Cogs of Yesterday | New Bern, North Carolina
Note of scale: The gear lying to the rear right is at least 12 feet tall and I could put my arm through the links on that chain. Heavy, heavy stuff indeed!
Along the river is a large park complete with a boat ramp, dog run, elaborate play sets and a disc golf course. What many people don’t realize is that this park has quite a history, dating back to the 1920’s when it was local retreat featuring a dancehall and ferry to cross the wide Neuse River. Even more surprising is that during World War II, it was used as a camp to house Nazi prisoners of war- many of whom were captured after a U-boat was sunk by the Coast Guard near Cape Lookout.
When I first came upon these massive gears and chain, I really didn’t know what it was. They certainly seemed far too big to have been dumped there by someone just looking to get rid of the garbage. Upon learning of the German POW camp that was set up here and a mill that is said to have been operation at the time, I quickly thought it to be a fascinating relic of that time period. I was finally able to get in touch with a local historian, Jim White, who said that in his research he learned that it was part of the ferry that ran at the site at one point. He wasn’t sure of the exact dates, but his answer put to rest some of the questions I had about the hulking pile!
The shot: 3 bracketed exposures, tripod mounted, remote fired. Merged in Nik HDR Efex Pro, tweaked with Color Efex and Viveza. Finished with a slight Glamour Glow in Color Efex to add a little ‘dreamy’ look to the scene.
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