Shannon Benine

Steel & Shadow, 2005-2006

During my graduate studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago, between 2005 and 2006, I documented the ruins of the Acme Steel Coke Plant, a formerly active coking facility located 14 miles south of downtown Chicago, in Cook County, Illinois. This site, once known as the “Chicago Coke Plant,” was one of three facilities in the Chicago area owned and operated by Interlake, Inc. Coke production, achieved through the destructive distillation (coking) of coal in large airtight ovens, fueled the iron and steel industries. The Acme facility, spanning approximately 104 acres, had been inactive since operations ceased in November 2001.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Acme Steel Coke Plant was a vital part of the industrial landscape surrounding the Calumet River. Incorporated as the By-Product Corporation in 1905, it evolved through mergers and reorganizations, eventually becoming part of Acme Steel. However, by the late 1990s, the plant faced economic challenges, leading to a significant reduction in its workforce and the eventual shutdown of operations in October 2001.

Years after I documented the plant's ruins, the site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) on March 7, 2024, making it a Superfund site. This designation underscores the lasting environmental impact of the plant's operations and highlights the importance of addressing industrial contamination. Stay tuned for upcoming public engagement opportunities during the summer of 2024.

Captured through long exposures, often at night or in the early morning, these images document the decaying structures of the Acme Coke Plant, a site scheduled for demolition. The soft, pre-dawn or nocturnal light, combined with the extended exposures, reveals the skeletal remains of the facility, emphasizing the textures of rust, concrete, and time. The use of 120mm color film with my Hasselblad camera lends a haunting beauty to the scene, highlighting the residual space of industrial might. This series serves as a visual elegy, a testament to the fleeting nature of industry and the silent stories embedded within its ruins, now recognized as a site of significant environmental concern, preserved in these images before its scheduled destruction.