Michelle Ward/GreenPepperPress Blog

guest covers: Andrew Borloz

October 13, 2016

Day 13: I'm pleased to have another roving reporter show us covers from his area. Andrew has been a long time friend and fellow artist. He's taken some great photos to share and has written a narrative to accompany them.

You can find Andrew's stencil designs at Stencil Girl Products HERE. His blog, HERE. His Pinterest boards HERE. And he's on facebook with his business page, UrbanPaperArts, HERE.

Hi! I'm Andrew Borloz and I have been living in Pascack Valley region of Bergen County (northeastern New Jersey)
most of my life. Most of the photos that I took of the manhole covers are usually in either New York City, in Japan,
or in other areas. But I didn't look closely at the local ones until Michelle asked me if I could submit the photos of
manhole covers for her blog.

I looked for the photos that I thought I already took, but I could not find any. So I decided to go out today (October 6),
and take photos of the covers in eight small towns that are part of Pascack Valley. Small enough that I could go
through all of them in about an hour.

After I took the photos from the towns of Emerson, Hillsdale, Park Ridge (where actor James Gandolfini grew up),
River Vale, Montvale, Washington Township, Westwood, and Woodcliff Lake, I have grouped them based on common
features.

The first set below shows the town names "bend" around the perimeter. Westwood (center) is the only one I found
with the year in the center. I remember the installation of the sewer pipes in my street back in 1966 – no more septic tanks!

Another set shows some of the covers with wheel spoke design. Some towns used the same design all over within
its own boundaries, but Westwood used at least 3 different ones.

Not all manhole covers are for the sewer pipes. I have found the ones from a telephone company, an electrical access
to the traffic lights (Westwood), and from drainage pipes (Washington Township & Emerson).

And here's my last set – they're sort of uncommon and not easily found. Most of them are found within the older
residential area. I've noticed one oddity – a Paramus manhole cover found in Hillsdale (upper left corner). The large
town of Paramus (a shopping mecca) is four miles south of Hillsdale and I couldn't figure out why that cover is in
Hillsdale.

My favorite one is the hexagon pattern (lower left) – I was surprised to find it right in my town as I have seen so many
of the same one in New York City.

It was fun to see the similarities and differences between these town-specific covers! ~ &rew

THANKS ANDREW!! You had quite a field trip and gave us a lot to see – love how you grouped them.

Check out some of his new stencil designs. I think these Grindstones could pass as mini manhole covers! Find them HERE.
driving over manhole covers

October 12, 2016

Day 12: While doing visual research I came upon this driveway. I couldn't believe my eyes. Isn't this stunning? Of all the things I've discovered, this is one of my favorites. The search started with google but linked to pinterest then tumblr then back to pinterest. Round and round I went searching for the original photo. After a lot of clicking around I finally found my way to Ildiko Laszlo, an amazing photographer. (check out the galleries on her site – love the botanicals and abstracts!) She has generously granted permission to allow me to share these with you. Wonderful photos of a very cool project. The artist at this residence in California has constructed the driveway with stonework and found formed metal lids of all shapes from scrapyards, and the adjacent retaining walls are ornamented with tile, glass, and every kind of brick.

I loved hearing that since this experience, Ildiko is also always looking out for interesting manhole covers.

Thank you Ildiko for sharing your talent with us today – a very impressive visual.

Visit Ildiko Laszlo on her site + blog HERE, and her Fotoblur pages HERE. She can also be found on Instagram HERE.

Photos used with permission.

I'm so inspired by these photos. I think I need to visit my art journal and see what happens.

p.s. about the post title "driving over manhole covers", don't google it. You'll come across a horror show of dash cam videos showing all kinds of mishaps caused by loose covers. After seeing some of these clips I try to avoid driving over one – unless of course it's a beautiful driveway covered in them.
made in india

October 11, 2016

Day 11: After I found the video from yesterday, I came upon the trailer for the documentary Cast In India. I have seen the covers stamped with Made In India in NYC and was curious about them.

After seeing how the foundries in the US manufacture covers, it is very interesting to get a glimpse of production in India. No automated machinery – each piece is a collaboration among workers. Man made vs. machine – portions of the stamping pressed into place with skill. I was thrilled to have found my way to Natasha Raheja who has documented the process in her short film Cast In India. She is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and is currently pursuing a PhD in Sociocultural Anthropology at New York University with a Certificate in Culture and Media. Natasha agreed to participate in today's post by allowing me to share about her film – educating us about the activity a world away that shows up underfoot here. Visit her site to learn more – there are several wonderful reviews/interviews linked on her PRESS page. Thanks Natasha!

Cast in India Trailer from Natasha Raheja on Vimeo.

I learned from listening to one of the interviews with Natasha that manhole covers in the US are produced here at home, in India, China and Romania. I really love seeing how things are made don't you?
made in u.s.a.

October 10, 2016

Day 10: Ever wonder how they make these things? I found a video….scroll down.

Made in USA, by D&L Foundry, found in NYC.

