Last Chance

Catch It or Regret It

by Holly Otterbein

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Philadelphia and Its Manufactures: 1859 & 2009

In 1859, Edwin Freedley could feel the end of Philly's manufacturing days barreling toward him. In his book Philadelphia and Its Manufactures, he woefully wrote that the city "has gradually receded from her former glorious position in the commercial firmament." Exactly 150 years later, in early 2009, Jacob Hellman found himself surrounded by Freeley's predictions — he was living in a run-down warehouse on Berks and Howard streets, and working in the onetime industrial center North Philly. That's when he came across Freedley's book.

"I was in Temple's library, looking for something else entirely," says Hellman. "So finding it was sort of a reason to start something."

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And so he began to photograph Philly's industrial artifacts. His most stunning works are the result of wandering around in places he probably shouldn't have — like the Robert Bruce Sweater Factory, which is now home to five utterly empty floors. In two photographs, he captures the factory's only signs of life: brown mushrooms (pictured) and a green plant poking through the concrete. Coincidentally, the plant will grow up to be a paulonia tree. "They're an invasive species from China," says Hellman. "Which, if you think about it, is supremely ironic — since much of our country's production has gone there." Ends Aug. 30, Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, 116 N. Third St., 215-922-2600, artintheage.com. 

Frenz

Bonnie Prince Billy fans can see what the musician looks for in contemporary art — he curated this playful, collage-heavy exhibit. Ends Aug. 29, Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, 1616 Walnut St., Suite 100, 215-545-7562, fleisher-ollmangallery.com.

Pennsylvania Sizzler

The standout piece in this group show is Jude Robison's "Banned Books," an installation of library cards. Each one is burnt slightly, and spells out the shameful, funny and plain dumb reasons that various people's words have been censored. Ends Aug. 30, 3rd Street Gallery on 2nd Street, 58 N. Second St., 215-625-0993, 3rdstreetgallery.com.

(holly.otterbein@citypaper.net)