the life and death of a century-old a. finkl & sons foundry hammer press

long ago when i studied the chicago world's fair or "columbian exposition" of 1893 i wondered what, if anything, remained from the "white city" long after it was burned down and/or demolished. where did all the statues go? the lamp posts?

like many others, i  was particularly fascinated with the gargantuan ferris wheel constructed on the midway plaisance.  the attraction was no doubt one of the highlights of the fair and thus was featured prominently in both photography and lithography alike.

however, when the fair concluded and the grounds slowly returned to a quiet and secluded park, where did that massive ferris wheel go? according to my research, the wheel was carefully and painstakingly deconstructed and then traveled by rail to st. louis where it was rebuilt for use at the 1904 st. louis word's fair. from there, it was believed to be scrapped. a short-lived life cycle with only memories and imagery left to document its existence.

i simply wasn't satisfied with that ending. if only a bolt, or a small piece of ornament or some other artifact from this massive spinning wheel was still around, perhaps i could further appreciate this creation in added dimension. the physicality of it in one form or another would transcend the imagery and give it life-like presence as a three dimensional object.

in a similar, but much smaller and less publicized manner, i managed to replicate this scenario with the exception being that i was able to control the outcome. not only did i get to research it's history through photography, renderings and text, but i managed to experience this towering a. finkl & sons foundry hammer press first hand. when it came time to scrap it, much like the ferris wheel, i made damn sure to secure a few of its components that not only complement the imagery of its life cycle, but represent at least in part, it's physical form. in a twisted sense, the parts can be equally as important as the whole.

the history of this hammer press, will be brought to light in an upcoming post.