What a load of garbage. Just like doctors want to examine your poo (because what comes out of you tells them what's in you), the rubbish bin tells us much about what is in things. But, then, in what? In the careful disposer of Lewisham's waste? In Lewisham itself? Or in the minds of Lewisham's administrators?
One of the prime reasons for putting your name on something is to establish ownership in the event of theft or loss. "G. J. VINCENT 557" was sewn into all my rugger shorts, ties, shirts, even underpants, in schooldays. I think mothers lived with a constant fear that we all turned up for morning assembly and immediately stripped down to the last thread. It did happen of occasion, but not at morning assembly.
But, why does a council emblazon its name on a rubbish bin? Do they fear losing it? Or do they fear its theft? Or do they fear that errant careful disposers of waste might be ignorant as to where they are located when they do their act of disposal?
Is a bin intended for cigarette ash not, then, the correct receptacle for disposing of cigarette butts?
Would see-through bins facilitate the job of scavengers?
Was it only 15 years ago that a cinema seat was to be had but for a pound fifty? Was the film in Chinese, perchance?
The bin for animal waste "only" is ... large. Was this the Elephant House at Regent's Park?
Finally, the emblazoning of ownership on items in public view can induce covetousness among the wicked. I knew a guy at university who had a full set of fully functioning road works traffic lights in his digs, which he had acquired when out late one night when there was, shall we say?, little traffic around. I think it would be a similar coup to have standing in one's hallway, as an occasional table below the hall mirror, a decommissioned waste bin bearing the inimitable legend of "Lewisham Crematorium". Maybe add: "No cigarette ash, please."
I think councils name their bins to mark their territory but that seems a little counter productive to me ... rubbish bins are generally not that pleasant so why would you want to advertise on them?
The Lewisham Crematorium one still amazes me ... it just seems so wrong ... I read it and thought it WAS the crematorium ...
When Paris had a spate of bomb attacks in the 1980s (Place Saint-Michel, in the university district), they sealed all the waste bins over so that nothing could be put in them (that was where the bomb had been placed). The council found that the amount of litter on the streets actually reduced as a result. So, they started taking rubbish bins away off the pavements and, lo and behold, littering became LESS of a problem, the fewer bins there were to put it in.
Marking territory is the biggest single source of conflict in our world. Which brings me back to my remark about poo.
I have an article on advertising "in petto". Coming soon. Thank you for another marvellous exhibition.
Trash it is art! Wonderful photos and arranged in theme! Love the blue bin! How come you chose for that to be in colour? Love these London snaps!
Thank you! The blue bin is in colour because it was colour film lol! Back in the day I'd just shoot whatever I could get my hands on ...
Like Lindsay Anderson.
This was a bunch of rubbish. Oh how I love a good double entendres…(((smile)))
What a load of garbage. Just like doctors want to examine your poo (because what comes out of you tells them what's in you), the rubbish bin tells us much about what is in things. But, then, in what? In the careful disposer of Lewisham's waste? In Lewisham itself? Or in the minds of Lewisham's administrators?
One of the prime reasons for putting your name on something is to establish ownership in the event of theft or loss. "G. J. VINCENT 557" was sewn into all my rugger shorts, ties, shirts, even underpants, in schooldays. I think mothers lived with a constant fear that we all turned up for morning assembly and immediately stripped down to the last thread. It did happen of occasion, but not at morning assembly.
But, why does a council emblazon its name on a rubbish bin? Do they fear losing it? Or do they fear its theft? Or do they fear that errant careful disposers of waste might be ignorant as to where they are located when they do their act of disposal?
Is a bin intended for cigarette ash not, then, the correct receptacle for disposing of cigarette butts?
Would see-through bins facilitate the job of scavengers?
Was it only 15 years ago that a cinema seat was to be had but for a pound fifty? Was the film in Chinese, perchance?
The bin for animal waste "only" is ... large. Was this the Elephant House at Regent's Park?
Finally, the emblazoning of ownership on items in public view can induce covetousness among the wicked. I knew a guy at university who had a full set of fully functioning road works traffic lights in his digs, which he had acquired when out late one night when there was, shall we say?, little traffic around. I think it would be a similar coup to have standing in one's hallway, as an occasional table below the hall mirror, a decommissioned waste bin bearing the inimitable legend of "Lewisham Crematorium". Maybe add: "No cigarette ash, please."
I think councils name their bins to mark their territory but that seems a little counter productive to me ... rubbish bins are generally not that pleasant so why would you want to advertise on them?
The Lewisham Crematorium one still amazes me ... it just seems so wrong ... I read it and thought it WAS the crematorium ...
Ha!
When Paris had a spate of bomb attacks in the 1980s (Place Saint-Michel, in the university district), they sealed all the waste bins over so that nothing could be put in them (that was where the bomb had been placed). The council found that the amount of litter on the streets actually reduced as a result. So, they started taking rubbish bins away off the pavements and, lo and behold, littering became LESS of a problem, the fewer bins there were to put it in.
Marking territory is the biggest single source of conflict in our world. Which brings me back to my remark about poo.
I have an article on advertising "in petto". Coming soon. Thank you for another marvellous exhibition.
Animal Waste Only? In New York people would throw human waste in there, just out of spite. Great photos.
Thank you Alex. For some reason I always pictured dead animals being in that bin ... maybe that's just me ...
I especially like 6 and 9 out of the “pile” 🤣
Thank you Donn, 9 is one of my faves too ... number 6 is from a series of 100 Holga Candid Portraits ...
Hola , Hermosas Fotografías , De Un Objeto Tan Cotidiano Como Es La Basura , Tú Le Das La Vuelta Y Creas Arte En Mayúsculas. Un Saludo.
¡Gracias! Creo que es cierto que puedes encontrar belleza en cualquier cosa.
Now, this is art!!
Thank you Rolando!
Ashes from a CREMATORIUM ? Somebody couldn't pay.....
Took me aback for a second.
That anyone would put the name of a Crematorium on a bin is beyond me ... I did think the only photo that could proceed it was the ash one !
Unusual subject for street photography! Smells good!!!