Silent Workplace: Shops, stores, businesses, and factories where Hoosiers once earned a living

by John Bower, Lynn Bower, Gayle & Bill Cook (Foreword)

A beauty parlor, a tannery, a hotel, drive-in restaurants, a foundry, a tavern, banks, factories, and general stores. In this stunning collection, Hoosier photographer John Bower has captured once-thriving Indiana businesses that are no more. Exploring cities, small towns, and rural county roads, he s found closed-up buildings in varying states of preservation some virtual time capsules, others ready to collapse. Bower uses the beauty and power of black-and-white to capture the essence of these places where our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends once earned their living. Contains 186 photographs.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2008

Reviews

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once vital businesses and factories are now closed and abandoned. Some employed hundreds of workers, others were mom-and-pop stores. These photos chronicle an era long past. Some businesses closed because of changing demands and smaller populations. Others because of more stringent government regulations. Regardless, these photos will remind you of jobs now gone, some obsolete. Places where a man could earn enough to support his family now are just a part of history. Some buildings have been razed, some are waiting for time to collapse their bones, a few lucky ones are being restored for other purposes. These photos will illustrate a time and a life that no longer exists.