The Outer Harbor was an underutilized industrial landscape in 1956. The Skyway had opened in 1955, but Route 5 was still at-grade. In the distance, the City Ship Canal is visible, as is pig iron manufacturer Hanna Furnace along the Union Ship Canal.

In the lower right, a pleasure boat is being transported out of the water. Along Route 5, billboards advertise Beck’s Beer, Howard Johnson’s restaurant (“6 miles ahead”), and the Marine Trust Co. Rusty barrels, discarded wood, and general filth line the shoreline. This Outer Harbor would remain largely in this condition until recently.