Abandoned Places

Big Cats Test Positive in Bronx Zoo

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 22:27:00 +0000

Tigers Test Positive Video

Tigers test positive for Covid-19 in a Bronx Zoo recently.

All I could keep thinking was how weird it is we humans are now caged up like zoo animals in our societal lock downs.

What a waste to lockup these wild beautiful animals like that.

The King of the Jungles should be roaming Free.

300 Firefighters Battling Forest Fires in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 21:30:00 +0000

Firefighters still battling bush fires in Chernobyl's exclusion zone for over a week now.

Is this another Australia? Let's lend a hand to put a stop to this before its too late.

A 27 year old man has been detained for involvement in the forest fires.

Forest Fires Rage in the Exclusion Zone and Head Toward the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 20:57:00 +0000

Bush fires have been raging in Chernobyl exclusion zones since approximately April 3rd, 2020.

Radiation levels have been intensifying above normal due to these conditions.

Officials have been building firebreaks around the Chernobyl plant as the forest fires continue to make their way toward the nuclear plant.

Forest Fires In Chernobyl

Covid-19, Vaccines and ID2020

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 08:42:00 +0000

Digital ID with vaccines. Yip, folks, welcome to the new survellience.

I think its interesting that Bill Gates has played a crucial part in ID2020.

See for yourself at the Sheila Zilinsky Podcast. I was at Spreaker and stopped in to visit Sheila Zilinsky Show Podcast.

Sheila Zilinsky Podcast

Empty Cities of 2020 During Covid-19

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 09:01:00 +0000

There seems to be a resounding theme lately about empty cities.

I happened to view a Perry Stone video about some empty cities he envisioned in the United States.

If your interested, you could view it on YouTube

As you may know, a global lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic has caused many of our cities to appear empty as citizens have entered into self-isolation. One of the first things I noticed was how quiet the night and mornings are these days.

The main thing not mentioned in dreams or visions of empty cities is that they would not remain empty, but wildlife would likely move into these empty cities over time.

Just as we've seen occur in nuclear dead zones where humans evacuated the areas.

Inside the Exclusion Zone of Fukushima's Radioactive Forest

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 03:01:00 +0000

As we know from Chernobyl and its infamous exclusion zone, Time will reveal all. In many respects, Chernobyl is a radioactive experiment, unfortunately. Even more tragic, is a 2nd nuclear experiment we can now learn from; and, that is from the exclusion zone from Fukushima, Japan: A radioactive forest in the heart of the Fukushima exclusion zone.

Nature Takes Back Our Empty Cities in 2020: A Reflection on Chernobyl

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 02:28:00 +0000

One of the perhaps rare silver linings of the Covid-19 pandemic is how our planet's wildlife is actually benefiting from a global pandemic. Wildlife has been seen entering empty cities everywhere now that city streets are emptied during the Covid-19 quarantine lockdown.

We've also seen a rather quick drop in greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere since humankind has been forced into a mass global lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I wonder if anyone else sees the irony of how the environment and wildlife are actually benefiting from humanity going into the largest lockdown in human history?

(History, the world and our neighboring species could even benefit from our disappearance.....if mankind were to ever disappear...)

This reminds me of what happened in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Due to the regions radioactive contamination for many decades, residents left the area deserted, like a ghost town. In the absence of human activity in the empty ghost towns, local wildlife ended up moving back into the region and taking it over.

The wildlife could not detect radiation in the environment, just as humans cannot. Radiation is a silent enemy. Slight genetic mutations have been the result, but despite that, the wildlife has managed to flourish in the dead zones of Chernobyl due to humans abandoning the contaminated exclusion zone.

The Empty 'Ghost' Cities of China

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 01:10:00 +0000

We've been documenting abandoned buildings, sites and even abandoned ghost towns for over 10 years but we've never seen anything like the empty cities of China.

Ghost towns normally have meant towns once occupied but through some kind of economic hardship, or some kind of natural environmental disaster, that has rendered the town unable to persist as in its former glory days due to its present hardship(s).

The empty ghost cities of China are notably peculiar in that they've never been occupied, but have remained ghost towns since their inception.

These are abandoned cities from the get-go. It's peculiar. Even surreal.

Why are there Dozens of Ghost Cities in China?

