In 1787, a group of well-known and powerful Philadelphians convened in the home of Benjamin Franklin. The members of The Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons expressed growing concern with the conditions in American and European prisons. Dr. Benjamin Rush spoke on the Society’s goal, to see the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania set […]
Harlem Valley State Hospital / NY
Harlem Valley State Hospital opened on April 24th, 1924 „for the care and treatment of the insane“ as part of an act to discontinue the farm and industrial prison at Wingdale. Buildings A, B and C had already been constructed and money was soon requested to buy adjoining farmland and buildings to build a root […]
Former Police Headquarters in Wiesbaden / Germany
Around 1900, the houses at 2-6 Market Street were put down in order to erect the building for the Royal Police Directorate between Friedrich Street and Mauer Street. The result was a four storey two-winged building with a corner tower. An annex for the prison and the necessary horse stables were built in the courtyard. […]
Jet Engine Testing Facility / NJ
The Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) was a U.S. Navy jet engine testing facility for military aircraft from the mid-1950’s until the late 1990’s. As a result of the activities at the facility, trichloroethylene (which was used as coolant fluid), jet fuel, and other chemicals have leaked into the subsurface which resulted in some attention […]
Main Hardware Depot Bunker / Germany
In the 1960s -just a couple of kilometers away from the Main Medical Depot Bunker– also a Main Hardware Depot Bunker (GerHDep) was dug into the mountainous flanks of the Wisper valley. The facility consists of rhombically built street and storage tunnels and galleries, which spread over a total length of over ten kilometers. The […]
Watts Campbell Engine Co. / NJ
Watts Campbell Engine Co. was founded in 1851 and is located in Newark, New Jersey. It became a premier supplier of big steam engines and at its peak employed 300 people. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 13, 1986. The current owner, Charles (Chad) Watts, a 70++ year […]
Main Medical Depot Bunker / Germany
After the dissolution of the medical supplies depot Wittlich/Germany in July 1975 the medical depot Lorch/Rheingau was set up. It had the task to store, maintain, deliver and dispose medical supplies for the Medical Service of the German Bundeswehr. In the 1960s, the days of the Cold War, they sought to protect such facilities against […]
Lansdowne Theater in Philadelphia / PA
The Lansdowne Theater opened on June 1, 1927, featuring the silent film “Knockout Riley” starring Richard Dix. The opening event was overseen by John J. McGuirk, president of the Stanley Company, the predecessor of Warner Brothers. Mr. McGuirk described The Lansdowne as “the best example of suburban theatre construction around Philadelphia”. Adding to the excitement […]
Essex County Jail Annex / NJ
Originally constructed in 1862 to hold Confederate prisoners of war, the Essex County Jail Annex functioned as a state penitentiary for many years before eventually being replaced by a new facility to alleviate overcrowding. The penitentiary was largely self-sufficient. As late as the 1970’s inmates still tended to apple and peach orchards on the grounds, […]
Voelklingen Ironworks / Germany
The Ironworks, which cover some 6 ha, dominate the city of Völklingen in the German State of Saarland. Construction of the plant began in 1881, it went of production in 1986. It is the example in the whole of Western Europe and North America of an integrated ironworks that was built and equipped in the […]
About me
Hobby photographer since 2005, Canon fanatic, PhD Chemist but active in the pharma world, live and work in Germany
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Dean Witcraft: I worked in this facility that we called "The Cav...
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Roman: Hi Jo, sorry for the late answer. I was busy with ...
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Russell E. Cook CMSgt ( Ret): I was assigned to Det 1 615th AC&W. I was th...
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jo: Hello the car in wood that does not exist any more...
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Centigod: I really enjoy your photographs, I especially soug...
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Vin: I've been through the site numerous times but nev...
