Sewer covers, opercula, looking down & industrial art (NYC)

Sewer Cover Obsession & Cloacina

An unintended consequence of the Cloacina journey, is my ongoing obsession photographing sewer covers and other industrial opercula such as cable covers, & storm water covers. These covers form the entrance to the mysteries of the city’s underground infrastructure. This has morphed into a keen interest in industrial art and the stories you learn about places when you follow the history by ‘looking down’ as you wander the streets … and learn more about what is hidden underground. Similar to what we uncover when we dig deep and learn more about ourselves.

Sewer covers and Opercula of NYC

From the meat packing district opercula which provided entry to the meat storage areas for the delivery of meat from the trains above, to the storm water and cable opercula, it is no wonder New York is a ‘looking down’ dream!

Even the ubiquitous NYC sewer cover comes in a variety of styles - the early versions proudly made in the USA, China, and later versions controversially made in horrific work conditions in India. Can you spot the error on one of the NYC sewer classics below? It’s a favorite of mine.

If you follow the history of the foundries who cast the covers, and then wander Manhattan streets following the openings for cables and storm drains, you follow the imagination of the city’s founders who took the original Wickquasgeck trail through what was to become a series of watersheds to make way for the building of the concrete city, above, and the many utilities below the sidewalk level.

Lower Manhattan, New York USA, hosts nineteen sewer covers designed by US conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner (1948-1971) and co-produced by the Public Art Fund, Roman Stone and Con Edison. Pointedly dedicated to the grid organized city, the text ‘In direct line with another & the next’ refers to the pattern of avenues and streets at sidewalk level as and the skyscrapers at skyline level as well as the sewers and utility tunnels below.

In a city where the ubiquitous NYC Sewer cover has taken pop-culture status, Weiner’s design brought attention to the industrial art and design aspect of industrial opercula and their many cast iron installations across the city. Weiner brings utility and art to the work of industrial opercula and sewer cover photographers worldwide with these installations - and raises the awareness of industrial design in this ultimate city of cities.