Exploring Historical Buffalo, New York

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 03:37:00 +0000

(The Swannie House, Buffalo NY/Image copyright of Lieuxabandonnes)

I hopped on a Greyhound bus on Thanksgiving Day and headed to Buffalo NY. As it turns out, traveling the US on Thanksgiving isn't recommended; finding a meal or even snack is near impossible. One of my greatest memories of this trip was the hospitality and generosity of the bus driver who shared his thanksgiving meal with me. This was my final lasting impression of what it means to be an American before I headed home to Canada.The six days I spent in Buffalo would be my final photographic exploration of the USA, and it was a memorable visit to say the least.

I had some locations in mind to explore, but as it turned out, local advice changed my mind about where I'd actually explore. I stayed at the Buffalo Hostel and met three photographers who were exploring that week. I have to say that really was a bonus to have inside information ie routes of travel and so on. One of the photographers was a seasoned expert about the historical grain elevators of Buffalo NY and even offered to take me along and go down the elevator shoots together. Teach me the ropes, if you will.

I ended up declining after mulling this over a few days because I follow my intuition, and the thought of not having the physical strength to pull myself back up once down didn't seem terribly appealing ... maybe if I was 20 years younger ... As it turned out, intuition is best. A month later an injury from previous months manifested in Canada, whereby my neck and spine collapsed and was paralyzed for almost a year down my left side of my body. Due to my injuries, I'm very cautious about exploring, and as you know, while it doesn't happen often, some explorers have perished in unsafe buildings.

What remains memorable to me are the unintended discoveries along my route, like stumbling upon an abandoned fuel station called Sam's. That's a first. I've never seen so many American flags in any city, nearly every image has a flag somewhere. Up the road at the corner of Ohio and Michigan I stepped into the Swannie House for some downright good tender vittles and washed it down with a beer. Several hours of a constant drizzle of rain in late November left me cold to the bone, so stepping into the historical Swannie House wrapped up my visit to Buffalo in such a positive note.

The staff were super friendly, so I lingered at Swannie's listening to local history. I pulled myself away as I had a bus to catch in a few hours back to Canada. I stepped out the door into the cold rain on Ohio and made my way back to the hostel, threw my damp clothes into a dryer and said my final farewells to Buffalo NY.

(Old Hardie Kentucky Straight Whiskey/Images copyright of Lieuxabandonnes)

Manitoba Pool Grain Elevator History

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 14:38:00 +0000

Considered to be the oldest grain elevator of its kind in Canada, built-in 1897, by the Lake of the Woods Milling Co. in Winnipeg, Manitoba. it continued operations with several ownership changes until 1968. Since 1968, the oldest historical grain elevator in Canada has stood vacant and abandoned to this day. We know certain grain elevators have been transformed into small homes and bed and breakfast establishments over the last few decades, but we don't know why this grain elevator has stood abandoned as long as it has so far, to this date.

Abandoned Manitoba: Copley Anglican Church and Cemetery

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 13:43:00 +0000

(Copley Anglican Church, erected in 1892 (1967)

Source: Archives of Manitoba, Architectural Survey)

((1967)Source: Archives of Manitoba, Architectural Survey.)

Copley Anglican Church and Cemetery, originally known as St. George's Anglican Church, built-in 1892. Over time, as the original settlement passed away and diminished, the church deconsecrated in 1913. This historical church has remained in its remote location since 1913 untouched, except for folklore stories about it being used as a boot camp during the prohibition years and during the 1930s, locals attempted to protect this site by finally boarding up all doors and windows. Still fully intact in the 1960s, since then the natural environment has finally taken its toll upon this historical structure. In a 2011 exploration, the images reveal that only the outer walls remain intact and that nature since has ravished this historical site over time since 1913.

((2011) Source:G.Goldsborough)

Abandoned Manitoba: Follow Us as We Document the Hidden Abandoned Places of Manitoba

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 12:00:00 +0000

(Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba circa 1895. Source: National Archives of Canada)

Some of you are aware that Canada has never been considered one of the best countries in the world to explore abandoned sites, due to Canada's national policy for demolition projects of derelict buildings or converting derelict properties over to new owners, often into the hands of non-profit organizations. Oftentimes, a non-profit revitalizes a derelict property preserving it into a historical monument for decades to come. Alternatively, many a non-profit just doesn't have the funding to make a complete conversion and a vast number of the buildings remain derelict at the site for decades longer.

These properties are wonderful opportunities for photographers and historians to explore. Unfortunately, for many of us, we don't know they're out there to explore. No one is going to advertise these histories, locations and so on unless you travel the country roads a lot or keep up with the sporadic media reports about these landmarks. Your only other resource is spending unlimited hours in historical archives.

