a treat. For more information on the Gunther Brewery, its history and links to several vintage advertisements for it – please view the previous blog posting from March 17th. (ID# 03.15.2009 Gunter Beer #2)

THE GUNTHER BREWERY I, BALT.

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Pt. 1 of 2

Mark and I ventured to Brewer's Hill in Baltimore, MD. Tucked inside the many already-refurbished former breweries there is the abandoned former-home of Gunther Beer. It's a fantastic find that, although void of much of the original tools of the trade, still offers up an inspiring photographic journey. We stumbled upon an urban groundhog early on in our efforts while thankfully finding no homeless or squatters along the way. (ID# 03.15.2009 Gunter Beer #1)

Here's a history on the site: "Gunther was a long established Baltimore brewery, with a heritage that pre-dated Prohibition (when it was spelled "Guenther"). The brewery operated until 1959, when it was purchased by Theodore Hamm, a large Minnesota-based brewery. Hamm was attempting to expand its territory into the East and bought Gunther as its first outpost. Rather than continue to brew Gunther for local customers and introduce it's own brands over time, Hamm's instead eliminated Gunther's brand immediately (negating all the local loyalty). Hamm's only stayed for three years before selling the brewery and brands to Schaefer, a large Brooklyn-based brewer. Schaefer reintroduced Gunther as one of its budget brands and won back some of the local customer base. Schaefer itself continued in operation until 1976, when its operations and brands were sold."

Please check out this fantastic 1959 Gunther TV commercial and radio jingle! ENJOY!

PHOTOGRAPHS OF ME TAKING...

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All images by Mark Kyle; photographer extraordinaire and hot sauce pimp from the gods. Seriously, I know hot sauce and Old Grumpy Mark's are tops. Mmmm... Anyway, I got lost in my hunger for spiciness for a moment there. Where was I? Oh yes, Mark and I – and occasionally Dan – get together for photographic explorations and sometimes we shoot each other rummaging about. It's great to have these contextual images in my archives and to see myself within the confines of many of these amazing sites we've explored. The photos were taken at the Children's Hospital, Mountain Side Leghorn Farm and the St. Nicholas Coal Breaker.

P.S. And then there's this other shot of me at the Leghorn Farm...

IN LIKE A LION: Pt. 4 of 4

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On our way back and forth from Laurelton and Selinsgrove, we passed a homestead I wanted to check out, and I'm glad we did. This was, as we soon found out, the Mountain Side Leghorn Farm in Liverpool, PA (no, not THAT Liverpool!). The home is still there along with a smaller structure, a two-car garage and the original barn. The barn is fantastic but riddled with cat food and water bowls for whoever comes around to feed the barn cats. We saw several of them as they scurried quickly away from us. Too cute, I must say. Anyway, inside the garage, I found some amazing antique soda syrup bottles while the smaller structure yielded an eclectic collection of items, most of which would have come home with me if I had a pick-up truck! We did not enter the home itself, despite our desires to indeed do so, and the homestead itself was simply beautiful. It was easy to imagine just how fantastic it was with all of its stone retaining walls, gardens, the stream running through it and more. So yeah, even on a "failed" exploration, we made a good run of it. (ID# 03.01.2009 Mountain Side Leghorn Farm)

Note: This is a flyer for the farmstead when it was run by brothers Edwin B. and R. Earl Wallis. It dates from 1939 and features great graphics, typography, a photo of the brothers who lived on this homestead, the hatchery barn itself and testimonials from customers.