A Photographer Shows Us All Sides to Cincinnati
Phil Armstrong's job as assistant editor for a local lifestyle website takes him all throughout the neighborhoods and surrounding areas of Cincinnati, Ohio, which conveniently presents perfect opportunities to take snapshots of the city that he loves.
"Rarely a week goes by where I'm not at two or three different places," Armstrong says. With his camera in tow, Armstrong has been capturing the many facets of Cincinnati—from places restored and places whose time haven't yet come, to historic sites across the river in Kentucky—and sharing them on his Instagram account, @cincyphil.
You might recognize one of his photos from the "This Place Matters" back page in the Winter 2018 issue of Preservation magazine. Here, Armstrong shares nine more photos he took of Cincinnati and its surroundings (some open to the public, some not) and explains why these places matter to him.
From this vantage point, a person can see Music Hall, shops, bars, a church, and a park. This sums up in one corner what Over-the-Rhine looks like now.
While not technically in Cincinnati, this single screen Art Deco theater was built in nearby Bellevue, Kentucky, in 1941. This old theater is currently being renovated for new use, so capturing it in its pre-renovation state was important as a way to remember what it once was before it undergoes changes.
If this picture were in black and white, and the cars were taken out, it could belong in so many different eras. It's timeless—it's why I love Cincinnati.
This 1920s apartment building is in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati. The building is right on the main road, but it's shrouded in greenery, making it feel private.
The city's Western Hills Pumping Station on Queen City Avenue is a functional space, but the glass block windows, while meant to conceal the machinery, let in natural light and beautifully illuminate the pumping equipment and the vibrant Art Deco interior.
At Union Terminal, even the waiting room for the restroom is ornate and interesting. Artist Pierre Bourdelle created hand-cut linoleum murals here and throughout the terminal.
Built by D.H. Burnham & Company in 1901 as the Union Trust Building on Fourth and Walnut streets, it was the tallest structure in Ohio for three years. A giant vault in the basement, which I visited on a personal tour, contains these rusting lockboxes.
Running beneath McMicken Avenue, this tunnel was used by a brewery to transport barrels in the 1800s.
The building is in use, but this sign, which says "Time for Friedman Furs," is frozen in time. Knowing when the clock died (approximately 6:03) is an incredible bonus.