Not all covers have marking from where it's made.

Here's one from Bridgewater, NJ. Made by Campbell Foundry Company in Harrison, NJ.

Science Channel's "How It's Made": Manhole Covers

Tomorrow: more about how they are made outside the US.
step inside

October 9, 2016

Day 9: Now that we're thinking constantly about manholes, don't you wonder what's down there? I've gotten a peek down a few as there always seems to be something going on under the streets of New York. Some barricades and cones cordon off an area just beyond the sidewalk and you can see there is a metal ladder that leads into the darkness.

Just yesterday I was able to ask my father-in-law about what it was like to work down a manhole. He was with British Telecom and had to climb poles and descend the holes. He said there are special keys to open the hatch, then they would scale the ladder down about twenty feet. When I asked if he wore a hard hat with a light on it he explained that they would use a generator to power lighting below the horizon to work on the cables.

Check this out. Wouldn't you faint if suddenly this opened up and a guy walked out? If you happen to visit Weisbaden, Germany, perhaps you can get on this underground tour. I'm certain that this is not a typical inside view. Pretty cool, don't you think? More images HERE.

Makes me think of the scene from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang where they find the town children hiding under the castle.

I got to thinking about how many movie have scenes in the sewers…..did a quick search …there are more than a few…and found my way back to Bobbi, who wrote on her blog about a similar sewer in Vienna as seen in the movie The Third Man. Bobbi's post: HERE. Scene from the movie (I admit, have never watched the film) HERE.

How fun would it be to take a sewer tour? I've walked the canals of Birmingham, England, before they were cleaned up, then later when they were opened up and integrated as part of the city. Not sure how I'd feel to be totally contained underground.

Has anyone gone on a sewer tour?
entering week two

October 8, 2016

Day 8: More fine samples that show how vast the markings are on covers around the world. These are from Nick Sherman. In case you missed his introduction on Day 1, he has an album with over 800 photos and generously permitted me to share them. Thanks again Nick, your collection is prolific. See more HERE, you will be dizzy after the visit.

I mentioned earlier that I'm new to Instagram. And I've discovered if you are skilled at adding hashtags, you will find other like-minded people. Just to get you started: #manhole #manholecover Some really cool people out there sharing their amazing finds. I'm not sure if it's cool to post links to other folks accounts so just try the hashtags. Before long you will find more than you ever expected.

Thanks again to Nick Sherman.
down the hatch

October 7, 2016

Day 7: While doing visual research on manhole covers I quickly learned that there is so much learn and just as much to see. One afternoon I ended up following several tangents and wound up focused on coal hole covers. I clicked link after link and was not surprised when I landed at a favorite place, Spitalfields Life. I'm a follower and get the posts via email, but had missed out on the specific posts I'm about to share as they were published before I discovered the blog. When I wrote to The Gentle Author seeking permission to share his links and use his photos he very generously agreed. "BE MY GUEST…I am your loyal servant, The Gentle Author". Don't you love him already?

His post about covers is HERE. But what prompted that, was a very cool article about commissioned Roundels – cast sculptural cover replacements by artist Keith Bowler. HERE. (Seriously, go see. Couldn't find a working link on the artist so this may be the only place you will discover his work.)

Other delicious articles that I've enjoyed by The Gentle Author: A Model Of London 1840s, The Wallpapers of Fournier Street. Stop by – always an interesting read. Thanks Gentle Author for being part of my blog series.

Some information on coal hole covers from Wikipedia HERE. (Photo below borrowed from there.) I never knew that the hatches were latched shut from the inside. See? So much to learn.

I found another guy from England who has taken many rubbings of coal covers. I tried to see about getting his book but it is no longer available as it was part of a college project from seven years ago. I found this page HERE where he includes a video (below) showing his work-in-progress. When he wrote me to say I could post this, he told me about another video he made about collecting, and he mentions manhole/coal covers. See that HERE (starts at about 7:50) Cool! Thanks Mark Simmonds. (p.s. Mark, I have a Tesco's bag from 1984!)

SOME EXAMPLES OF COAL HOLE COVERS from MARK SIMMONDS on Vimeo.

In the next few days we are going to look at even more wonderful covers, from here and abroad, because I want to make the point of how diverse these things are – from the simple to the ornate – even though it's likely you don't need to be convinced as the images we've seen are proof enough. Yes? Then I'm going to introduce some artists and their connections to street hardware. I will also have a few surprises. If you've jumped on the bandwagon, or were already an enthusiast, and you want to share your photos, send them over and I'll be happy to include you this month. My new friend Bobbi, who will be featured soon, says I should run this series every year. I'm thinking that would be great. Or as Bobbi would say, grate.

