Abandoned Buildings: Lebow Clothing FactoryBaltimore

Abandoned Buildings: Lebow Clothing Factory
Baltimore

click thumbnails for larger pics

Have you ever wondered what's inside the abandoned and boarded-up buildings in your city? I always assumed they stood empty, aside from some cobwebs and a stray cat or two. If you're a fan of The Wire, then I'm sure you're thinking, perhaps a dead body. So it's not surprising to learn that a few have let their curiosity get the best of them. Chris from Studio Tempura, wandered into a deserted factory that wasn't so bare. With camera in hand, he captured some amazing pictures of a building steeped in history and frozen in time...

From what I can gather, the Lebow Clothing Factory was built in the 1930's and was the manufacturer of the high-end Lebow Clothes label, best known for its men's suits and sportcoat collection. At its peak in the 50's and 60's, it employed several thousand blue-collar workers in Baltimore until it closed its doors in 1985. The building was sold, but after sitting vacant for the last five years, the city seized the property. Currently, there is a lawsuit pending against the city over the seizure of the property. The pictures vividly tell a story of a city's bygone days. It's as if the factory workers punched their time card, went home for the day, and never returned.

Via: Kempt.

(Images: Chris Folsom)

Comments (25)

Amazing, creepy, evocative. And the shallow part of me is thinking, Free fabric!

posted by carlitadee on May 14th 2009 at 11:31am
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that's creepy. and kind of sad.

posted by pniccole on May 14th 2009 at 11:41am
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The clothes should go to the homeless.

posted by Joan52 on May 14th 2009 at 11:54am
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Couldn't those coats clothe all of the homeless in Baltimore?

posted by birdablaze on May 14th 2009 at 12:00pm
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It does have a bit of an eerie tone to it, doesn't it. The broom leaning against the suits... sad indeed. Wonderful photos...

posted by sfteri on May 14th 2009 at 12:13pm
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One of the most interesting sites I have found for this kind of photography is http://oboylephoto.com/ruins/index.htm a site called "Modern Ruins" evocative, sad, and so fascinating!

posted by mollymcg on May 14th 2009 at 12:20pm
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If you like this kind of photography you should check out Brad Pogatetz http://www.bradpogatetz.com/

posted by Tobermory on May 14th 2009 at 12:23pm
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And I know what you mean Carlitadee... all that fabric, and all those buttons!!! Upcycled...

posted by mollymcg on May 14th 2009 at 12:25pm
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Right, mollymcg? Let us at it!

posted by carlitadee on May 14th 2009 at 12:42pm
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At first i thought "free fabric!" too

then i saw the wooden hangers... those things aren't cheap! just laying around... imagine that id be happy to give them a home

posted by adamwa on May 14th 2009 at 12:44pm
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everyone needs to check out artificialowl.net then!! this however is amazing, if not given to the homeless (even if outdated, i doubt they care about that!) then it should be shredded up and used for things like blown insulation!

posted by zerothreequarter on May 14th 2009 at 1:11pm
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how sad....

posted by mschatelaine on May 14th 2009 at 1:19pm
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More photos of Lebow:

http://community.livejournal.com/abandonedplaces/1518816.html

posted by Cheryl K on May 14th 2009 at 1:26pm
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Before you jump in and take free fabric, think about the bugs, rodents, pigeons, etc. that may have take up residence in said fabric over the last 24 years...

posted by LilyC on May 14th 2009 at 1:46pm
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The imagery is as haunting as it is captivating. Such waste! It's truly sad.

posted by modtramp on May 14th 2009 at 1:55pm
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It is sad, but all of those buttons get me weirdly excited.

posted by gagabrielle on May 14th 2009 at 2:10pm
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Trespass much?

posted by bepsf on May 14th 2009 at 2:41pm
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The coats are probably moldy.

posted by chaseunchase on May 14th 2009 at 3:01pm
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Interesting.

There used to be a website that had old abandoned buildings, sites,etc. on it (even a nuc plant). Wonder if it is still there...

posted by Anet500 on May 14th 2009 at 3:25pm
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So cool! This looks like it could be taken from a history book.

posted by wednesdayaddams on May 14th 2009 at 4:15pm
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I'm surprised these haven't already been sold by the owner of the building. Hopefully they will find a great use for all these fabric items.

posted by baileyb on May 14th 2009 at 7:15pm
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darkpassage.com is a site devoted to this sort of thing--urban exploration, abandoned subway spelunking, modern archaelogy, whatever. One of their more haunting adventures was a trip through an abandoned mental hospital, where a lot of horrible things happened to patients at a time when no one cared. PBS did a documentary on dark passages some time ago.

posted by seraph on May 14th 2009 at 8:25pm
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Cool pics. Lots of good ideas for the stuff inside, but like LilyC said, I'm sure there's a lot of piegeon poo. And bepsf, it's not trespassing if you don't get caught!

posted by Gregorio on May 15th 2009 at 12:46pm
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Oh, yes, vintage buttons and fabrics!

posted by Haunted_Studio on May 15th 2009 at 3:51pm
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I recently visited the abandoned Polaroid factory in Waltham - soon to be razed so that the mall across the highway can expand. Yay for progress! :(
Flickr set here
here.

posted by kiddo katsu on May 18th 2009 at 9:25am
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