Brookbrae and Harrisville

[Boyd]

You guys are great... after reading some of the posts here I went to Brookbrae a couple days ago. I had always wondered about that place but never knew where it was, despite extensive wanderings through the Lebanon State Forest (I refuse to call it the Byrne Forest! :| ). Anyway, I decided to go the "long way" and parked on an obscure sand road back in the woods and hiked about 1.5 miles to the ruins. Seemed like a better experience not to approach from the road and modern civilization. What an amazing place. It's too bad that idiots have to paint graffiti and dump trash there, but all things considered it was in better shape than I had feared I suppose.

So as a way to give something back, I created an album with a few photos, and as a bonus there's another album from a recent trip to Harrisville. Now that's another place I searched for over the years and wandered all around the lake in vain. Then just a couple months ago I had a sudden epiphany and realized I'd been looking on the wrong side of the highway! Duh... http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_album.php

 

[bobpbx]

So as a way to give something back, I created an album with a few photos, and as a bonus there's another album from a recent trip to Harrisville.

Damn, you do have an eye for setting up a photo. Great shots. Are you a professional?

 

[Ben Ruset]

Those are some amazing photos.

I am assuming those are digital (even though they look like 35mm slide scans). What sort of camera/filters do you use?

Certainly puts my Fuji S602Z to shame. My camera would freak out if I tried to shoot into the sun like you did in that one shot.

 

[Boyd]

Thanks for the kind words. I used a Nikon CoolPix 5700, which is a 5 megapixel camera and probably not such a big deal anymore, but I like it. I see all sorts of terrific work in the galleries here, what a cool collection of photos!

I've been serious about taking photos ever since I got my first 35mm camera in the 1960's, and going digital around 1999 really opened up a whole new world where I could shoot as much as I want without worrying about film or developing costs. I have literally thousands of photos from all over the pines, so I'll dig through them and put more online as I get a chance. I'm also doing a lot of digital video these days, and want to get involved in some pinelands projects there also.

I am a designer by profession and have been working in opera for quite some time. Here's some of what I do when not wandering around the pines:

(removed links that have been dead for many years)

...but honestly, I get a lot more pleasure these days just wandering in the pines and have started to cut back after some pretty intense years with too many long city days and nights.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Are you shooting in manual or full auto mode?

My Fuji is a 6MP camera, but it's an interpolated 6. It's native reolution is 3.2 which generally works out to be enough for me.

 

[BarryC]

Your link just re-directed me to the main page of the galleries. Which gallery is yours? I didn't see one called Boyd.
Thanks,
Barry

You guys are great... after reading some of the posts here I went to Brookbrae a couple days ago. I had always wondered about that place but never knew where it was, despite extensive wanderings through the Lebanon State Forest (I refuse to call it the Byrne Forest! :| ). Anyway, I decided to go the "long way" and parked on an obscure sand road back in the woods and hiked about 1.5 miles to the ruins. Seemed like a better experience not to approach from the road and modern civilization. What an amazing place. It's too bad that idiots have to paint graffiti and dump trash there, but all things considered it was in better shape than I had feared I suppose.

So as a way to give something back, I created an album with a few photos, and as a bonus there's another album from a recent trip to Harrisville. Now that's another place I searched for over the years and wandered all around the lake in vain. Then just a couple months ago I had a sudden epiphany and realized I'd been looking on the wrong side of the highway! Duh... http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_album.php

 

[Boyd]

Evidently my gallery vanished during the software upgrade! No matter, I have created a new one now: http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_album.php

 

[VenturestoAnomaly]

Harrisville and Brooksbrae are beautiful. The graffiti doesnt bother me, as long as the artwork is tasteful and no one is hurting the structure itself. Any other ruins in wonderful shape around?

 

[Ben Ruset]

Harrisville and Brooksbrae are beautiful. The graffiti doesnt bother me, as long as the artwork is tasteful and no one is hurting the structure itself. Any other ruins in wonderful shape around?

It's not, and they are.

Harrisville and Brooksbrae are probably the best "intact" ruins in the Pines. What's left of them anyway.

