Ships Ahoy

After several whirlwind weeks, I have to break radio silence to report on one of the most invigorating days out with a camera I’ve had in years. Over the weekend, I participated in a urban exploration workshop with Matthew Christopher of Abandoned America fame in conjunction with the excellent folks at Hidden City Philadelphia. Designed for all levels of ability, I wasn’t expecting to head in to the day to learn more about photography and urbex than I already know, but, rather, to catch up with a few folks, meet new ones, and make some fun work in a place I wouldn’t likely have access to again for some time. That place (or places, rather) was the Philadelphia Navy Yard … specifically buildings 18 and 104, a former boiler and blacksmith shop and eight-floor office building that previously served as the enlisted men’s quarters, respectively.

I’ve always been particularly fond of urban exploration (or even better, rural exploration), but having a child makes it hard to justify the risk, both from trespassing and health and safety viewpoints. For the workshop, Matthew had secured access for us, so everything was on the up and up. I did miss that little tingle of excitement that comes from being somewhere you’re not supposed to be, but that overwhelming curiosity and sense of preservation that comes with this style of photography quickly settled in.

TheNavy Yard is an interesting study. As the country’s first naval shipyard, its origins can be traced back all the way to 1776. It became an official part of the U.S. Navy in 1801, and moved to it’s current location at the south end of Broad Street in the late 1800s. The Navy officially closed the yard in 1995, and it has since seen significant transformation (its campus arrangement now serves as the home of companies like Urban Outfitters and Tasty Baking Co.), though quite a bit of its industrial infrastructure remains. One could hazard a guess that given the rapid development there, these old buildings won’t remain much longer … at least in their current state. I’m particularly fascinated by the closing year of 1995, the year in which I was a junior in high school. Given the condition of the buildings, it’s amazing how fast things can fall apart. Guess that goes for people, too.

If you like any of the images, there’s a whole lot more over in my Flickr stream. Keep an eye on the Hidden City daily, too, since Pete there will be putting together a gallery of images from all 12 of the workshop participants.