I'm all for preservation of historical sites, but the renovation process often renders the historical artifacts and architectural features obsolete. Once lost, these are never recovered unless someone documents them first. The preservation and renovation leans more to a symbolic historical monument then anything tangible. We need to remember that often times those derelict sites contain histories our culture doesn't want to remember. And that's why we not only call those marginalized and abandoned but also the forgotten one's.

The kinds of explorations some of us do do NOT end up in our Canadian school system's text books. History is continually erased where those would like it to be erased. However, I ask a vital question about this erasure. How does a culture, a nation, whatever this may be learn from their past mistakes in this manner? Perhaps we're all prone to wanting to hide our mistakes, shove them in a deep, dark closet or up into a musky, damp attic until the day we throw it all away or demolish it out of sight and memory.

Sometimes we can't even do that, as in the cases of nuclear tragedies such as Hiroshima, Chernobyl and Fukushima. Well, as some of us know, this is when we encounter the BS campaigns, orchestrated by governments, the international media and big corporations that have an invested interest in these outcomes. And they would just like us to know they would prefer we know as little as possible. Happy, ignorant sheep continue to be consumers, and every nation needs consumers. Some of us are still waking up' and enraged that democracy seems to have very little to do with 'protecting' the people and more to do with protecting big corporation, this includes the lies and coverups to cover up all the environmental disasters throughout history due to big corporation.

This also includes the cover ups of institutionalized 'mental asylums' where those not wanted in society were suddenly labeled with a 'mental disorder'. Imagine living in a generation where parents or your husband, just thoroughly sick of you for whatever reason, you've become an emotional or financial burden, maybe your husband didn't want to suffer the public embarrassment of divorcing you? So they could just drop you off at the nearest asylum? You have to wonder if those family members slept at night considering the 'cutting edge' therapeutic technologies that went on in asylums, like lobotomies, ice baths, electric shock therapy and brutal restraints to name a few.

This is why it's so essential for some of us to document what we can before it all fades. For me, sometimes it's a fine line between truth and deception, life and death and giving honor to those who have been forgotten, most often buried in unidentified graves. Just another number. No name. Their voices muted and then demolished out of memory. Out of history. This is my passion. Follow us this year as we travel and document Manitoba's abandoned places. Sometimes haunted places. The voices of the past still speak, of our ancestors, our history, right out of their unidentified graves, if we listen closely enough.

Defending Elena Filatova

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 05:36:00 +0000

Over the last year or so, since we wrote a blurp about Elena Filatova on this blog, I've randomly run across some unsavory words about Elena across the web. It appears some peeps want to think Elena is a fraud.

I'm not buying it. In the first place Elena's photography is photojournalism, it's not piped up with Photoshop for some fraud attack. Get real people. It borders on slander and public slander, and unless you have proof, you shouldn't publish stuff like that.

Lastly, getting permission to enter a site to photograph is not fraud. I have. Other's have. One example we've already published here. And it's actually sometimes the right thing to do in some circumstances.

Breaking and entering doesn't make you or anyone a photojournalist, an explorer or a historian. It's make you a person committing a B and E. And whether Elena had permission or not doesn't take a way one iota of the decade of heart she put into her mission.

The Extinction Level Event [ELE] Cookbook and Culinary Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 05:20:00 +0000

Over the last few days I've been scratching my head a lot and waving my hands around even more, as it occurred to me as any given extinction level event
[ELE] proceeds through its calendar count down, this just might ruin my career and daily bread, amongst other things.

As a food writer for my daily bread, what would it be like to write about food we can't eat due to contamination/radiation? As the list of off-limit foods grow, we have to get more creative.

And this is where the light bulb went off in my head, again, that bulb makes me do zany things, like creating The ELE Cookbook and Culinary Guide for a radiated yet hungry population. It's simply radiation free cupcakes and other good stuff your kids are proven to eat.

It's magically delicious.

More on this idea for a cook book soon ....

Radioactive Wolves Versus ELE [Extinction Level Event]

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 03:18:00 +0000

Radioactive Wolves

I enjoyed viewing Radioactive Wolves on PBS. It depicts what transpired through the years since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Evidently, the natural kingdom is better off without humans interfering, and as if we didn't already know this. Whole ecosystems are now healthier then they were before the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl.

