November, 1978
During my first November at J&L, I noticed extraordinary clouds at dawn for a few days. The second year, I drove to the Birmingham Bridge early one Saturday. I was eager to photograph that sky above Eliza, which had been shut down.
Back then, it seemed no one but a newcomer like me believed those blast furnaces would be dismantled. Everyone thought, in case of war, the country would need Eliza’s iron.
Background
Steel Genesis is about a collection of enormous sheds that used fire, air and water to turn rocks into lakes of molten metal as bright as the sun. That world was in Pittsburgh, the city once called, “The Steel Capital of The World.”
James Patton once called Pittsburgh, “Hell with the lid off.” These photo-essays present the evolution of three miles along the Monongahela River, reminding that genesis is both universal and personal. The process is ongoing.
Essentially, Steel Genesis is about metal and mettle, honoring all who take what nature provides and create something extraordinary, who make steel from water, fire, earth and air.
Exhibitions
Hundreds of images, artifacts, interviews and stories document the evolution of this place over a 25-year period. The work is available in two forms:
On The Making of Steel Genesis, Sandra Gould Ford
This exhibition was created by MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellow LaToya Ruby Frazier. Photography of Pittsburgh and Sandra Gould Ford’s life during the summer of 2017 illustrates and embraces the archival images and artifacts.
LINK TO ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
For information and to arrange an exhibition, contact: _______________
Steel Genesis, Sandra Gould Ford
This exhibition contains images, artifacts and stories from Sandra Gould Ford’s and can include selections from LaToya Ruby Frazier’s photo-documentary.
LINK TO ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
For information and to arrange an exhibition, contact: _______________
