Written in Stone

Around the start of the pandemic, I started snapping photos of the sidewalks in our neighborhood — specifically, the imprints and seals left by the people who poured them.

Most are simple. Just a name, sometimes a date:

Seal imprinted in sidewalk. “Laid by Edward Tamminga.” 1982.

Others are more ornamental, even beautiful:

Oxidized metal seal in concrete sidewalk. “The Hinchman Renton Co. Denver.” Undated.

The idea of “signing” public infrastructure, something I’ve always thought of as reserved for works of art, continues to rattle around my brain. (Are there other trades or industries that visibly credit their makers? Are sidewalks art?)

If boring gray squares strike your fancy, I’m collecting photos of my favorites over on Instagram.