This is not to say that the disaster was good for the environment, only that all the humans left the region, and in the interim, the ghost town or region welcomed the returning species to the region and are multiplying since without any human interference.

Life Will Go On Without Us

This reassures me with what I've always believed. Life on planet earth will go on and do fine without us, and do even better without us and our dominating interference.

Chernobyl is a small region of the world and cannot compare to an ELE - Extinction Level Event - where all species on earth are wiped out rapidly. Our last ELE on earth lasted 30 million years until all systems were completely renewed. This is based on recent scientific evidence.

ELE

A lot of what we wrote and speculated about over the years since March 2011 Fukushima has actually come to pass and now is more mainstream knowledge. Now there are those also stating Fukushima nuclear disaster is an ELE event. We're already looking at dozens and dozens of Hiroshima events, and these Hiroshima's aren't ending at Fukushima as the reactors stand the same today as they did back in 2011 with no relief in sight as we enter into 2015.

Survival Guide

My best advice in terms of a survival guide is live each moment we have right now to the fullest.

Sure, follow the survival guides out there on the net, but I wouldn't suggest the use of algae and seaweed products for health and detoxifying. I'm seeing this is a popular suggestion in survival guides.

Seaweed and algae absorb radioactivity. It just doesn't make any sense to me to ingest radioactivity in hopes to detoxify it from my body? Obviously, stay away from crustaceans and other fish that dwell near the ocean's floor, such as Flounder etc.

Detoxifying

If you are worried about radiation and detoxification, better to mix some baking soda in water, or mix DE (FOOD GRADE ONLY) in water or juice. You can also drink some clay's with water as well. Alternatively, you can add clay's, baking soda, Epsom salts and sea salts to baths. All of the will provide detoxification of heavy metals and radiation without ingesting seaweed and algae products.

[Contradiction: DE is a fossilized algae, ancient algae in powder form. Use your own judgment on this product for detoxifying and never over use it - less is more. On a microscopic level, DE looks like shards of glass. And that's essentially what it is.]

I take all these baths for many years before the Fukushima disaster, so it hasn't been a change in my daily routine.

My only other suggestion is to stay away from meat as the higher up the food chain we go, the more radiation we ingest. The same goes for milk. I chose not to drink milk the first year right after March 11.

If you have cancer, find a doctor who will feed you sodium bicarbonate
[baking soda] intravenously. You don't need more chemotherapy [more radiation] or other medical trauma.

Mental Baggage: Abandoned Suitcases On Environmental Graffiti

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 11:41:00 +0000

I want to give a new website on the web a 'two thumbs up' for quality stories, history and interesting facts - not to mention some quality images. The website in question is Environmental Graffiti. The site consists of your typical types of topics, asylums and other abandoned buildings, but also includes a variety of historical context, such as these Mental Baggage: Abandoned Suitcases from an Mental Asylum.

Elena Filatova Reminds Us of Chernobyl in Her New Book: Ghost Town

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 09:52:00 +0000

We wanted to write about Elena Filatova, an explorer at heart and creator of a 10-year online journal documenting her explorations by Motorcycle in the dead zone of (and beyond) Chernobyl. We highly recommend her website consisting of 10 years of intimate photojournalism into the behind the scenes story of what has really happened since the nuclear reaction at Chernobyl in 1986.

Her journals and photos are poignant while weaving political history, scientific antidotes, her personal impressions and true life stories of the abandoned people and animals, not only within the dead zone but in hundreds of ghost towns 40 to 80 kms away from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site.

Elena Filatova has made exploring these areas and ghost towns a life long hobby and this year at the 10th anniversary of her website published Chernobyl Photobook ' Ghost Town.' The proceeds go toward the author buying food supplies and essentials for all those still remaining in the irradiated and abandoned ghost towns and villages to this day.

We are also fond of the authors journal 'Land of the Wolves.' And recently, her concerns are for the recent nuclear disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plants in Japan:

"Nowadays, we are moving from catastrophe to catastrophe so fast that no one has time to learn from what is happening, thus we are doomed to repeat it all again and again. Each time history repeats itself the price goes up.

My aim is to take hold of important events I have witnessed and rescue from oblivion deeds that have been forgotten or chosen to have been forgotten. With time, cities perish and the memory of things is lost, so the sole purpose of my work is to preserve memories on the internet forever.

Since the Ghost Town site first went on the Internet in 2003, tens of millions visitors have viewed the Chernobyl information which it provides. This site is maintained by me, the author, and is completely free of all popup ads and spyware. There are no copyright issues.

