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Editorial
The appearance of two independent articles on cement works in the editor's mailbox was a happy circumstance that allows for some comparison and international perspective. Dennis Howe's report on a survey of the Whiteport Cement Works in the Rosendale area of New York introduces an important early phase in the development of this critical building material. Import sources of natural cement had been a limiting factor in the American construction industry, especially during the expansion of canals and waterworks, before Canvass White and his brother Hugh established their works in the Hudson Valley. Howe's description provides a tantalizing look into the development of the technology and the remains of an early operation. (Note: Rosendale and the Whiteport works will be a major focus of the 2009 SIA Fall Tour.)
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| James Douet's insightful piece on the Clot del Moro cement works in Catalonia will likely be the first view that most IA readers will have on this site, although an SIA Study Tour visited it in 2004. The combined influences of industrialist Güell, architect Guastavino, and visionary Gaudi with the technological innovation of large-scale Portland cement production via hydropower in the mountains of Spain make this a fascinating story. The factory's eclectic structures, its high state of preservation, some fortuitous survivals of documents, and the inclusion of the site in the museum system operated by the Catalan National Museum of Science and Technology together make this a particularly notable site. Douet has done an excellent job of presenting this compelling case study and offers some insightful suggestions about the ambitious international technology-transfer effort that narrowly escaped disaster.
Patrick E. Martin
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