by Sherm Edwards
February’s competition topic is Industrial:
Industrial. The term “Industrial Photography” encompasses images that contain machinery, buildings, processes, equipment, and/or remnants thereof, that are or were involved in the manufacture of products.
This category is more expansive than one might think at first. The key phrase is “are or were involved in the manufacturing of products.” Abandoned mills or factories, or antique equipment used in making products would be included, for example. Some possible sites include:
- Baltimore Museum of Industry. https://www.nps.gov/places/baltimore-museum-of-industry.htm
- National Museum of the U.S.Navy. https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/new-nmusn/washington-navy-yard-history/manufacturing.html
- Fashion and Textile Museums, if you happen to be traveling to New England. https://www.fashionandtextilemuseums.com/textile-manufacturing-museums/
- Agricultural and Industrial Museum, York, PA. https://www.visitpa.com/region/dutch-country-roads/agricultural-and-industrial-museum
- National Museum of Industrial History, Bethlehem PA. https://www.nmih.org/
- Ruins of Clopper Mill in Seneca Creek State Park
- Waterside Woolen Mill, Woodbury PA. https://www.abandonedspaces.com/industry/waterside-woolen-mill.html
- Textile Museum at GWU. https://museum.gwu.edu/exhibitions
The Department of Labor classifies industries using the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS). Codes 3110 through 3399 cover manufacturing. Among the subcategories are manufacturing food and beverages (think bakeries and breweries); textiles and apparel; wood, paper, clay, and glass products (including by craftspeople). The full list of manufacturing categories may be found here: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/aces/information/iccl.html.