Work on this site is my hobby, which I pursue in my free time.""

We can't say enough good things about the authors courageous explorations into contaminated areas, her insights and obvious passion for her cause. In our mind's, Elena Filatova is the epitomy of what it means to be an explorer who explores the abandoned.

Post Apocalyptic Now:

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 06:09:00 +0000

Hello fellow survivors,

We're in the future, yet now in a post apocalyptic reality.

You do not know the past entirely, and if this blog/post/literature continues to exist, like we hope it will, for generations.... you are seeking answers to the past.

You see, no one knew we were in an apocalypse when radiation from four nuclear reactors in Fukushima, in an island country called 'Japan' erupted and lasted for years and years, environmental contamination spewing into the seas and into the land over what was supposed to be 40 years, and ended up at least 100 years.

We thought, ignorantly, that an environmental apocalypse would be dramatic, all over the news, and world wide spread knowledge, but in the end the apocalypse was silent, humble and too many years to take effect and its toll on the oceans, plant life and human beings. No one sounded the trumpets, or interceded and it was business as usual on planet earth.

We thought it would and should be like AMC's 'Walking Dead' or other examples like this, but ignored far too long, until it was too late, that we all we're the walking dead but did not see it, feel it...yet....as that is the silent death of nuclear energy.

We died of nuclear contamination, except for you survivors. Over time. It wasn't quick, or dramatic, but a slow death of time. And now it is up to you, and hopefully communications like this and many others are accessible to you in the future. That is our hope, to let you know what your past was, what earth was.... and what you need to contend with this day.

(Thinking of the current events and obstacles facing Japan, Tepco, the environment and the world, I wanted to write a what if? letter to a post-apocalyptic world and the remaining survivors.)

Nostradamus Predictions of Fukushima, March 11, 2011:

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 05:13:00 +0000

In 1555, Nostradamus published his predictions/prophesies in codes arranged in quatrains. This peculiar style of writing was what Nostradamus chose to write in, in order to stay under the radar during his times. Nostradamus predicted three antichrists, three emperors, who would conquer vast areas, these were Napoleon (code named Napaulon Roy); Hitler (code named Histler); and Yazdi (code named Mabus).

Check this out: The Fukushima Prophecies/Nostradamus Quatrain codes

“After great trouble for humanity, a greater one is prepared. The Great Mover (Possible French translations: Great Motor or the Great Engine (GE)), renews the ages: Rain, blood, milk, famine, steel and plague, is the heavens fire seen, a long spark running.”

GE

The Great Motor or Great Engine could be taken allegorically, like humanity doesn’t totally understand its total capacity for destructive power [humanity's capacity for hubris), but another simpler interpretation is rather interesting in these times right now. GE stands for General Electric; The Fukushima nuclear reactors are a General Electric design, with the architectural design created by Abasco, a company formerly owned by GE (After researching Abasco to see where the company is today, it appears they are in the market of oil spill response equipment (Just a coincidence?).

History of General Electric

GE is a leader in technology all over the world including nuclear energy and nuclear weapons, and is one of the biggest multicorp’s today, also owning NBC (1986) (Comcast)(Is it coincidence that Comcast is the largest mass media and communications company in the world and there was a media blackout regarding Fukushima?).

GE was boycotted in the 80’s and 90’s due to their part in nuclear weapon production.

Moreover, since as early as 1972, concerns over the safety and design of these GE nuclear reactors have been raised. Various models of this design that we have been witnessing at Fukushima exist all over the United States. In 2011, I was slightly perturbed that the nuclear reactor site within three miles of where I lived in western Pennsylvania was the same GE design as the ones in Fukushima.

Is it possible ‘The Great Mover /Great Motor /Great Engine’ is the Nostradamus (decoded) code name for General Electric? Continue reading, there is more:

“During the appearance of the bearded star. The three great princes will be made enemies: Struck from the sky, peace earth quaking, Po, Tiber overflowing, serpent placed upon the shore.”

The Bearded Star

As we know, the bearded star refers to a comet and in the last few years a lot of people and groups have been discussing this possible comet, and when/where it is coming. A lot of mention was made to this bearded star during the Mayan end of calendar late 2012.

(The serpent placed upon the shore could indicating the nuclear reactors in Japan at Fukushima.)

