Work Bench & Storage Cabinets: Bull Run Machine Shop

20"x24" Ultrachrome Print on Hahnemuehle Photo Rag

$350.00 unframed, edition of 5

Mark Rupert While photographing the Sullivan, Hawley, and most recently, the Bull Run Powerhouse over the last three years, I’ve become increasingly attracted to the accumulated evidence of the people who’ve built, maintained, and operated these beautiful historic buildings and the complex machinery housed within them.

The Bull Run Machine Shop rests in the corner of the old building like a time capsule that stores the combined effort of the generations of individuals who have worked there. Evidence of their passing can be found in everything from the delicately sewn leather belts that drive the machinery, to the enormous hand-made turbine wrenches, and the built-in cabinets that hold them.

While I’m certainly no machinist or welder, I find that spending the time required to photograph these places with my cumbersome, yet elegant, old 8”x10” camera has helped me to appreciate the craftsmanship and dedication of the people who’ve worked with these tools more deeply.

You can contact Mark Rupert at Mrupert@ocac.edu