See you tomorrow.
guest covers: Julie Prichard

October 6, 2016

Day 6: I told you I've met some new friends I'm going to tell you about soon, but I also have some old friends who have taken up the crusade to show us their manhole covers. First up is my good friend and fellow artist Julie Prichard. She's an amazing painter, photographer, workshop instructor and author. You can find her online classes HERE + blog at TheLandOfLostLuggage.com. Her book, Acrylic Solutions: Exploring Mixed Media Layer by Layer is available on Amazon HERE. She is going be in a show at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park next month! Meet the Artist November 12, 6pm ~ Show runs through December 3rd. If you're in the area stop in – you'll get to see and buy amazing paintings, like this one:

Julie is sharing all the covers she found in her neighborhood and on her travels in the San Diego vicinity. How cool are these? Thanks Julie!!

Funny story: as Julie and I were on the phone discussing manhole covers, and where they were located on our own streets, we both pulled up Google maps and were "'walking" down the streets looking for their locations. You can actually see some of them when you arm-chair-travel that way.

EDIT: See Julie's blog post about her guest COVERage HERE.
water meters count too

October 5, 2016

Day 5: As you've seen in my previous posts I include all street hardware as part of manhole madness. Sewer, storm, gas, electric, telephone, water and any other reason for having a piece of metal inserted into a street or sidewalk gets my attention. If you're a die-hard manhole enthusiast you might not agree that water meters count. I think they do. In fact, learning about the famous New Orleans water meter covers got me looking down more often, especially while roaming the charming streets of the French Quarter. The meter cover was manufactured by Ford Meter Box Company, Wabash, Indiana. See the wikipedia page HERE. Another informative article is HERE. My photo of the water meter cover in NOLA is first, followed by variants borrowed from the wikipedia page. These aren't the only three types, but they are enough to prove that it's fun to observe the slight differences. Want more? See Google.

Perspective: The meter covers are only about 12" wide.

You can't go into any souvenir store without seeing the crescent moon water meter marking on something. Aprons, tshirts, potholders, shot glasses…. I scored a lovely charm from Sterling Silvia which hangs from my everyday necklace. The coasters were a gift from my friend Katherine – love them. I also left New Orleans with two Kabuki Hats – one is the beret below. The ornament is from CopperFancy, available through Amazon. The coasters were a gift from my friend Katherine – love them.

More on manholes tomorrow!
there’s a book for that

October 4, 2016

Day 4: If you're like me, whenever you're at the beginning of a new infatuation you look for books on the subject. There's not a lot of publications covering manholes but here are a few. I have the three, and the bright one is on the way from England. I have to say while I appreciate the colored covers from Japan, they don't really interest me. (We will talk about those another day). I'm sure I'd flip out if I came across one, but I tend to prefer the rusty, corroded covers found on streets and sidewalks plus the surrounding environment like gravel, cobblestone, or pavement.

I wish the top two were in color. The black and white photos don't take away from the content as we are mainly looking at patterns and shapes, but the colored versions would so much more interesting, as in the cover above.

There is a book "Manhole Covers of Los Angeles", a rare find, and out of my budget, but was one of the first to glorify street hardware. Text/Photos by Robert and Mimi Melnick, it was a limited edition print run and is now a collectors's item. In 1994 Mimi Melnick released the follow-up, Manhole Covers. I love this book. Nice big photos, in black and white, and the story behind their crusade to find a lid to hang over their sofa, which started their obsession. The cover is embossed – a clever detail for a wonderful book and the story of the Melnicks.

Designs Underfoot is another great resource. It separates the different style covers and provides locations of where to find them in New York City. The photos are small, in black and white, but it offers the opportunity to compare similar styles with the choice of chapters.

Mandalas from the Streets, by Kim Christiansen is a ninety page book, single sided images as they are intended as a coloring book. I would never! I just like seeing how his selection of covers appear as rubbings. Check out his website for more wonderful examples of his art.

Just this week I found this: Overlooked by Marina Willer. It features twenty-two rubbings in neon colors. In addition to the book there are posters (swoon!! GO SEE THEM – two different shaped covers silk screened together). These were featured at the London Design Festival last month. From the shop page: Overlooked is the 45th Pentagram Paper, the self-published series shining a spotlight on quirky or vernacular design, produced by design studio Pentagram. In it, London partner Marina Willer wanted to “celebrate the gatekeepers” to the subterranean world beneath London’s streets – the street or ‘manhole’ cover.

Gatekeepers. Cool description.

And host of other books I don't have but found on Amazon. Love the title: Drainspotting. There are two of them – one from Japan, one from Sheffield. Several more volumes on the colored Japanese hatches, one is ebook only. And how about the one that takes the Japanese covers to a new level, turning them into quilts? Who knew.

I'm finding that there are so many online resources if you just want to look at manhole covers. Some really wonderful and dedicated photographers who have put together specific albums. One connection leads to another and all you keep thinking is "I wish all of these were in a book – like all of them from everyone around the world". I will share links soon – still compiling as I find more every day. Warning: it becomes addictive.

This is only day four of Manhole Madness, and I can't tell you how exciting it has been. I've met so many generous folks. You write an email, asking a question or seeking permission, and you get one back. That doesn't always happen. And the enthusiasm multiplies. Can't wait to introduce you to some of my new friends. Stay tuned.