A Long Spark Running

Maybe you’ll have a similar moment where the ‘light bulb’ turns on like I did. (Yes, hint intended: Thomas Edison, founder of GE (The Edison General Electric Company/1890) and electric light and power industries (a long spark running):

GE Logo

If you take a look at GE’S logo, only recently changed since the classic original in 1890, the symbolism depicts comets: This has now led me to think the comet some are waiting for is actually ‘past tense’ and Nostradamus prediction about the comet was referring to GE, the great engine or general electric.

It looks Nostradamus may have predicted the Fukushima disaster on March 11, 2011. His prediction states the poisoning of waters and fish (poison hidden under the heads of salmon), and the great fire (nuclear radiation is a heat that never ends). Only time will tell. Since 1555, we’ve come to know the predictions of Histler and other predictions of Nostradamus were fairly precise.

Lastly, if anything, do some research of your own about GE, and related companies to Fukushima, including TEPCO. Corporate crime is a crime, and likely the most devastating crime of our times. In this age, corporations are the rulers of this planet, not government. The media is controlled by big corporation.

Educate yourself, dig deeper and make informed decisions about what you may or may not take for granted as the real ‘news’ in our media. And even if these predictions mean little to you, you'll have learned more about the corporation General Electric.

The Ultimate Abandonment of Civilization is Extinction

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 04:22:00 +0000

We are sorry. We were posting about the environmental tragedy of the Fukushima nuclear reactors in Japan for some time, and then things came up, and we thought Japan was onto things quicker in regards to cleanup as they suggested (We recollect the cold shut down was to commence no later than 2012). We and Tepco were wrong.

We are back. Never in our lives did we think we would ever be posting on our blog about abandoned places, people and ultimately about our potentially abandoned earth in the future.

But as explorers of the abandoned, we explore everything, sometimes by leaving only foot prints behind, and sometimes in our arm chairs looking onto events we cannot control, about complete abandoned civilizations as per 'Ecocide'.

At the root of all abandoned phenomenon, as we have believed right from the start, is the abandonment of our civilization, history and common sense. We have abandoned ourselves and one another, as depicted in the history of all abandoned places and people on this planet, including the ultimate extinction of so many great civilizations before ours, all overcome by various outcomes of ecocide.

North American Grain Elevators

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:44:00 +0000

The history of grain elevators is a rich and diverse discourse in North America. Both the USA and Canada contain fascinating historical landscapes of the early agricultural boom which once permeated North America.

Grain elevators stood tall and proud in urban cities as well as in rural communities. Beacons of prosperity and wealth, these elevators cast a gentle aura of hope, stability and safety upon everyone. After all, everyone has to eat to live.

In the United States, I recently visited Buffalo, New York - an historical grain elevator mecca. Many grain elevators in Buffalo have been abandoned; a play ground for urban explorers and photographers. After laying barren and open to the curious, there is talk of demolitions these days.

After visiting Buffalo and its rich history of grain elevators, next on the list is the exploration of Manitoba's rural grain elevators in Canada - what is left of them. Manitoba has also been recognized as a mecca for a history of grain elevators, but many have been torn down.

The flimsy safety of believing these sturdy historical landmarks won't be demolished is vastly replaced with a surety that these landmarks will not be there as long as we once took for granted.

A Peek into Asylum: One Photographer's Perspective of the Interior World of Mental Asylums

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:00:00 +0000

(Photographer: Christopher Payne. Title: File Boxes)

If you love the idea of photographing abandoned buildings and institutions, yet don't like the idea of trespassing on private property, you might like the way Christopher Payne went about photographing 70 mental hospitals across 30 states between the years of 2002 to 2008. Christopher Payne, photographer and architect, was given open access to visit and document the history of the American asylum in his newest book, Asylum: Inside the Closed World of State Mental Hospitals. We peek into Payne's perspective about the interior world of mental asylums from a photographer's (and architect's) point-of-view.

"We tend to think of mental hospitals as “snake pits”—places of nightmarish squalor and abuse—and this is how they have been portrayed in books and film. Few Americans, however, realize these institutions were once monuments of civic pride, built with noble intentions by leading architects and physicians, who envisioned the asylums as places of refuge, therapy, and healing."

(Excerpt: Asylum Project Statement)

Take Nothing but Photographs, Leave Nothing but Footprints

If you've ever read any of our past article posts regarding our views about trespassing or breaking and entering, then you know we don't agree with a sub-group of certain explorers these days. There are at least two other methods of gaining access to a building. One is express permission as Payne's six-year project clearly illustrates, and we like how his creative project exemplifies how gaining access to non-accessible institutions through legitimate routes benefits the documentation of abandoned institutions before they are demolished forever.

