I was overwhelmed by a sense of history when I took this shot. That may sound strange, given all of the shooting I do in the mills, but this was different. These books contain the business records of the Essex Company.

The Essex Company was the civil engineering firm that built the Great Dam in Lawrence, which harnessed the power of the river, generating the electricity that powered the mills. They had the foresight to buy the land along the river and design and develop the city around it. These books hold records of the birth and development of a city.

The Essex Company’s office is now home to the Lawrence History Center (LHC). When the Essex Company left in the 70s, they left their business records, engineering plans and other records dating from 1846 through the 1970’s.

As an urbex photographer, I’ve come across business records and engineering drawings in a few places I’ve shot. I’ve seen artifacts left behind by workers long gone – snapshots of the past that tell small parts of the story. 

These books are the narrative.

On Another Note:
I’m pleased to announce that I was invited to exhibiting a series of Mill images at the Lawrence History Center through the month of May, Preservation Month.

The mission of the History Center and the motivation for my mill photography are a perfect fit for the theme of this year’s Preservation Month, “Saving America’s Treasures.”

I was thrilled to be invited and look forward to working with them.

Stay tuned for details.