Abandoned
CategoryAbandoned buildings and places are at once mysterious, visually intriguing and often historically important. Known as urban exploration, the investigation of such places can offer a glimpse back in time, and appeals to a broad swath of individuals from photographers to local historians and anyone with an interest in the urban landscape.
“Ghosts of the Grande”: Detroit’s Abandoned Rock and Roll Palace
Opened in 1928, Detroit’s Grande Ballroom was a popular jazz venue before being immortalised in the annals of psychedelic rock history. Closing its doors in 1972, the abandoned ballroom has collapsed into decay and taken its place among Detroit’s incredible modern ruins.
Lost Theatres: Matt Lambros Launches “After the Final Curtain”
Photographer Matt Lambros has launched his stunning new website, “After the Final Curtain”, featuring fascinating abandoned theatres, movie palaces and other deserted buildings in the North Eastern United States. Check it out here…
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.
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.
Abandoned 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”, Pegasus Field, Antarctica
On October 8, 1970 a C-121 Lockheed Constellation named Pegasus crashed at a remote airstrip in Antarctica while attempting to land in near zero visibility conditions. With few souvenir hunters or scrap dealers to content against, the Constellation is still there today.
Abandoned Railway Hotel aka Brady’s Bar, Brixton
Brady’s Bar, formerly the Brixton Railway Hotel, is a landmark example of Victorian architecture in South London, with its famous clock tower and rooms built into the arch of a railway viaduct. But like many other British pubs it has fallen into dereliction.
6 Abandoned Mega-Machines
Mega-machines are the largest man-made mechanical objects ever built. But when they become surplus to requirements, removing them from the landscape becomes a mammoth task. Many thus linger on in dereliction for years, as illustrated by these six varied examples from around the world.
Last Orders at the Bar: Abandoned Pubs of Britain
The sun may have set on the British Empire, but if there’s one bastion of Britishness that has refused to collapse it’s that centuries-old institution known as the local pub. Refused to collapse, that is, until recently, when economic hardship combined with poor management have driven many beloved watering-holes out of business.
Urban Exploration: Magnificent Abandoned Ballroom in Germany
This stunning abandoned ballroom in Germany appears almost completely intact, but the peeling walls and ceilings of the deserted rooms are sombre reminders of how quickly decay takes hold once regular maintenance is no longer carried out.
Holyoke’s Historic Victory Theatre (Soon-to-be Renovated!)
Historic theatres and movie palaces appeal to a broad range of individuals, but most have either been torn down or stand derelict. The Victory Theatre in Holyoke, Massachusetts, is one of the lucky exceptions, set to undergo a $24 million renovation that will see it reopen in 2012.
Deserted Village on Great Blasket Island, County Kerry
The notorious sea mist that forms along the Dingle coast often conceals Great Blasket Island, with its wistful ruins that were once home to several noted writers.
Grim History, Grand Buildings: Deserted Talgarth Asylum, Wales
The abandoned Talgarth Asylum oozes character and atmosphere. But the ornate stonework and boarded-up windows are a bleak reminder of a time when care of the mentally ill was more about crude experimental techniques than progressive therapy.