 

[Boyd]

Harrisville and Brooksbrae are probably the best "intact" ruins in the Pines.

Clearly you have never explored Belco.

 

[46er]

Clearly you have never explored .

Given the avatar of Anomaly, that might not be a wise comment.

 

[Boyd]

My comment was directed at Ben. I am certainly not going to provide any help to someone who thinks graffitti is "tasteful artwork".

 

[Ben Ruset]

Clearly you have never explored Belco.

No - I haven't been there yet.

I personally do believe that graffiti can be art. Just look at Bansky, who is a wold famous graffiti artist. My problem with it is when it appears on historic sites.

 

[46er]

My comment was directed at Ben. I am certainly not going to provide any help to someone who thinks graffitti is "tasteful artwork".

Never said you intended to, but he now knows where to look. As the saying goes; "loose lips sinks ships" I have deleted your quote from my post.

 

[Ben Ruset]

To be honest, Belco is well known enough that anybody who wants to find ruins in the Pines just needs to do a simple Google search. I'm also reasonably sure that it's been in an issue of Weird NJ at some point.

 

[Boyd]

I don't see any harm in the mere mention of Belco. There's one ruin next to the road but the others are inside a gated and patrolled park where you must hike in and out. I think that's why they remain intact with virtually no graffitti. But the real gems are buried deep inside dense thickets where very few people have gone. After discussion with other members here, we decided it was best not to reveal anything specific about them.

I'm going to give VenturestoAnomaly the benefit of the doubt and assume although she isn't bothered by graffitti, she is not responsible for creating it herself,

 

[MarkBNJ]

No - I haven't been there yet.

I personally do believe that graffiti can be art. Just look at Bansky, who is a wold famous graffiti artist. My problem with it is when it appears on historic sites.

They're not mutually exclusive groupings, imo. What banksy creates is art... which, when created on someone else's property without permission is also vandalism.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Sure, but it drastically increases the value of the property too.

It's sort of like a surprise upgrade to a building.

 

[Apu Zen]

What is not? The graffiti isn't tasteful? I guess you have to appreciate art to understand. Some rotting pile of bricks can be appreciated with someones artwork on it. Its not like Pasadena is some bigtime relic. bitter oldheads becoming possessive of an old brick factory. that's what sad. You don't own them and the paint DOES NOT HURT THE RUINS> if anything it protects it. Plus, it is much more visually appealing. The reflection of modern thoughts on old ruins. Now, that is beauty. Think a little deeper pal

It's not, and they are.

Harrisville and Brooksbrae are probably the best "intact" ruins in the Pines. What's left of them anyway.

 

[Ben Ruset]

What is not? The graffiti isn't tasteful? I guess you have to appreciate art to understand. Some rotting pile of bricks can be appreciated with someones artwork on it. Its not like Pasadena is some bigtime relic. bitter oldheads becoming possessive of an old brick factory. that's what sad. You don't own them and the paint DOES NOT HURT THE RUINS> if anything it protects it. Plus, it is much more visually appealing. The reflection of modern thoughts on old ruins. Now, that is beauty. Think a little deeper pal

First of all, I appreciate art. I am a photographer. I'm also a fan of Bansky. I've seen plenty of graffiti that I think is well done.

Just because the Brooksbrae Factory isn't in the same league as the Washington Monument doesn't mean that it doesn't deserve to be protected from vandalism. The Brooksbrae plant is important as it gives historians context and insight into the early 20th century industry in the Pinelands.

What you're arguing - how the graffiti enhances the ruins - is purely subjective. YOU hold that opinion, yet you rail against us "old heads" (I'm 35, hardly an old head) for our own subjective opinions. The thing is, though, that our opinions are backed up by science and historical preservation techniques.

How would you feel if someone came over, tagged the side of your house, and then told you that you were being selfish that you didn't like it because "It's art, man."

I will tell you what: I'd be happy to meet you at Pasadena and you can take me around the ruins and enlighten me as to what graffiti there is "artistic." Is it all of the people spray painting their area codes?