Limestone lives : voices from the Indiana stone belt

cover image

Where to find it

Art Library

Call Number
N7433.4.F47 L56 2004
Status
Available

Authors, etc.

Names:

Summary

Look up at the Empire State Building in New York City and you will see an almost endless ribbon of soaring stone--Indiana limestone, to be precise. The Empire State Building, Pentagon, Chicago Tribune Building, and many university structures, state capitols, post offices, and churches in every state (and buildings in other countries) are constructed of this exceptional material, renowned for its durability, consistency, and capacity to accept and retain fine detail. When part of the Pentagon was destroyed after 9/11, an Indiana quarry went to work, mining 46 truckloads of limestone to be sent to the Washington site and enabling reconstruction to be completed ahead of schedule.

Limestone Lives pays tribute to the skill and dedication of the men and women who work with stone. It combines 79 striking fine art photographic images with engaging oral histories, representing a range of voices of the workers themselves. We hear from sculptors, drill runners, stone polishers, planermen, forklift operators, a union leader, and the president of a stone company. The book also features brief descriptions of the region's stone companies, a map locating Indiana quarries and stone mills, and a look at how the industry has changed over the years.

Limestone Lives is a testament to men and women who take enormous pride in the quality of their work, as well as to the role this unique industry plays in creating buildings that last.

Contents

  • Foreword
  • Preface
  • Dedication
  • Tom Dixon: It All Started Right Here
  • Bob Thrasher: What a Penny Used to Mean
  • Dale Enochs: A Humble Stone
  • Vollie Staggs: Washington Crossing the Delaware
  • Ned Cunningham: Hanging Around the Drafting Room
  • Wilbern Terrell: Something Different Everyday
  • Will Bybee: Rebuilding the Pentagon
  • Amy Brier: Build It and They Will Come
  • Amos Hawkins: He'll Make You a Good Man
  • John Bolin: First Day on the Job
  • Winfred "Buck" Prince: Twelve Princes
  • Michael Donham: Passion for the Unique
  • Brian Smith: Being Green
  • Patsy Fell-Barker: Our Changing Times
  • Frank Young: The Form Within
  • Jim Owens: The Processing of Indiana Limestone
  • Map
  • Stone Company Descriptions
  • The Quarry and Mill: Yesterday and Today
  • Acknowledgments
  • Photo Credits

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