Have you ever been inside a textile factory?

Most of us have never been inside a factory. Christopher Payne specializes in architectural photography and the large format documentation of America's industrial heritage. Trained as an architect, he is fascinated by design, assembly, and the built form.

"Several decades of overseas competition, unequal trade policies, and a flood of cheap imports have decimated American factories. - Christopher said - Since 1990, job losses in apparel and textiles have been greater than those in any other type of manufacturing, and today we have little idea where, or how, the shirt on our back is made.

With my photographs I aim to show how this iconic symbol of American manufacturing has changed and what its future may hold. I also wish to
pay tribute to the undervalued segment of Americans who work in this sector. They are a cross section of young and old, skilled and unskilled, recent immigrants, and veteran employees, some of whom have spent their entire lives in a single factory. Together, they share a quiet pride and dignity, and are proof that manual labor and craftsmanship still have value in today’s economy".

Payne’s work, including a series in progress on the American textile industry, is a celebration of craftsmanship and small-scale manufacturing that are persevering in the face of global competition and evolutions in industrial processes.

Payne captures moments of the choreographies of production, and focuses the parts and pieces of the instruments that will never be visible outside of the factory, telling a story of intricacy, precision, and care he fears is becoming all too rare in the American workplace.

Photo credits: © Christopher Payne/Esto

For more info: http://www.chrispaynephoto.com/