PAULINE'S PICKS: NYTimes.com Finds The Source of NYC Manhole Covers -- In India

By: Pauline Millard I'm trained as a print journalist, but as technology gets better and easier, the more I'm drawn to the visual aspect of storytelling. It's not that I'm getting lazy at the ripe old age of 30. It's just that there are some stories that work better with a strong visual element.

The New York Times got a lot of attention yesterday for a multimedia project they put together about the source of New York City manhole covers. It turns out that the manhole covers that are on literally every block in the city are made in a remote part of India, just outside Calcutta. Photojournalist J. Adam Huggins found the foundry and took some dark and grizzly shots of the hard, manual labor involved in making these overlooked -- but vital -- street castings.

One of the best parts about this projct is that all it really is is a glorified slideshow with an audio narration. There's no flash involved and no fancy programming. Just drop in your photos, record a little audio and you've got a wonderfully viral work of art.

I'm most impressed with Huggins' eye for a story. I once had a professor at Columbia tell a class that the best stories come from small observations. (Big insight there.) After all, Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" was sparked from a small AP story spotted in a newspaper. Huggins' project shows once again that great, simple ideas are everywhere -- even right under your feet.


Here are some of my past Picks:

NYTimes.com Looks At Wrongful Convictions and DNA Evidence

FloridaToday.com Examines Zambia Missionary Project

'Miami Herald' Looks Into Low-Income Housing