Writers Who Run: An Interview with Sandra Steinbrecher

Photo of Sandra Steinbrecher credit to Beth Rooney.

By Malissa Rodenburg

Curiosity is a mysterious and, at times, random force. Like it comes from outer space or some higher power. For example, I might be in the car with my husband wondering what a leech bite feels like while at the same time he’s thinking about how often he blinks simultaneously with other people in the world. 

Sometimes that curiosity propels action. Like the time my father-in-law was visiting me in Chicago and he just had to know what the view from a building we passed in the South Loop looked like. We didn’t even make it to the elevators before we were escorted out. 

Sandra Steinbrecher knows the feeling. The pull of curiosity. It's what led her to Chicago’s Morton Salt complex and what brought her back day after day to photograph and document the historic building’s restoration and transformation into a concert venue. She wasn’t “on assignment” or asked to be there. She was just interested.

The documentary photographer turned those visits into an exquisite photo book: “The Salt Shed.” In it, there are beautiful photos, of course, but also testimonials from the trades people on the job, essays on the building’s history, and musings about what the North Side venue means to the music industry. 

In putting the book together, Sandy let the narrative come through naturally. She had no agenda. She simply followed what interested her in the moment. This shows through in the book’s straightforward structure. It’s not oversaturated with everything there is to possibly know about the Morton Salt complex, just what you want to know (like how corrosion on the structure’s steel beams were measured by hand so engineers could determine how to repair or replace each during the restoration process). 

“As a documentarian, I photographed what happened in front of me, without asking for changes or accommodations. I didn’t want to interfere,” writes Sandy in the book. 

And following my own curiosity about how books like this get made, I sat down with Sandy for an interview. Read on for more about “The Salt Shed,” Sandy’s process, and what running means to her. 

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

In the intro to the book you mention that you would notice the Morton Salt complex as you were out cycling. How often are your creative projects connected to observations made while cycling, running, or commuting? 

It's a good question because I definitely think that outside time–whether it's running, cycling, hiking–really sort of frees your mind to take journeys that it might not during other times of the day. It’s a way to let go and be in the present moment and actually observe what is around you. 

And so I would say that with the old Morton Salt complex, which became the Salt Shed, I noticed the building over time. For many years, I commuted by bike. There's this feeling of being connected to spaces. I think we all have that in our communities where we're connected to somewhere in the built environment, whether it's because of our civic history, or community spaces that are important to our growing up, whatever it is. And it is the people and the things that went on in those spaces.

I think there's a lot of room when you're moving your body and out in the world, whether it's rural or urban, to let your mind go and use your imagination and use your observation, and they kind of imprint upon you for later.

Can you talk about your inspiration and the themes that emerged through putting “The Salt Shed” together?

Unexpectedly, and, in a lovely way, this book brought up so many themes and gave me a way to put the narrative together. It's about people and humanity. 

It's about preservation of history and preservation of resources. Sustainability. Anytime you have a property on the riverfront, which is taken and moved away from industry, it puts it back to recreation and the people. So you have this river that is being rejuvenated for the future. 

It's craftsmanship and the role of laborers and trades people in our built environment, and how to appreciate them and credit them. 

Also photography, music, and the arts and culture, because that is now what's in the Salt Shed. It is enjoying a really vibrant second life as a music and entertainment venue right on the river.

The Salt Shed. Photo by Kyle Nowacyzk.

What was the process like in putting together the book? I read that you took thousands of pictures. 

There's about 136 photos in the book and I took, probably in almost two years, about 100,000.

There's many stages for me in editing my work. There's the first round, second round, or third round, and all that. And then, once there's a story in place, each photograph has to serve the story in some way. And then it also has to stand on its own, too.

This project is one that was extremely organic and kind of driven by the experience of being on site. I didn't exactly know what I was going to do. I had the opportunity, a very rare opportunity, to be on site and to have permission to photograph for myself. So I approached it just from a very visual way at first, getting there early in the morning, and the beautiful morning light hitting the rusted steel beams, and using the light and the shapes and then the action and the activity to dictate what the story would be. 

Then I started talking to people and recording little interviews and conversations. And so it grew from a very organic place and driven by what was interesting, frankly. 

You’re also a runner. Tell me about how running serves your creative process? If it does. 

I don't see how it couldn't. I mean, I've been a runner since I was in college. I ran all different races, and was in a small running group of women for a bunch of years. Then I thought I was done running because of knee issues, but was able to come back.  

I would say that, to just sort of emphasize what I said earlier, that it is a way to understand that anything is possible.

Also, [in running] you might meet people from all walks of life, and that's always been something that's really interesting to me. When I was younger, I was a traveler. I went to school in Italy, and so I've always loved opportunities to meet people who might be really different from me. And with this Morton Salt Shed project, I had an opportunity to talk with people that I might not have crossed paths with had I not been on a construction site like that. 

What are you working on next? 

I've been working on another documentation project. There is a Japanese garden. The area was a gift from the country of Japan to the city of Chicago for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. It’s a space that is important to Chicago, reflective of its past. 

The garden has been through many stages, and has recently been revitalized. So, I’ve been documenting the seasonal changes there and trying to, again, communicate and emphasize the importance to people and how we live and our quality of life and why spaces should be preserved.

Sandra Steinbrecher with The Salt Shed at Read & Run Chicago’s holiday party. Credit Kyle Nowacyzk.

Rapid Round:

In one word, what is “The Salt Shed” about? 

People, humanity. 

Favorite place to run in Chicago?

I'm sure everyone says this, but I will concur that it is the lakefront. Our lakefront is so special and so beautiful.

Favorite place to run outside of Chicago?

Key West. 

If you could go for a run with any of the subjects you’ve photographed throughout your career, who would you choose?

If we're going to have fun and imagine–Patty Smith.

What are you reading/watching/consuming right now?

I've been reading “The Plan of Chicago.” That's about Daniel Burnham the great architect and city planner who wrote the plan of Chicago. The book is about how it came to be. I'm trying to get a real feel for the parks as part of the 1909 plan of Chicago, which is how we got our gorgeous lakefront. So all that green space, the boulevards, the lakefront, all that was part of this plan and Joy Morton, who founded Morton Salt company, was in the civic group of merchants who owned much of what was the industry in the city 100 years ago and were responsible for him writing this plan and then getting it out to people and getting it passed and implemented. So it's all connected to me, to the parks, to Morton Salt, to Chicago. I love those kinds of connections. 

And then right now, very currently, I am watching the new season of “The Gilded Age.”

Writers Who Run is a monthly column by Seattle-based reader, runner, writer, and bookseller Malissa Rodenburg.