All that remains of the Old Stone Bank, once a thriving savings bank, is the former headquarters on South Main Street in Providence. This young woman didn't spare the building a glance, which is fitting for an institution abandoned by both the state and federal governments in the early 1990s. The demise of this bank is a tale of interference. During the sales and loan crisis in the late 1980s, Old Stone was pressured by the federal government to absorb two failed banks. Doing so, however, brought about the collapse of Old Stone. In 1993 it was acquired by Citizens Bank of Rhode Island. Shareholders continued to fight to recoup their losses and they were awarded $192 Million in 2004. An appeals court reduced that amount to $74 million and the US Supreme Court declined to take the case. Old Stone stock, which many Rhode Islanders still hold, remains worthless.
Post processing started with a detail light filter in Topaz Adjust. I did the b&w conversion using a gradient map in color blend mode. A levels adjustment and contrast adjustment were applied. A Sepia photo filter was used as the top layer.
Sounds like Old Stone has turned into Cold Stone... how heartbreaking for the stock holders. The building looks rather uninviting in its present state, but I can see some potential. Nice symmetry in the shot... the passerby adds nice scale.
July 30th, 2012
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
