Assignment: Louisville Courier-Journal
Published: Louisville Courier-Journal
Photos by Tammy Lechner
©Tammy Lechner/STILL Productions/Inc
Bill Herdt's auto repair shop in Oldham County, Kentucky includes an old-fashioned grease pit and an anvil his father used to pound out metal buggy wheels and horse shoes. Representing a throw-back to a more simple time, Herdt was known in this county, adjacent to Louisville, for his troubleshooting patience and willingness to work out mechanical problems on vintage autos.
Herdt's shop is remindful of a bygone era when gasoline cost about 31 cents per gallon. During his decades running the family business he saw the auto repair industry grow and change rapidly
Indicative of the changes Herdt has witnessed during his decades in the auto repair, a female rep stops in to take a parts order from Herdt
Hedt looks out into the cold, snowy Kentucky afternoon and wonders if this might be a good time to clean up for lunch
The Old Mechanic
Photographed by Tammy Lechner©