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Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #199 – Mechanical/Industrial

A steam engine under power.

There was a time when current mechanical technology was horsepower (with real horses), then with the Industrial Revolution, animal power was replaced by machine power and the real revolution began. Consider the changes in the industrial world in just your lifetime. There are signs of the old ways and the new way of doing things wherever you look. What’s going on in your part of the country that reflects life today, or life as it was in days gone by? For example, in the image above, a large fixed steam engine roars to life every Labor Day Weekend at the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher’s Reunion in Rollag, Minnesota, a reminder to us all about the time that steam was king.

Manual elevator control

Fans of Stephen King will know the story behind the famed Stanley Hotel in Estes Colorado. After staying in the hotel during the off-season, King was inspired to write The Shining. You can stay in that hotel today. Now over 110 years old, the fashionable resort was built by Freelan O. Stanley.

The hotel elevator was originally designed with a control panel for the elevator operator to use. The human operator has long since given way to a modern elevator button system, but craftsmen left the original control next to the place where the elevator operator once stood.

Stanley Steamer

Freelan Stanley and his brother Francis were well-known industrialists whose claim to fame was the production of steam-powered automobiles through the Stanley Motor Carriage Company. In the lobby of the hotel, you can check out an example from the Stanley Motor Carriage Company. We visited the hotel during the Christmas season in 2017.

Pratt Street Power Plant

Constructed in the Neo-Classical style, the power plant on Pratt Street in Baltimore was completed in 1909. Construction started in 1900 and was one of only 11 buildings to survive a major fire in 1904 that destroyed much of the pier area. When we visited in 2019, the former power plant that was designed to power the city’s trolley car system had long since been converted to an entertainment center. At the time of our visit, the building contained a Barnes and Noble book store, a Hard Rock Cafe, a gym, loft offices, and other entertainment offerings. The book store has since closed, a victim of slow sales during the pandemic. Over the years, the repurposed power plant has won several awards for the innovative conversion of a functionally obsolete building to a modern urban entertainment center.

Grain dryer

North Dakota is an agricultural state and venues around the state feature farm equipment shows. In the fall of the year, Fargo farm implement dealers show off their products at a trade show called “Big Iron.” They show off their latest in both mobile and fixed farm equipment. I was attracted to capture this grain dryer as its shiny surface reflected the blue skies on a beautiful September day. It was then I noticed the animated conversation taking place at the base of the dryer.

Old 261

One last entry that features steam power is a beautifully restored steam locomotive. It is much newer than the other steam-operated items featured in this post. Constructed in 1944 for the Milwaukee Road Railway System, engine 261 was used to haul freight and passenger cars until 1956. The engine was restored in 1993 and has since been operated by the Friends of the 261 Inc, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The mobile blacksmith

I conclude my review of mechanical and industrial images with a recreation of a typical American blacksmith of the early 20th century captured at the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher’s Reunion. Blacksmithing, however, is much older than many people realize. The principles trace back to 1500 BC with the launching of the Iron Age. By medieval times, blacksmiths were a fixture in every town and city, and the principles of working iron to make tools were well known. Feel free to stop by my Flickr site here to view the album of images in the original HD format.

For this challenge, consider subjects reflecting industry or items that are mechanical in nature. Consider images of local agricultural or industrial buildings or a macro shot of the gears in a watch. Maybe it’s images of a nearby historical park where volunteers “recreate” life in an earlier time. How about the engine of a passing train, or a shot of a semi carrying a load of vehicles. What do you think of when you consider the terms Industrial or Mechanical?

Last week’s responses to Patti’s Light and Shadow Challenge were wonderful with many fine examples in both color and black-and-white. Next week, it’s Amy’s turn to host our challenge, so be sure to visit her site. New challenge posts are released on Saturday each week at noon EST. If you’d like to join in our weekly themes but aren’t sure how to proceed, look here.

John Steiner

126 comments

  1. Ahhh. Well, YOU know what this week’s theme is! I love that mechanical stuff, though I’m ignorant of technical appreciation. It’s Man and the Machine, not Nature! Well done.

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  4. Every time I see a reference to the Stanley Hotel in Estes, Colorado, I want to kick myself. I lived in NM for ten years, I’m a huge fan of SK, and I never went to stay at the Stanley – stupid writer, stupid!

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  6. Great photos from a steam engine to the The mobile blacksmith. Enjoyed reading the history of each. Educational and informative! Thank you, John!

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  9. I was confused for a moment as to the host but I read your comments so I’m good.
    Great images but I have no archives and don’t see me getting this done this week.
    Ahhh…well I will just enjoy all the others. Thanks for another out of the box theme!

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  11. These are fun, John, especially the elevator control, train, and blacksmith. I remember elevators that had an elevator man to push the button for your floor, although I’m sure I didn’t see one more than a few times. Or maybe I just think I did. 🙂

    janet

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  15. Oh, interesting….I used to have a few images of such items, most were on film and not scanned- let’s see what I can find

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    • That was a time when beauty and functionality were together. These days, it seems that we are only interested in the functional. Modern churches are my favorite example of this.

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    • Thanks, Terri. I have seen some wonderful posts about places and products of the industrial age, and it’s only Sunday morning.
      Some of those posts have focused on the downside of the industrial revolution, and they give us some thought-provoking quotes pointing out that nothing is 100 percent positive.

      Reply

  31. You did a great job covering this topic, John. I love that you take our themes into new directions. I’m fascinated by the repurposed industrial buildings. And I’ve never been to the Stanley Hotel, but you’ve got me really intrigued! I won’t go on Halloween…that’s for sure.

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  34. Terrific subject John and some wonderful examples. reading the post I realized I’d been to Estes Park but not seen the hotel and I’ve also been to the repurposed Baltimore site but didn’t realize it was the power plant. DUH!!!! See, I TOLD you I’m not good at industrial places 😂! Looking forward to lots more learning as others post their responses.

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  41. Hi John, Great post, and such a fun topic. I love all the historic background on all these pieces. Tulare County hosts one of the largest farm equipment shows in the world every February. Our Kiwanis group had a food booth there for many years. We all suffered during Covid, and we have since moved. I think it was back in business this year after about a two-year break. My WQW post on Wednesday is on transportation, trains, and planes. I’m sure I’ll find some pictures to link to this topic.

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  42. A very interesting theme John.

    I don’t think any one of us would have guessed such a wonderful theme.

    And through your photos and lovely narration, you made us understand the importance of mechanical and industrial stuff.

    Love the manual elevator control and Stanley Steamer.

    I wish I had the opportunity to come across these things in my life.

    It’s a fun job for me to dig my archive and hopefully, I am successful.

    Thank you.

    Reply

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