[VeddieEdder]

Bethlehem Steel - Golden Days <--- Full article on history of this old steel mill that was once great and is now defunct.

"Legend has it that in September 1939 Bethlehem Steel Corp. Chairman Eugene Grace was teeing off at the Saucon Valley Country Club's Old Course when a caddie ran up to his foursome and announced that World War II had just begun.

Upon hearing the news, Grace turned to his golfing partners, who were also his vice presidents, and said, "gentlemen, we are going to make a lot of money." In the decades that followed, Grace's apocryphal remark would prove to be an understatement. Bethlehem Steel didn't just make a lot of money, it supplied armies, built cities and employed generations.

Apart from the home plant in Bethlehem, the company owned plants in Johnstown, Pottstown, Steelton, Lebanon, Williamsport, Baltimore, Buffalo, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. And Bethlehem Steel, with its fleet of 26 ships, was the Panama Canal's second-best customer in 1940, having paid more than $1 million in tolls.

Much of Bethlehem Steel's production came from its enormous contribution to the World War II effort. As much as 70 percent of all airplane cylinder forgings, one-quarter of the armor plate for warships, and one-third of the big cannon forgings for the U.S armed forces were turned out by Bethlehem Steel. And the company was responsible for building nearly one-fifth of the U.S. Navy's two-ocean fleet.

In the late 1940s and '50s the company picked up where it left off in the 1920s, playing a huge role in the post-World War II economic boom. Bethlehem Steel is responsible for building the skeletons of many of the most famous bridges and skyscrapers in the country, including the George Washington Bridge and Chrysler Building in New York, and the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia."




Ive been trying to go there under varyng lighting conditions, and with various lenses, trying different perspectives. Here is a link for some newer images from today. I have more to process. Shot with my d70s, a promaster 19-35 lens, RAW. Im still trying to find the perfect method of converting and editing RAW. Sorry, photoshop isnt my bag baby!

Below is the link to what I've processed so far, All coments welcome!

Bethlehem Steel Series 2 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


All comments welcome

[stepheno]

Hi VE - I've deleted your double post. The photos - an impressive set of shots you have there and an excellent archive of an era. I originally come from a steel making area and found your shots very interesting and not dissimilar. What is likely to happen long-term - flattened for development?

[VeddieEdder]

Originally Posted by stepheno

Hi VE - I've deleted your double post. The photos - an impressive set of shots you have there and an excellent archive of an era. I originally come from a steel making area and found your shots very interesting and not dissimilar. What is likely to happen long-term - flattened for development?

There's been talk of knocking it down and building a sports complex. They are also considering bringing legalized gambling in the form of slots here, so who knows, maybe a casino. They've been talking for years. So far, Beth Steel's still there.