Harvesting Limestone

“Harvesting Limestone” documents work in the limestone quarries of south central Indiana. The quarries are the origin of clear, unblemished limestone in tones of tan and grey that are most desirable for building. Limestone from these quarries has been used in the construction of the National Cathedral, the Pentagon, the Empire State Building, over 23 State capital buildings, and numerous other major buildings. My work shows the impact of man on the environment, casting the quarries against the backdrop of the heartland forests. There is beauty in the quarries even as they mar the earth. But perhaps most importantly, there is beauty in the men working in these quarries, cutting the limestone with 12 foot diamond edge saws, dropping walls of limestone, breaking those walls into blocks and, if for ornamental use, carving the limestone. Most of the men (it is only men) have a history of working in the quarries that goes back generations. And their pride in the work shows.