When Charles Sheeler visited Amoskeag Mills in Manchester, New Hampshire, the massive textile plant had been shuttered for over a decade. Captivated by the site, he took numerous photographs and later superimposed his negatives to create multi-layered images. He used one of these photomontages as a basis for this oil painting. While Sheeler used photographic sources, he did not create a literal depiction of the scene. He selectively omitted details of the unpopulated scene to emphasize the dramatic angles and shadows of the buildings.