Sunday, May 11, 2008

Sloss Furnaces. Birmingham, AL.

So, while spending time in Birmingham....thanks to Mike, Remy, Mark and Joe....I was able to photograph an iron pour. The resident artists put on quite a show, lighting up a larger furnace, filling it with iron and coal, and with some sparks and hard manual labor, liquid iron started to pour. From the furnace, the melted iron is placed into a large witch like pot and carefully poured into molds (I'm sure I am missing some technical terms here). Anyways, Sloss Furnaces has a spooky history and is known for being one of the most haunted sites in America. It's an awesome place...if you find yourself in Birmingham!

A little history lesson follows below or check out their website: www.slossfurnaces.com

In 1881 and 1882, North Alabama planter and investor James Withers Sloss built the furnaces which became known as the "City Furnaces." Extensively rebuilt and modernized in the late 1920s, the current steel-jacketed furnaces employed an estimated 500 workers and produced 400 tons of pig iron daily. Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Company and U. S. Pipe operated these furnaces, maintaining their position as a leading foundry iron producer until 1971.

-sloss website

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Flowers and Botanical Gardens in Alabama...who knew?

I went down to Birmingham, Alabama for a week. I've never been to the south and I had my fill of meat'n 3's, thick and incomprehensible accents and cool old buildings. I found myself milling around the botanical gardens...basically, I hadn't seen a flower in 4 months and I found the colors and smells overwhelming... I was just so happy! Here are some photos from that day!!!