Over the past century Long Island has been the breeding ground for quite a few world famous companies. We all know the airplane wasn’t invented here on Long Island but it certainly matured here with companies like Curtiss Aircraft, Sperry Gyroscope, Grumman and Republic Aviation.
Those of you like myself who are also fellow audiophiles will remember companies like Marantz which was started in an apartment in Kew Gardens Queens, or two engineers who were employed by the Bogen corporation by the names of Sidney Harman and Bernard Kardon that founded Harman/Kardon in Plainview, Long Island.
I am sure there are plenty of companies I failed to mention but lets see how many of you remember this company which was started in West Islip Long Island. I remember this company because I was always a motorhead and loved race cars of any type and at one point most every race car used these fasteners to quickly remove body panels.
The name of the company is Dzus Fastener Company (pronounced Zues)
These fasteners were not invented for race cars they were originally designed for aircraft to be able quickly disassemble fuselage sections for service purposes. The factory is now abandoned but the company still lives on in another location.
This is a photo what used to be the guard shack where all visitors and business people would have to check in.
Here is a photo that was shot through the glass of the guard shack natural destruction process taking place.
Everything at this abandoned location seems to be frozen in time like everyone left in a hurry.
In typical government contractor fashion the windows are painted so passers by cannot see the manufacturing process.
Here is an old gear driven hoist that has been left to rust away.
An old rusting sign indicating which way to the receiving dock.
If you are interested here is more information on the Dzus Fastener Corporation click – here.
The Visual Chronicle 
I absolutely LOVE this set! Each photo contains so many elements that speak to me– gorgeous. And those vines…. delicious!
LikeLike
Thank you very much West 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a wonderful area to investigate! Great images Joe!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much Cynthia 🙂
LikeLike
A fascinating story Joe, and your photos illustrate it so well. I feel like in most abandoned places it’s as if the people left in a big hurry… which gives a reason to wonder what exactly happened and what were the stories untold. You are so good at capturing abandoned places, I love the photos! 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you very much Elina 🙂 This company is still in business and was bought by another company. They are doing business in another state which has lower taxes. The only people hurt were the workers who live on Long Island. We really should have a uniform tax code in the US so companies can’t move to another state because of lower taxes. We should live up to our name The United States Of America 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s sad for the workers on Long Island. I like your thoughts on the taxes.
LikeLike
So good to get some background on these great shots Joe. I always feel sad that these once vibrant places have been left to rust and even though they are now covered in cobwebs the photos seem to hum with memories.
LikeLike
Thank you so much Patti 🙂 I did this post a while back and you might like it – https://joeinfocus.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/a-giant-laid-to-rest/
LikeLike
Great photoset Joe. I don’t remember this company but I once owned a Marantz tape deck.
LikeLike
Thank you James 🙂 I also owned Marantz gear years ago.
LikeLike
This series was a trip down memory lane for me coming from Long Island myself. I love the way you capture the beauty within the mess. I was just wondering if Dzus had any idea of how far his invention would change the face of manufacturing when he came up with his idea! Not only did he revolutionize the aircraft industry, and race cars, but look at the how camlocs are used in the companies that sell Ready to Assemble furniture. They all use the camloc system. I know, cause I have put together many pieces of furniture that use them. And to think, It all started right there on Long Island! Here’s another one. Remember S & K Speed? Great work Joe!!
LikeLike
Thank you very much Gale 🙂 I never even thought about the cam locks for furniture. S&K Speed is still in the same place.
LikeLike
Incidentally, my computer’s speakers were manufactured by Harman/Kardon. They are over ten years old, and sing like an angel. Got it with my HP computer system. High quality stuff.
I feel so sad to see all these building rot into nothingness. Living in a world of limited resources, these buildings should be restored and used for something else. Just abandoning them is not a rational thing to do. Nobody said man was a rational being.
Love your work Joe. Thanks a bunch.
Regards,
Omar.-
LikeLike
I had audio components that were made by Harman/Kardon about 3 towns away from here. I had a Harman/Kardon Citation 16A amplifier which could have also been used as an arc welder, LOL. When they stopped making their components in Plainview I sold them and now I own Canadian components by a company called Bryston which carry a 20 year warranty (unheard of). Thank you again and have a great weekend Omar 🙂
LikeLike
A great photographer brings beauty to ruin, and tells the story. I absolutely love these shots from a photography perspective, and appreciate the history, too.
LikeLike
Thank you so much for your kind words Laurie, have a great weekend 🙂
LikeLike
Famous for motorcycles too, quick detachable fasteners for fairings and side panels..
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t realize they were also used on motorcycles also. Thank you very much 🙂
LikeLike
Joe, I loved this series. Are we going to meet you in DC in April? I hope so.
LikeLike
Thank you very much Alys 🙂 You might also like this one I posted some time ago – https://joeinfocus.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/a-giant-laid-to-rest/ If you give me the date/dates all of you will actually be in DC my wife and I will do our very best to be there. It would be so cool to meet all of you.
LikeLike
oh, these foreigners! play it again, joe: signs of passed days, a symbol for the future. wonderful narrative images, joe.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much Sirpa 😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting photos. There is a sadness about them – I think there are a lot of buildings like this across America where the businesses have failed. I follow Seth Lawless on FaceBook and he photographs deserted malls which I find so sad.
LikeLike
Thank you very much Raewyn 🙂
LikeLike
Good shots and information – well done!
LikeLike
Thank you very much Robert 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
My kind of location 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
So interesting Joe. Your photo’s are a little eerie in a way. You nailed it with your description. It’s like everyone left in a big hurry. I can’t imagine how these companies aren’t made to reclaim the property when they leave and this building is just rotting away. Yah for us because we get to see it all through your lens. My favourite is the floor of the guard shack. It’s like that desk is just plunked in the middle of the forest.
LikeLike
Thank you Boomdee 🙂 I agree with having these companies being responsible for reclaiming the land. I think if things were different and the businesses didn’t own our government they would think twice about just picking up and leaving for another state which is offering lower taxes for a couple of years.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep!
LikeLike
I didn’t know the company, but I am fascinated by old abandoned homes and businesses. It’s almost as if it is trying to tell it’s story.
LikeLike
Thank you very much Joanne 😄
LikeLike
Looks like an interesting place to look around…..
LikeLike
Thank you very much Sue 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person