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Ravenswood Generating Station ("Big Allis"), Queens, NY, 2024 (cdn.masto.host)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/photography@fedia.io
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Ravenswood Generating Station ("Big Allis"), Queens, NY, 2024.All the pixels, each connected to the regional power grid, at flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/53#photography

A large industrial building on a waterfront. Four large smokestacks, numerous pipes, elevators, and other apparatus are visible on the exterior.
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[–] [S] 1 point 1 year ago (4 children)

This is a composite of two side-by-side images, each captured with the Rodenstock 50mm/4.0 HR Digaron-W lens (@ f/5.6), shifted left and right +/- 12mm to produce a 205MP 2:1 aspect ratio final image.The Ravenswood plant, along the East River in Long Island City/Astoria Queens, was built by Con Ed in stages during the early- and mid- 1960's. When opened, it had capacity for about 20% of the city's electricity demand, as well as producing co-generated steam for the city's steam loop.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 year ago (3 children)

    Known locally as "Big Allis" (after Allis-Chalmers, the manufacturer of the largest of the four generators in the plant), Ravenswood is fired by both natural gas (now the primary fuel) and oil, and also has the capability (rarely used, as far as I know) to burn coal.Ravenswood has been linked to a spike in asthma and other respiratory disorders among local residents. There is pressure to decommission the generators and replace them with battery banks to store renewable energy from upstate.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    @mattblaze Love these industrial shots, Matt! The coal burning equipment was back from the original installation in the 60s and 70s but I'm pretty sure it was decommissioned decades ago. It's still visible because it's cheaper to retire on site. Fun fact, even though everyone calls the station Big Allis, only unit 3 (2nd from the left on your picture) is actually Big Allis.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    @mattblaze Hey - I just wanted to let you know: I enjoy the pictures, but I also really enjoy and appreciate the technical and historical background you post. None of it is why I followed you, but it's a nice bonus. Ignore the haters, this is the fediverse, they followed you.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 year ago

    For industrial subjects especially, I usually end up preferring the most straightforward and boring perspective I can find that just lets the subject speak for itself. The masters of this approach were Bernd and Hilla Becher, whose "Basic Forms" work richly repays your attention if you like this kind of stuff. sfmoma.org/artist/Bernd_and_Hi(They would have undoubtedly gone for an overcast day to capture Big Allis, but I liked the clouds.)

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