Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
This is one of the most perfectly formed trees that I have ever seen. It is in a field along Lima Road (Indiana State Road 3), between Fort Wayne and Huntertown, in rural Allen County, Indiana. I have watched it grow bigger and bigger each year for nearly 20 years now.
A couple days ago, I received a tip from a friend that the field surrounding the tree was being excavated for some sort of construction work. I don't know if the tree will be left, or what is being built.
I made this photograph yesterday evening.
See more photos of the tree on my website
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
This storefront is on the corner of West Main Street and Osage Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The building was boarded up and left to deteriorate for decades. I first photographed it back in 2001, and the building's condition suffered even more in the years after that.
A few months ago, the building's owners began to renovate the building, and the work was nearly finished when I made this photograph of it at the end of November.
Here it is in 2001:
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
A man-lift stands in front of the steel frame of a new building under construction on Main Street in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is going to be a hotel.
I photographed it at the end of November.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
New2 You is a secondhand shop on South Street (State Road 101) in the small town of Monroeville, Indiana. I photographed it last month.
The front windows are decorated with American flags and other patriotic items for the Veterans Day holiday, which was a few days before I made this photograph of the store.
Monroeville is a small farming community in southeast Allen County, not far from the Indiana-Ohio state line.
CharlesDAMorgan
Veteran
I love what you are doing here Chris. I've recently moved to a city where there are a wonderful collection of old buildings in various stages of decay, and a city council determined to see the back of them. Time to document them before they go - at least two pubs have burned down since I last photographed them some 2 years ago!
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
Fort Wayne has lost almost all of its beautiful old buildings downtown. I've been photographing a lot of small towns, which still have much of their architectural heritage intact; but many of those buildings are going away too.
You should definitely document your city's vanishing architecture!
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
The Glaser & Ebbs building is on the corner of Berry Street and Clinton Street, near the courthouse, in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana.
It was originally built in 1893 as the headquarters of a bank. When I was young, it was the headquarters of Home Loan Savings Bank, a locally owned bank. After they were acquired by Fifth Third Bank, it continued to be used by the bank for several years. It was later sold to Glaser & Ebbs, a local law firm.
I photographed it in the early morning as the sun was rising. It was still a bit dark outside, and bitterly cold. The building is decorated for Christmas, complete with a statue of Santa Claus.
Muggins
Junk magnet
And a Mini from my adopted home city (well, sort of, we live a couple of miles out now, Oxford!
Adrian
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
Van Wert Variety Store is a now-closed store that sold used goods and antiques, located in an old brick building on the north side of Lincoln Highway in the small town of Van Wert, Ohio.
Signs in the windows proclaim: "Largest flea market collectible junk store in the area. Endless treasures. Buying old toys, 1930s - 1980s."
ChipMcD
Well-known
The Glaser & Ebbs building is on the corner of Berry Street and Clinton Street, near the courthouse, in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana.
It was originally built in 1893 as the headquarters of a bank. When I was young, it was the headquarters of Home Loan Savings Bank, a locally owned bank. After they were acquired by Fifth Third Bank, it continued to be used by the bank for several years. It was later sold to Glaser & Ebbs, a local law firm.
I photographed it in the early morning as the sun was rising. It was still a bit dark outside, and bitterly cold. The building is decorated for Christmas, complete with a statue of Santa Claus.
Nice to see that the building was repurposed, and it looks like a lot of work got done too. Finally, it looks like e-scooters have made it to Ft Wayne. My town has been spared this so far.
Have a great holiday season, Chris.
Chip McDaniel
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Chris, I started working for Lincoln Financial this summer (based in Hartford, though). One of these days I'll come out to the Fort with a camera -- looks like a lot of good subject matter to be found in your city.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
The scooters arrived over the summer. Fort Wayne's downtown is now littered with them; I can see why people in other cities that have them want them gone.
The Glaser & Ebbs building has always been kept in good condition; the bank that owned it before remodeled it a couple of times when I was younger. It is one of only a handful of downtown commercial buildings from the nineteenth century still standing. A huge number were torn down when I was a child, before I was old enough to document them...though I remember many of them.
Lincoln Financial was founded in Fort Wayne. About 20 years ago, they hired a new CEO who was from Philadelphia, and he immediately moved the company's headquarters there because he couldn't stand living among us hicks in the midwest.
If you make it out here, let me know you're coming and we can get together!
farlymac
PF McFarland
Ah yes, many a junk shop has closed up everywhere I go. Few people have an interest in that kind of stuff anymore. I used to find all kinds of useful or decorative items in places like that.
PF
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
The 13-24 Drive-In is one of a handful of drive-in theaters still operating in small towns in northern Indiana. It is located on State Road 13, north of US-24, just outside the small town of Wabash, Indiana.
I made this photograph of the theater's sign bank in November, after it had closed for the season. We get pretty harsh winters in this part of the United States, so the drive-ins are only open a few months in spring and summer each year. The marquee commented on the cold weather by simply saying:
"BBBRRRR"
The 13-24 is owned by the Honeywell Foundation, an arts organization in Wabash. They operate the drive-in as a nonprofit business to keep alive a part of the town's history.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
This old house has the most 'minimalist' Halloween decorations that I have ever seen! "Happy Halloween" is spelled out with small stick-on letters under the front window. That is it, no other decorations!
The house is on West Main Street, a working-class area west of downtown in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
A flock of plastic flamingos next to a house on the corner of Elm Street and Laura Street in the small town of Payne, Ohio.
I photographed them last week.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
This house is on Laura Street in the small town of Payne, Ohio. The entire yard was filled with plastic Christmas decorations!
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
Another photograph of the 13-24 Drive-In Theatre just outside Wabash, Indiana. I photographed it back in November, at sunset.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
The C. J. Schneider Building is a storefront building on the corner of Main Street and Stone Street in the small town of Antwerp, Ohio. It was built in 1893. It is sad to see such a beautiful building sit vacant and boarded up.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
KB Scoops is an ice cream shop on the corner of Main Street and Daggett Street in the small town of Antwerp, Ohio.
The sign on the window says: "Ice Cream Makes You Happy."