Another method of exploration is to visit one of the many hospitals and prisons that are open to the public. I've heard explorers suggest these are less exciting alternatives; well, all I have to say about that is they need to figure out why they're doing what they're doing and why they're effectively ruining it for the rest of us. It seems to me photographers and historians do less damage in buildings, are less interested in the hype about infilteration, thus follow urban explorations golden rule:

"Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."

There are times when someone needs to tread softly and go through an already open door (Note: That does not mean pick a lock or kick the door down ... ), but those moments are only known by the faint footprints left behind. The footprints left behind do not need to be published all over the web inviting vandalism and thrill seekers. This is why there is such heavy security these days at many of the remaining locations not yet demolished - at least in our humble opinion.

Copyright and Permissions

Photographers that trespass also need to keep in mind that without express permission from the owners, your published photography, or even photographs entered into photography contests could be forfeited without the proper permissions from the owners of the property.

A Photographer's Approach

Granted, it could take years to gain permission to enter and photograph some of these decaying institutions, but that holds a particular excitement on its own. Furthermore, Payne was able to photograph some off-limits buildings that housed residents, meaning the buildings were not yet vandalized, nor looted and stripped of their interiors and artifacts. This fact actually makes Payne's photographs of particular interest. In context, this lends to his work an engaging mixture of sweeping interior landscape and still life. A few of my favorite photographs from Payne's collection are 'Patient Toothbrushes' taken at Hudson River State Hospital, 'Hair Salon' at Trenton State Hospital, 'Unclaimed Cremation Remains' at Oregon State Hospital, 'Patient Suitcases' at Bolivar State Hospital, 'File Boxes' at Spring Grove State Hospital and 'Bowling Shoes' at Rockland State Hospital.

Technique: Use of Light, Space and Minimalism

Another aspect of Payne's Asylum collection I like is his minimalist approach. In fact, I prefer to see images of asylums that are clean, bright, simple and elegant. In fact, many of Payne's images run counter-intuitive to the mainstream urban exploration crowd. Sometimes when I'm viewing the dark, shadowed images common to urban exploration, I simply wish I could see the details of an image in the light of daylight. Maybe my age is telling in itself, but if I have to squint that much to see a darkened image I am finding it not worth my time more and more these days. It's simply a matter of taste and style, but I've really enjoyed the use of light, space and minimalism of Payne's Asylum project. If you're interested in viewing a sample of images published in the book Asylum, you can view the slideshow here.

If you're interested in viewing Payne's projects, you may visit his website here. I also enjoyed his project listed under North Brother Island, in New York. Christopher Payne also has more upcoming gallery exhibits in 2012-2013 in Belgium, Netherlands and Italy.

Rockwood Insane Asylum Upper Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 May 2011 23:50:00 +0000

Upper Canada's Rockwood Insane Asylum, open from 1859 to 1959, cared for the criminally insane. In fact, the hospital was built by the labor of those convicts by which the hospital was intended. Patients slowly moved in from 1859 through 1870. The facility is considered a Kirkbride, although it may not represent the original Kirkbride designs in every respect.

Rockwood was Kingston, Ontario's asylum for 100 years, later transitioning into the Providence Continuing Care Centre - a community facility for those coping with mental disabilities. In 2000, the facility buildings were empty after 141 years of service to the surrounding community.

In 2011, Providence Care is beginning a new facility construction next to the original structures at Rockwood. It's hard to say at this time if they intend on preserving the original structures at Rockwood, or eventually demolishing them.

I'm hoping they will not be demolished. In the past 40 to 50 years until more recently, Canada seemed to demolish their historic structures, such as hospitals and prisons, rather promptly in comparison to the USA and certain European countries. However, these days, Canada is moving in a different direction regarding the preservation of historic landmarks.

But much depends on the structural integrity of the buildings, and if a demolition permit will be granted. However, it is also unfortunate Providence Care is going the route of building a new structure rather than revamping the original site as their new facility.

It usually turns out almost every time I've seen this approach taken with other care facilities the new facility is poorly constructed, and the overall cost is a lot more than the total cost of refurbishing the original facility back to its earlier days of splendor. I find this a misfortune.

