Last November my good pal Zach Zorich, an editor at Archaeology Magazine (and medium format fan), took a trip out to one of Brooklyn’s dirty secrets: Dead Horse Bay.
And by dirty, I do mean dirty. Sawed up horse bones, glass bottles, old shoes, decrepit toys and pretty much any trash you might expect prior to 1926. The history of this spot is pretty murky when it comes to information online, but Google has a nice history feature you can explore. Wikipedia’s article is surprisingly lacking.
Now, I love taking photos of trash. You can explore hard evidence of the existence of some civilization, be it old or recent.
And the trash speaks to you.
Trash tells you its story of abuse and neglect, survival and triumph because it is found. And though inanimate, trash is to a photographer is like a biologist is to wildlife: it is captured, logged and set back into its natural habitat.
Ok, I’ll shut up now. Enjoy the photos, if trash is your thing.
I lied. Don’t miss my related “trashy” set of Floyd Bennett Field, right next door to Dead Horse Bay.
Now enjoy.
