Friday, July 31, 2015

Revisited: The White Dove Mattress Company

Back in February, Jake and I took a very cold journey into the old, large warehouse of the former White Dove Mattress Company. Everything was frozen, and everything was gray.

This time around, the building hadn't changed much, yet the scenery felt much different. The pipes weren't frozen, and the floors were no longer huge ice rinks. The building was alive with new (and unpleasant) smells, and all of the rooms were filled with colors of warmth.

Erin and I took our time wandering throughout all of the levels, right up until sunset.






Although I didn't shoot many photos, Erin picked up my slack in her post about this great location. Give it a read!

Until next time. Xx

- Jason Unoriginal

Saturday, July 25, 2015

More & More

We will always go higher. We will always seek more.
We may not be the first, but we will forever explore.





Xx. 

- Jason Unoriginal

Monday, July 20, 2015

Into The Depths

The highs would be nothing without the lows, and the lows wouldn't be a thing without the highs. 




We're sorry, no other information is available at this time...
- Jason Unoriginal

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Cleveland's Twins

More often than not, the status of a bridge, building, or other structure tends to remain static. You can return to the location as many times as you please, and for the most part (other than a little deterioration here, or a little graffiti there), the site will remain the same.

A few of us have been following this particular site since it's creation. 

Originally, one large bridge stood tall, spanning the lengths of the river. With an increased amount of traffic, and a structure that was beginning to weaken, the city determined it was time for a new valley-passage to be constructed. The new bridge would consist of two identical bridges, built side-by-side. One would be built first, the old bridge would then be decommissioned and demolished, and the second-of-two would then be erected in it's vacancy.

My first ascent was last year, in June of 2014, when the skeleton of the age-old bridge was still standing.

Photo: June, 2014

Let's fast forward:


With the old bridge out of the way, the twins are slowly beginning to take shape.
 

Jeff and the rest of the gang often like to make fun of me for using bizarre objects, such as my own shoe, for a tripod, but I think shoes do a swell job!
 
 This photo was taken using my own shoe as a tripod: ISO100, 5.6f, for 15 seconds. #WhatsATripod




 Fireworks go off in the distance, celebrating America's Independence Day.


It's definitely been a great opportunity to be a part of something so substantial, especially from such a unique perspective. Assuming that the bridge will outlive my own body, it's super cool to know that I had the chance to document the conception of something that will be standing for decades to come. 

Until next time! Xx

- Jason Unoriginal 

Friday, July 10, 2015

Ships In The Night

Instructions for happiness:

Eat Edison's pizza.
Climb a bridge.
Watch ships passing below.









- Jason Unoriginal

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Two-Wheel Tuesday: 15

902.1/2500

Two-Wheel Tuesday makes a brief return this week! It's been nearly 3 months and 500 miles since my last update, so I apologize for that. As I've mentioned in prior posts, it's sometimes tough for me to spend large amounts of time behind my desk once the weather changes. 

These photos were taken a few weeks back when I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Merr and Kamaile, two Hawaiians who had made their way to Cleveland for a family visit. 

I met these two while at work and we instantly clicked. The following day was spent utilizing a couple of my extra bicycles, exploring different areas of Cleveland, eating, drinking, laughing, and sharing the best of stories.



When I got home, I realized that I hadn't taken nearly as many photographs as I thought I had. I suppose I must have been too busy making memories. Regardless, I cannot wait until our paths cross once again. 

Ride on. Xx

- Jason Unoriginal

Sunday, July 5, 2015

The Cleveland Catacombs

In the urban environment, it's not often that we come across a location that has rarely been traveled. Whether it's been explored by a photographer, considered shelter to someone in need, or even treaded-upon by a worker, most spots throughout a large city rarely go unseen for long periods of time. 

Obviously, some places are never investigated for a number of reasons. Perhaps they're incredibly difficult to reach. Perhaps they're much too dangerous. Or perhaps they're not even known to exist. Thankfully for us, the Cleveland Catacombs are a combination of it all.

Say goodbye to the light. You won't be seeing this for a while...




The last remaining evidence of any human traffic, dated October 18th, 1988.


Some John Hancocks dating back to 1951 and 1953. "Tony also..."


And "Babinec" dating back seventy-one years to 1944.


In an attempt to keep this location preserved, I unfortunately am not going to elaborate too much on the next few photos, but they are simply too historically awesome not to share. Use your knowledge of Cleveland history to piece together your own puzzle. Furthermore, if you still are unaware of the importance of the following pictures and would like to know more about them, please feel free to contact me.

Jeff exploring the old electrical room:





Locations like this are unfortunately extremely rare to come across. In my years of exploring alongside Jeff and our small group of friends, this is by far one of the most unique areas we have ever encountered. Here's to many more adventures. Cheers! Xx

- Jason Unoriginal