The Newtown Pentacle

Friday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

As mentioned yesterday, Our Lady of the Pentacle and myself attended a boat tour of Pittsburgh’s Monongahela River offered by the Carrie Furnace ‘Rivers of Steel’ outfit. The weather was ghastly, but… y’know, it’s Pittsburgh. We were heading roughly eastwards, but the Monongahela meanders along in a snake like manner through the hills and valleys of the foothills of the Appalachian range.

The shot above looks back west towards Downtown Pittsburgh and the Birmingham Bridge. This was shot just as we approached the Hot Metal Bridge.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

A towing operation was delivering a barge while we passed by. I’ve seen a surprising amount of ‘port activity’ in Pittsburgh. Wasn’t expecting that, I must offer. Turns out that there’s a ton of maritime activity going on.

Those dark clouds in the first shot caught up with us somewhere around this point and the rain started really pissing down.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

The barge delivery was being made to this concrete company on the shoreline, which I’d noticed from the landward side while walking the Eliza Furnace trail on the Monongahela’s northern shore a few months ago.

One of the things I’ve always liked about being on a boat tour is the way that it allows me to stitch together disparate experiences I’ve had while walking along waterfront areas, which aids in forming up a sense of geospatial awareness.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

That’s Mill 31, a former coking mill that was part of a long departed steel mill. The modern building is being used as a ‘technology industry incubator’ and I’m told that everything from prosthetic limbs to actual autonomous robots are being worked on within. Notice the solar roof?

Nearby this site, there’s a closed off driving range where multiple car companies test out autonomous driving vehicles. That includes semi trucks. You’re worried about ai driven chat bots? Wait till robot trucks have begun to populate the highway system in 20 years. Maximum Overdrive indeed.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Maritime infrastructure from the age of industry is littered all over the Monongahela River’s shorelines. Some of it has been repurposed to modernity, but much of the stuff just sits there decaying while the uplands change around it. Newish residential development is spotted here and there between the trees.

The narration continued from the Rivers of Steel guide, detailing the history and circumstances of the Steel industry and the hundreds of corollary trades which supported it.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Apparently, a kayaking outfit operates out of the spot pictured above, which used to serve the J&L Mill as their harbor master HQ. The red thing in the previous shot was more or less directly parallel to this building, and both it and the yellow things like the one at bottom right were used for tying off barges – back in the day.

Back next week with more from the Monongahela River and the Pretty City of Pittsburgh, at this, your Newtown Pentacle.

“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle

Buy a book!

“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.

Thursday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

A former steel operation site in Pittsburgh, called the Carrie Furnace, is being preserved as a historic landmark. A non profit operates at the location, one which offers several interesting events for the public to take part in, and Our Lady of the Pentacle and myself were lucky enough to score boat tickets for their ‘Rivers of Steel: Hardest Working River’ tour navigating the Monongahela River from its terminus at the Ohio River all the way back to Rankin, where the Carrie Furnace still stands across the water from the Homestead Pump House site.

It was not exactly the best sort of weather for a boat tour, incidentally.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

A historical narration was offered, discussing Pittsburgh’s somewhat epic history. I made myself busy shooting the entire time we were out, which had to be close to three hours. Shooting from a boat during inclement weather is definitively a skill I have, thanks to long experience with Working Harbor Committee and others back in NYC. It was cold, and raining intermittently. The Rivers of Steel peeps have their own boat, which docks alongside the Carnegie Science Center and as they informed us, normally takes out school kids to do science class stuff.

We proceeded in a generally eastern direction along the Monongahela, which flows in a quite serpentine manner that forms somewhat rounded peninsular landforms along its banks.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

That’s what that South Side section which I’ve been visiting recently looks like from the water. We were there on last week’s Friday post.

Shooting pics from a boat is a very complicated situation. You’re shooting static objects from a moving object, and it’s even more complicated when you’re pointing the lens at another boat. A moving object from a moving object, with all sorts of weird reflective stuff happing in the water. It’s more complicated than you’d think.

Back tomorrow with more from the Monongahela River.

“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle

Buy a book!

“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.