Chesley Bonestell's Lost Industrial Lithographs #15 of 32

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Working on Power House at Night

One thing that strikes me strongly about these lithographs is the artistic ambition of them, as demonstrated by the variety of techniques and approaches Bonestell employed. I seriously doubt anybody said to him, "Go out and at night and get an image of the work being done under difficult conditions." But there he was. Because he knew the result would be striking.

A lesson to us all: If you want to make your mark, you don't always get to sleep late. Or work under comfortable conditions.

And for those who came in late . . .

In 1918, Chesley Bonestell was commissioned to create a series of lithographs chronicling the construction of the government cyanamide nitrates plant in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. It would be many years before he began painting the astronomicals that made him famous, but he already had tremendous technique.

The lithographs disappeared from public view not long thereafter.

Recently, my wife, Marianne Porter, and I bought what we think is a complete set of 32 at an auction. We had electronic files made of them, which we'll be posting here, one every weekday until they're all online. Then we'll make a torrent containing the complete collection in high density form, for whomever wants them.

All the images are in public domain. You don't have to ask anybody for permission to download them and you may employ them however you wish.

 

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