In May 2021 I was invited to join a group of Atlanta photographers to photograph a mill located in Lindale, Floyd County, Georgia. It was an unforgettable experience. As I walked through the industrial halls, I imagined the adults and children who had toiled and sweated to produce the textiles. The decay of the place long gone was evident in the peeling green and white paint on the walls, the crumbling red bricks, and metal debris strewn throughout the interior spaces.
Lindale Mill was built by Massachusetts Mills in 1896. By 1903 it employed 1,393 local residents who produced 14 percent of the textiles in Georgia. Children as young as nine years old worked there. In 1926 the Mill was bought by Pepperell Manufacturing Company. Twelve years later, the Department of Labor introduced child labor laws. They guaranteed safety, health, protection, and educational opportunities for juvenile workers.
The Mill was in operation for 105 years. It closed on September 24, 2001. The closing of the Mill affected negatively the economy of Lindale. For the next nine years the Mill was vacant. In 2010 the Lindale Mill was purchased by Joe Silva and his family. They moved from Seattle to Georgia with the intention of renovating it to serve as a venue for future business. The family slowly rebuilt and remodeled parts of the Mill. It has subsequently been used for wedding ceremonies, film production, prom photo opportunities, and photography projects.
The rebuilding never stops. Meanwhile the visitors can see deteriorating buildings, old machinery and textile equipment, remnants of furniture. All this was an opportunity for me to photograph and capture examples of interiors that are part of town’s history. I feel fortunate that I was able to preserve it with my camera. Now I want to share with a wider audience Mill’s images that became part of a past life.
BIO:
Malgorzata Florkowska native of Poland, has been pursuing photography for 15 years. She and her husband live in Griffin, Georgia. Her photographs are in the permanent collection of Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia and Arts Clayton, GA. Her images have been shown in solo and group exhibitions around Atlanta. She published two books: Joy of Farming and Walking through History.
To preview her books go to:
www.blurb.com/search/site_search?search=Malgorzata+Florkowska
To visit her website go to:
