The Chimneys at Chimney Park... within the Menomonee River Valley Project

The chimney images are from a series I photographed in June of 2009. These smokestacks were part of the Milwaukee Road railroad repair shops and were referbished to remain as a monument to the valley's industrial heritage.

Since last winter, bricks have been falling off and preservation efforts are being dropped - because of public safety and the long-term maintenance would be substantial.

The smokestacks were demolished at 9AM on Saturday, September 4, 2010. The demolition was known - but the timing was not published.

The demolition was very well controlled, but rather sad at this point.

View from the 35th Street viaduct

From inside the parimeter

RIP

Link to 2009 posting.

Link to Milwaukee Road Redevelopment

Chicago Botanic Gardens

Tuesday, August 3, 2010.

The lotus flower grows in muddy water and rises above the surface to bloom with remarkable beauty. At night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. Untouched by the impurity, lotus symbolizes the purity of heart and mind. The lotus flower represents long life, health, honor and good luck.

Lotus flower seed pod.

The three stages, flower, seed pod and flower bud. Notice the seed pod develops while the flower is in bloom.

The beauty of the water lilies at the Gardens is endless.



Water from a rain shower earlier in the morning.

2010 Brady Street Festival slide show

Brady Street Festival

Brady Street is often associated with being once the heart of Milwaukee's Italian community. In the 1960s, Italians, Polish and other assimilated groups began to leave the neighborhood for the suburbs, while the hippies and other bohemians moved in. The 1980s saw blight, neglect and decay, but now the area has been revitalized and has become a model for New Urbanism. Starting in the late 1990s, gentrification has now forced out most of the bohemian population, many moving to Riverwest and Bay View as another option. But this neighborhood still exhibits a strong, albeit upscale, independent flair. For instance, the Annual Brady Street festival in July brings together the neighborhood in block party fashion.

Trash & Treasure - the streets are kept clean and shop owners present their best deals of the season.

Before and After - Head to Toe - Front to Back.

Making a Point

Water pipes at Casablanca are popular year around.

One with a long history on Brady Street

A pro wrestling exhibition provides entertainment for the young and the old alike.

The annual Drag Show is quite popular.

This event was also the Milwaukee location for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals Worldwide Photowalk. More than 50 participating photographers were on hand for most of the day and evening to capture the flair of the day.

New website dedicated to Black & White photography...

My new website is dedicated to fine art genres of figure, portrait and street photography.

These bodies of work are exclusively black and white. One of the reasons for this is, well that's how photography began, and that has worked for quite some time. But more importantly it is the compelling way black and white photography engages the viewer with the essence of the image - it's very spirit.

Remember the Marquette Interchange Construction Project?

A revisit of the demolition days... but with a different vision. A limited edition of these as metallic prints are offered.

This first image is a new favorite of mine. One of the project managers wrote about how proud he was to be part of this project and how he felt when he came to work in the morning and saw these towering booms. He said "It’s what all of us in this business have looked to do all our lives—be involved in some really significant work. This is a job we’ll be able to tell our grandchildren about.”

This image has 11 crane booms and depicts various phases of demolition and new construction - all while traffic through the interchange is kept moving.


The Milwaukee Courthouse Parking Annex was built over the northbound lanes of I-43 and has served it's time. It was demolished as part of the project.

These next two views are scenes that first got me interested in photographing and learning about the project.


A snow fall during the Holiday break. This is all new construction now and is a view from St. Paul Avenue looking south. The 160 page book with over 300 images can be found here.

Images selected for the 3rd Annual CoPA Juried Show

Interactions in the urban environment… a found image which embodies the mood or character of the time. These images not only document and portray, they also arouse a viewer’s senses, emotion and intellect.

The “L” – one of the seven wonders of Chicago. Since 1892

Post season cruising at the Crown Fountain, Millennium Park, Chicago Illinois – since 2004.


More information on the show is here.

Sydney Hih...

It's character remains hidden inside...

This montage was made from Images of posters inside Sydney Hih when it was open to the public during the last week in August, 2009. Neil Gasparka prepared several rooms in Sydney Hih as an information center and museum of the Park East public art exhibit, which was funded by the Milwaukee Arts Board and arts group IN:SITE. I'm happy that I had the opportunity to take interior photos of this Milwaukee landmark.

The original building was the first brick commercial building in Milwaukee, built in 1876 by a pioneering surgeon, Nicholas Senn.

In 1971, the Cream City brick building was purchased by Sydney Eisenberg and painted its (locally) famous multi-colored patchwork. But Sydney Hih’s real value is not in its architecture — it’s in the fantastic cultural scene that lasted for decades.

It’s a place of legend for local artists and musicians, many of whom lived in makeshift apartments and shared bathrooms to get by. Nirvana, Soundgarden and The Smashing Pumpkins played the Unicorn before hitting it big. Theatre X had some of its earliest rehearsals in the building. Artists like Prophet Blackmon made and sold his art there, too.

(Information from JS Online articles by Mary Louise Schumacher.)

At this time, Sydney Hih still stands and the Palomar is no more. Across the street, the planned 30 floor Moderne is working out a deal with the City of Milwaukee to complete its financing. Sydney Hih remains empty, void of any sustainable infrastructure - an enigma in the Park East Corridor.

The New Fall Collection...

We took a ride last Sunday with several stops in mind, along with a final destination.

At the Neiman apple orchard store.

Covered bridge park in Cedarburg


The Horicon Marsh.

Chicago, and the last day of summer weather in the midwest.

September 27, 2009.... A group of photographers from CoPA took a bus trip to Chicago and spent about 5-1/2 hours on Michigan Avenue and the Millennium Park area. There was no particular objective but to photograph and enjoy the camaraderie. The Chicago architecture is particularly impressive - I enjoyed the lines and reflections.

Trump Tower, the second tallest building in Chicago...


Chicago Civic Opera Center from the Water Taxi on the Chicago River...


The Crown Fountain in Millennium Park ...