robklurfield
eclipse
A mansion from the last gilded age in New Vernon, Jersey. This grand old house stood for about 100 years or more.
Two or three years ago it was sold. The new owners undertook extensive renovations. As the renovations were just about complete, the house suffered a fire. The fire damaged, but did not destroy the house. It stood for sale for about two years. Apparently, the new owners found value only in the land and saw no reason to preserve a repairable historic dwelling.
Today, in less than six hours, it was razed the ground. Probably, it took a year or more to construct. It took less than a single work shift to lay it ruin and rubble. Knowing the area and time in which this was built, it's a fair guess that the fine handiwork of many skilled artisans went into the architectural details.
The only word I can come up with to describe my feelings when I drove by at noon today and saw this wanton destruction in progress is disgust. In it's place, no doubt, some gaudy example of wretched excess will spring up like a poisonous mushroom.
I shot this first image a couple of months ago. I assumed at the time that the end was near.
BEFORE
IN PROGRESS
THE AFTERMATH
REQUIEM. One hundred years of solitude reduced to rubble in only six hours. An utter waste.
NAUSEA BY LAND
Two or three years ago it was sold. The new owners undertook extensive renovations. As the renovations were just about complete, the house suffered a fire. The fire damaged, but did not destroy the house. It stood for sale for about two years. Apparently, the new owners found value only in the land and saw no reason to preserve a repairable historic dwelling.
Today, in less than six hours, it was razed the ground. Probably, it took a year or more to construct. It took less than a single work shift to lay it ruin and rubble. Knowing the area and time in which this was built, it's a fair guess that the fine handiwork of many skilled artisans went into the architectural details.
The only word I can come up with to describe my feelings when I drove by at noon today and saw this wanton destruction in progress is disgust. In it's place, no doubt, some gaudy example of wretched excess will spring up like a poisonous mushroom.
I shot this first image a couple of months ago. I assumed at the time that the end was near.
BEFORE
IN PROGRESS
THE AFTERMATH
REQUIEM. One hundred years of solitude reduced to rubble in only six hours. An utter waste.
NAUSEA BY LAND