There are few photos of Rockwood since its 2000 vacancy. The reasons behind this appear to be a very strict security patrol. But I'm not sure how many permissions they give to researchers and media at this time. Evidently, paranormal investigators also haven't been granted any access or route to investigate as of yet.

So many of these historic monuments are severely restricted these days, especially over the last 5 years; it is rather unfortunate for those of us attempting to actually document something worthy of being documented. In many ways, it is partly due to the explosion of the popular urbex movement around the Internet, and young misplaced arson's reading about locations via the Internet, which were once more privately known about but suddenly everyone and their sister knew about. Locations were flooded, and often vandalized.

The Internet in the end has been the slow death for true explorers, and with the demolition of so many buildings already occurred and with so many more to come - even Beelitz around 2013 - I feel a sense of urgency as an era comes to a close never to be seen again. For those really into infiltration, I suppose it hold its charms.

I'm seeing more and more art exhibits these days reflecting urban explorer artistry. Sadly, I feel Canada overall missed out on this exodus of artistry and history married in spirit. In historical documents, there are various places in Ontario that declare they have no records, including photos, of past architecture, but at the same time Canada's policies, whether local, provincial or federal toward urban explorers has not been a welcoming partnership in the truest sense of historical collaboration.

Beelitz Germany does not restrict visitors to the hospital, where certain buildings are still in use, while others are vacant a good number of years. Some visitors are past patients, or families of past patients, others are photographers and explorers. I totally wish Canada and even parts of the USA had taken this approach, especially in facilities where parts of the facility are currently active.

It seems perfectly logical and even gracious to allow visitors, rather than the attitude of exclusivity and fear predominating the scene these days. After all, it is everyone's history and legacy, so why the stingy high security mentality? Once again, we are crossing the joining rivers, a crisis of delineating what is private property and what is societies common rights to access a heritage that so many would like us all to forget about, like it never existed.

But as much as we need the present and a strong future, we also need a map of our past. We need historians of all shapes and sizes. Not only those schooled with mainstream paradigms, but those of the collective. We need the postmodernists and neomodernists as much as the rest who help us interpret and deconstruct our collective histories of the urban environment, along with our collective interpretations of any societies view on madness at any given time in history.

Is Society Obsessed with Ghosts?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:45:00 +0000

Our society is fascinated with ghosts. Wait. That’s putting it a bit mildly. Our society is obsessed with ghosts. If you turn on the television, there are countless programs which detail people chasing ghosts, detecting ghosts, communicating with ghosts and even solving murders with the help of ghosts. Although sociologists may dissect this rabid preoccupation with the dead and come to the academic conclusion that man is facing his inherent fear of death and the stark reality of his own finiteness, there is a much simpler explanation: We like to make stuff up.

That’s it. There’s nothing more to this phenomenon than simple, childish desires playing themselves out. The whispering, shaking, astounded ghost hunters are really just taller versions of six year old's saying, “There’s a spider on your head! Gotcha!” The eerie woman who is convinced that she has ghosts living in her house, and has even spoken with them at times? Look again, and you’ll see the shy eight-year old with her imaginary friends. And what about the professionals who claim to communicate with the dead? Well, they just prove that although we realize that no one can actually grab our noses off our face, we are still horribly gullible.

Some may disagree and feel that they are capable of producing irrefutable evidence that ghosts are alive and well (or would that be dead and well?), and roaming the planet in search of an eternal resting place. They may be correct. Let’s just hope that if they are, all the ghosts look like Casper. Or better yet - Bruce Willis.

Guest Writer Post

Helping Displaced People of Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:15:00 +0000

Since Japan's earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, nonprofit and individual heros have come to the rescue pooling common resources, skills and talents in a time where Japan's resources are temporarily disabled. In times of disaster, the international community reminds me what is heroic about the human spirit.

Over a month later, there is still much that needs to be done. There have been hundreds of thousands of displaced people without homes, water or considerable comfort. Many of the people who lived close to ground zero the the Fukushima plants will not be able to return to their homes for many long months, years or decades. Displaced family pets have been left abandoned and the longer it takes to pool resources the less likely we can help.

Let's help. The Internet community is a viral community with the potential for crowd pooling of our resources. The Internet can help us reach out and make a difference. Families can make YouTube videos offering their homes to help displaced families in Japan to have a roof over their head. Others can ask for donations from Internet communities, like A Place to Call Home. You can add the widgets to websites, blogs or social media sites like Facebook. There are a lot of creative things we all do through Internet connections and it adds up when we all chip in!