Machinist - The old timer 1942 - Side by Side

by Mike Savad

Title

Machinist - The old timer 1942 - Side by Side

Artist

Mike Savad

Medium

Photograph - Hand Colorized Photo

Description

Hand colored photo from 1942
Original title: Carver Cotton Gin Company
Photographer: Albert Freeman
Location: 42 Spring St, Bridgewater, Massachusetts

This old timer is a true relic of another era. With hands weathered by decades of labor, he still builds cotton gins by hand at the old Carver Cotton Gin Company in East Bridgewater, MA. The factory floor may have seen better days, but his craftsmanship remains unmatched. Each gin he assembles is a testament to the skill and dedication of a bygone generation, where machines were shaped by human hands, not automated processes. To him, it's more than just work, it's preserving a legacy, one gin at a time, in the place where it all began.

The Carver Cotton Gin Company, founded in 1868 in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, was a key player in the American textile industry. Specializing in cotton gins, the company became a leader in manufacturing machines that efficiently separated cotton fibers from seeds, crucial for the booming cotton industry in the Southern U.S. Skilled machinists played a vital role in advancing the company's technology, enhancing productivity and quality in cotton processing. The company operated successfully for decades before ceasing operations in the mid-20th century, leaving a lasting impact on the mechanization of cotton production.

Today this location is an empty lot shaped like the building.

Color notes:
The original image is quite washed out from the flash, almost ghostly, but since it was in 16-bit, the data was still recoverable. The man in the photo reminds me of a train engineer. I'm not sure if he's making parts for the gin or if he's a repairman, as this shop doesn't really look like a production facility.

Uploaded

August 17th, 2024

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