How much fun could one guy have? A Photo shoot at an underwear factory no less. Buildings like these are disappearing and soon will fade into distant memories of North America's once mighty manufacturing base. All gone off shore.
I drove to Woodstock, about 30 miles from home to arrive at the long abandoned Harvey Woods plant around 10 am. I was invited to attend and enjoy by Chris Baldwin (with a group of London photographers) and London Photo Walks. You may recall I've done other photo shoots with this group in the past. Today we are here under the kind invitation of Michael Harding, Project Development Lead - Woodstock. He is with Homestead Christian Care who have purchased the building and are going to convert it into low rental housing.
All the manufacturing equipment has been removed but the building, in a deteriorating state of repair, offered up dozens of exciting photo opportunities. Click on the "artsy" pictures and see a bigger view.
The vault door shows it was made in Galt Ontario by Goldie and McCulloch. This plant was built nearly 100 years ago.
Paint doesn't seem to stick to glass very well. Then again it looks like paint doesn't stick to anything here. Long abandoned and exposed to the elements the wooden ceiling column below is also shedding its coating.
Flaking paint, broken glass and curled floor tiles everywhere. Twenty years of neglect takes its toll. For me this factory symbolizes the end of the industrial age in this country.
In the basement I needed a flashlight to see where I was going but I was rewarded by these shots in the boiler room. Click the pictures to get the whole effect.
Surprisingly there was no place "off limits" We were even allowed on to the roof, where there was this great view of the backs of the city's old main street buildings.
The ultimate planned outcome of this old building will hopefully carry carry it forward as a valuable addition to the community.
Here's the YouTube news item on the status of the building/charity and its conversion to affordable housing:
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As I drove home I was thinking how fortunate I was to be able to get some pictures of our industrial past.
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