February 2011
Monthly ArchivesRedundant Russian Fighter Jets Sold for £3 Each
A former Russian official has been jailed for 11 years for illegally selling four MiG-31 Foxbat fighter jets for just £3 each, in a scandal that cost the state around $55 million..
Prince of Wales in Conservation Effort to Save Red Squirrel
With fewer than 140,000 red squirrels left in Britain compared to 2.5 million greys, the Prince of Wales has launched a conservation project to help these native nutcrackers thrive again.
25 Creatively Converted Cinemas and Picture Palaces
Urban Ghosts has explored dozens of abandoned cinemas, from forgotten Art Deco and Atmospheric to Classic picture palaces. But we haven’t paid much attention to surplus cinemas that have been creatively converted for other uses. Here are 25 examples.
Crashed P-38 Lightning: The Maid of Harlech
In 2007, a P-38 Lightning Fighter that crash landed on a beach in Wales in 1942 reappeared for the first time in 65 years. Dubbed the Maid of Harlech, a race is on to recovered the abandoned aircraft. Fortunately, it is once again hidden from prying eyes by the shifting sand.
Ship Graveyards: Abandoned Ships, Boats and Shipyards
Ships and boats are ancient inventions whose rise parallels the spirit of human adventure. But the decline of shipbuilding has left waterways littered with abandoned docks, boats and even huge ships, that may not look pretty but provide a fascinating retrospective subject for photographers and maritime enthusiasts.
Guardians of Time: Mystic Sculpture by Manfred Kielnhofer
Modern humanoid sculptures don’t come any more mysterious than the Time Guards by Austrian artist Manfred Kielnhofer, which have a habit of appearing abruptly in public places one day and vanishing the next.
Spectacular Abandoned Theatres and Cinemas of the Northeastern United States
Disused theatres and movie palaces are among the most mysterious abandoned buildings, and thanks to the advent of television and multiplexes, they exist in abundance. Matt Lambros captured these stunning former cinemas.
Wikimedia Featured Picture: Underground Galleries at Fort de Roppe
This stunning capture of the underground galleries at Fort de Roppe near Belfort, France, has featured as one of Wikimedia Commons’ pictures of the day. The underground galleries were built during the First World War to connect the fort to the troop shelter.
Group aims to Preserve TSS Duke of Lancaster Passenger Ferry, Llanerch-y-Mor, Wales
Once an elegant passenger ferry and cruise ship commanding the seas around the British Isles and North-West Europe, TSS Duke of Lancaster has spent the last 30 years rusting away by the North Wales coast.
6 Ghost Towns and Abandoned Cities of North America
Ghost towns appear for a variety of reasons, from war and conflict to crime and failing economies. North America delivers further fascinating abandoned places, from familiar former mining towns to a city consumed by a modern day volcano and a community usurped through localised environmental catastrophe.
Crashed Lockheed Constellation “Pegasus” Wreck at Pegasus Field, Antarctica
On October 8, 1970 a C-121 Lockheed Constellation named “Pegasus” crashed landed at a remote airstrip in Antarctica while attempting to touch down in near-zero visibility conditions. The aircraft is still there today!









