Albany Bulb Project
In the summer of 2014, dozens of people were evicted from their homes in the park known as “The Albany Bulb.” Originally tidal flats of the San Francisco Bay, the park was created by dumping of construction debris between 1963 and 1983. Residents of the bulb used the rich substrate of the materials of past homes and buildings — rebar, brick, concrete, stone — to make homes and community for two decades.
The Archaeology of the Albany Bulb used the detailed attention of archaeological recording to document resident’s homes after they were dismantled and in the process of being “cleaned up” by the City of Albany. We made maps and images that engage the relationship between archaeological authority, public space, and the right to be remembered in the context of homeless disenfranchisement. Our representations of “landfill-ian” homes challenge the stereotypes and institutional devaluation of people living outside.
One form of representation the projected relied on heavily was photography. This website makes all the photos collected by the project available for viewing with three different set of tags: those of the archaeologist, the resident, and the real-estate developer. These tags serve as three perspectives that illuminate the different possible narratives the archaeological record can support.