Click on the image to enlarge it in another window.
Today’s post is the last one I want to share from my Kansas tractor series. Sometimes a detail is all that is needed to tell a story; I think that is the case with this image of an Allis-Chalmers grill shell and Allis-Chalmers emblem. The patina, the complex curves of the metal and the Allis-Chalmers emblem speak to an era long ago when industrial design was also concerned with aesthetics. The farm trucks in the background exist as metaphors for a time when America was struggling to survive the Great Depression and tractors such as this Allis-Chalmers were working to feed the world.
Because I was working with a single frame I used a preset in Topaz Adjust that I built especially for these images. I started with the Spicify preset that I dialed down to a level that emphasized texture and color; I then added a vignette and a border to the image as my finishing touches.
Like the rich color. Maynard in Cars pops into mind :). I always find it interesting to study the design of vintage things…reflect on the placement and why of features. Sometimes you chuckle, other times you think that should be revisited today.
Thank you Phyllis; I too find early design fascinating. I’m especially drawn to industrial design in the 1930s and the Art Deco influence that infused it.
I wish you would share more, please. They are so wonderful.
I may revisit this in the future. Thank you for the kind comment.
Nice project. I did a little research on Allis-Chalmers. Apparently orange was their trademark color. Do you know the year of this one?
Sorry Peter I don’t have a clue about it’s age.