When Christopher Payne, the architect, began sketching New York City’s MTA subway substations, he had no idea it would send him on a new trajectory—transforming him into Christopher Payne, the photographer.
For the past ten years, Payne, author of several photo books, including his most recent MADE IN AMERICA, has embarked on a photographic journey to learn more about American manufacturing and the industries that built this country. His exhibition by the same name is on display in Fairchild-Martindale Library until January, 2025.
The Friends of the Lehigh University Libraries welcomed members of the local and Lehigh communities on Wednesday for an informal afternoon workshop and evening talk with the photographer at STEPS and in FML.
Fascinated by the MTA substations—"They looked like something from 100 years ago, like Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory," Payne said—he initially sketched scenes but later took photos. Those would eventually become the basis for his first book, New York’s Forgotten Substations: The Power Behind the Subway, published in 2002.
“The snapshots ended up getting more and more complex over time, and I realized, wow, this is kind of fun,” he said. “So the book became a photo book with drawings, but mostly it was a photo book, and that kind of set me on my path.”
In another project that resulted in his book, Asylum: Inside the Closed World of State Mental Hospitals, Payne spent six years documenting the decay and slow ruin of state mental hospitals, visiting seventy institutions in thirty states. These vast mental hospitals were a prominent feature of the American landscape from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth, and materialized the belief that well-designed buildings and grounds, a peaceful environment, a regimen of fresh air, and places for work, exercise, and cultural activities would heal mental illness.
‘We have no idea how the shirt on our back is made’
Payne’s recent work has veered away from the documentation of the forgotten or obsolete towards a celebration of American manufacturing and craftsmanship, over the years, realizing that now most people have never been inside a factory. “Decades of global outsourcing have decimated American communities and these factories, and today, we have no idea how the shirt on our back is made,” he said.
In his talks to members of the local and Lehigh community, Payne displayed some of his works and shared his experiences and the techniques he used to capture those images in complex industrial settings including abandoned buildings, factories, and machinery, searching for what he describes as “those beautiful nuggets, the moments of quiet and calm and serenity inside that chaos.” He emphasized the importance of documenting the essence and craftsmanship of these industries, often through unique and abstract compositions that reveal the beauty in manufacturing processes.
Payne’s work often requires multiple visits, such as the 35 trips he took to the original Steinway factory in Queens, NY, and repeat stops over two years at a printing plant, to perfect his shots. He said some of the challenges he routinely faces include dealing with noise, lighting setups, the sheer size of some locations and equipment, and gaining access, which he secures through letters and connections with property managers.
During his hour-long workshop in FML, Chris dynamically responded to questions raised by the audience and discussed topics such as the challenges of photographing in hazardous environments, the realities of being a professional photographer in a competitive field, the process of arranging elements in a scene while keeping true to the subject, and the significance of learning from historical references like Alfred Palmer, an American photographer best known for his photographs depicting Americana during World War II.
Payne also touched on the technical aspects of his work, including the context for using specific equipment in particular photos and the importance of maintaining integrity in his images for publications like the New York Times Magazine and National Geographic, for which he shot a cover featuring Corning glass, one of the most challenging materials to photograph. “If you light it, the light will just go through, or it'll bounce off in a weird way, and it doesn't look beautiful,” he said. Through trial and error, he eventually got the shot.
Capturing community, craft, and resilience in manufacturing
Payne began his evening talk by highlighting the decline of traditional industries like textiles and the resurgence of American manufacturing due to global supply chain disruptions. He shared his experiences capturing various manufacturing processes in different settings, shooting everything from NFL footballs and Oscars to nuclear submarines and jet engines, emphasizing the blend of traditional and modern techniques.
One of his most popular shots, he says, was taken at the Steinway piano factory, where they still make pianos much as they have been doing since the 19th century. “The great thing about pianos is we all know what they look like as a whole when they're finished. My photographs look in the opposite direction,” he said. “I'm trying to deconstruct the whole and take something like a piano and break it down into its constituent parts and hone in on those moments of choreography production that are essential and beautiful.”
He highlighted the challenges and creative approaches in capturing dynamic, high-quality images without disrupting production, such as at Martin Guitar, Peeps, and the Utrecht paint factory. Payne explored themes of traditional manufacturing, mass production, and future factories, showcasing diverse industries from glass to robotics, and stressed the significance of access and collaboration with factory workers, from small family operations like textile mills to enormous, highly restrictive nuclear submarine manufacturers.
Payne discussed his work capturing the essence of modern manufacturing, emphasizing the importance of preserving the human aspect in industrial settings. “Working with people in these environments is interesting because a lot of times they'll be very proud of what they do, but reluctant to share it,” he said. “But once they know you're interested in them they become the most important person in the world to you, and you're connecting with them on this really, really, really intense level that you normally wouldn't do every day.”
Payne closed his talk by reflecting on a photo he took of flag-making machinery at Annin & Co., the premier flag maker in the United States and the company that made the flag flown at Iwo Jima and ones sent to the moon. He said it was powerful to witness the flag being created and that you didn’t need to see it completed to know what it was. The process reminded him that a flag, like a factory, is greater than the sum of its parts and that the factory itself can be seen as an idealistic form of democracy.
“Factories are places where democracy still works—where everyone, regardless of their background, comes together to achieve a shared goal,” he said. “In these spaces, you see workers with soiled hands or gloves standing alongside others in pristine white uniforms, skilled workers beside the unskilled, old and young, immigrants alongside native-born Americans. Together, they offer a sense of hope in a time of social tension and uncertainty. My photos are about craftsmanship, precision, and sort of mechanical skill, and all those things. But more than anything else, they are about the people and the sense of community.”
Following the talk, a panel discussion led by Boaz Nadav-Manes, University Librarian, with Lehigh faculty Florencia San Martín, Assistant Professor of Art History, and Kevin Lahoda, Assistant Professor of Design, explored the themes of power, objectivity, and community representation in Payne’s art as well as the decline of American manufacturing, particularly in textiles and footwear. Payne reflected on the vibrant yet repetitive culture within factories and emphasized honoring the people captured in his photographs. The discussion covered the loss of local expertise due to globalization and private equity, exemplified by the shuttering of the historic Cone Denim Mill. Payne also contrasted "designed in USA" claims with true innovation, and discussed the nuances between beauty and photogenic appeal in photography.
The Lehigh Libraries invite you to visit a solo exhibition of Payne’s photography in the Fairchild-Martindale Library (6th fl. south). The MADE IN AMERICA exhibit runs through January 2025.