Abandoned Buildings are Our Mortality
On the 795 Highway south of Calmar, Alberta, is a building, possibly an old school house, that has seen better days. Why are people fascinated with old, abandoned, potentially dangerous, buildings?
Why do people enjoy looking at buildings that are no longer in their glory?
In Europe many ancient buildings are especially valued as historical structures. In North America the history is not so deep and the old buildings might only be a hundred years old. Many were made of wood, they show their age and soon become eye catching works of art that nobody, other than perhaps an artist or photographer, would want on their property.
The love of looking at old, abandoned buildings has even spawned a Reddit following, in /r/abandonedporn, which sees beautiful, and artistic, pictures of what some would call ugly buildings. Why do we enjoy seeing these naked buildings?
Taken in 2008 on Highway 795 south of Calmar, AB.
What is it about the death of a building that makes it so interesting? Is it the ability to see into the past? Is it a look at our mortality? What do we see when we look at a structure that is no longer loved and cared for and left to rot?
In a growing world where people are added every day and new buildings seem to lack the heart and soul that must have gone into the earlier structures, we are left with nothing but an image, a shell of what was. Yet these ghostly buildings fascinate us.
Taken in 2011.
Although this building held on for many years the weight of the snow fall finally did the roof in, and I suspect it will not last another year. What was it, a school, I suspect, or perhaps a community hall. In a few years a person may be able to drive by this same spot and will not even realize there was a building there. It will be lost to the ages, hidden in the pasture, consumed by time.
For some reason we are drawn to look at, and admire, buildings in their dying days, and we often do so with feelings of wonder that we cannot explain. I must admit I loved driving by this building, and will be sorry to see it finally gone.
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Comments: 62 | Post a CommentPost a Comment
binyumanyun | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
Nice written..
MJ Sunderland | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
Excellent piece and I agree that abandoned buildings can be very evocative.
KevinForde | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
God article, I think it has a lot to do with mortality. These places remind us of the fragility of life in a way that contemporary buildings and technology just can’t.
Bruce Officer | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
Made me immediately think of a book called Forbidden Places: Exploring Our Abandoned Heritage, which is a volume of photos of abandoned buildings, factories, etc. in the UK (Amazon link http://www.amazon.co.uk/FORBIDDEN-PLACES-Exploring-abandoned-heritage/dp/2915807825). Not one I’ve read yet, but saw it reviewed in an engineering magazine (because of the abandoned factories it covers) and it’s on my Amazon wishlist to get round to sometime.
Bruce Officer | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
Oops, just read the description again and the book I mentioned is on abandoned buildings worldwide, not just UK.
vijayanths | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
Interesting share.
athena goodlight | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
A very lovely piece. Intense nostalgia would definitely pour over those who have been to this building ages ago and would read your article. Liked!
Jackie118 | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
I adore looking at old abandoned buildings Brenda. I love to ponder on what had gone before throughout it’s useful life! As you say, here in the UK we have all sorts of ruins and they never cease to amaze me. In my home city of Norwich we have parts of old stonework around the boundary of the city which orignally formed the old city fortification and which date back to the Norman times. Whenever I go past them I think about the soldiers that would have defended the city, how they lived, what they wore, and, being a local girl, whether any of those living within the fortification or protecting it were my ancestors!! But I do hope that your ruin can withstand another winter.
Dehan Nathaniel | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
Abandoned buildings are a beautiful sight. It’s like they are telling you a story….nice share!
webseowriters | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
lovely
papaleng | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
Truly abandoned buildings are fascinating… they always tell us a good story about the past.
Diverseblogger | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
Truly a beautiful piece!
dwisuka | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
nice article
FX777222999 | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
Yes, the best…some but not all, because of the ghosts are living there….halloween!!!
The Silver Phoenix | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
a really wonderful script.
Chesapeake VA Homes for Sale | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply
Thank you for sharing such information. Its nice to know that you keep on addressing this kind of issues in our society. Hopefully, peoples concerned will take actions into this matter. Anyway, you got what it takes to become a good blogger. Again, thank you and hope to have your next post soon.
Uhlig CD Produktion | Oct 8, 2011 | Reply
Great Pics! Wonderful work!
Uma Shankari | Oct 8, 2011 | Reply
Old buildings seems to tell a mysterious tale. As its death nears, it appears to take a life of its own, wanting to talk all about what happened under its crumbling exteriors.
girishpuri | Oct 8, 2011 | Reply
something different
Inna Tysoe | Oct 9, 2011 | Reply
I just like to imagine the people (I often make up stories about them) who lived or worked there. Maybe it has to do with mortality-I don’t know.
Mark Gordon Brown | Oct 9, 2011 | Reply
This beautiful building is about 20 minutes from my home. On the other side of it somebody painted Grad’08
lovinglyoursjuny | Oct 9, 2011 | Reply
Interesting
Thanks for sharing
Patrick von Stutenzee | Oct 9, 2011 | Reply
old buildings just have more cachet than modern ones
beautiful pictures!
Robert Heston | Oct 9, 2011 | Reply
I enjoyed your article Brenda. When I was a kid & the family would go to rural Idaho where both my parents are from, both my brother & me got a kick out of having dad take us to abandoned farm houses so that we could go exploring for old stuff. Your article takes me back to that time.
erwinkennythomas | Oct 9, 2011 | Reply
it’s part of the historic legacy of the place!
Karen Gross | Oct 9, 2011 | Reply
I’m not sure what draws us to these old buildings, but it sounds like a lot of people share this feeling. Great pictures.
Matthew Gore | Oct 10, 2011 | Reply
I’m not sure that I agree that it has anything to do with a sense of our own mortality, but it’s certainly an interesting idea. I’ve always loved photographing urban decay and collapsing buildings; for me it’s more about capturing a sense of history and time, and the feeling of discovering something beautiful that someone else has discarded.
Nice pictures, too
- Matthew Gore
vickylass | Oct 11, 2011 | Reply
In Europe, it was started a squatters’ movement in old, abandoned houses. This is perhaps the use we could find to these old and abandoned houses with so many homeless there are out there. Thanks for sharing.
Peter B. Giblett | Oct 11, 2011 | Reply
Having lived in both Europe and North America I have to say that this is a common trait in both continents. The highways seem to be littered with abandoned buildings, that the owners seem to not know they exist nor care about them. Sadly the end result is usually the same collapse and ruin.
Wilfred C. Basquial | Oct 12, 2011 | Reply
Anything like a fading building can bean inspiring topic. nice post
willie wondka | Oct 12, 2011 | Reply
an old building is quite artful like a tree or an image, its also a distant memory of what was, someone’s home/ refuge or a place where someone took shelter during the war or on the run, etc. a ship stranded or sunken beneath the sea is also the same, sad but an interesting place to dive, explore and find out it’s history in it’s hay day. Thanks for sharing.
Santa Monica Personal Injury Attorney | Oct 12, 2011 | Reply
I guess the charm of old buildings comes from the fact that we all wondered what could have happened in its glory days. The lives of the people who once inhabited it will always make one curious. Probably all of us experienced venturing out into old, rotting houses and tried looking for memorabilias that may have been left there by former owners. This is a really great post, nostalgic and kind of heart-warming.
Photoshop Efektleri | Oct 13, 2011 | Reply
I’m not sure what draws us to these old buildings, but it sounds like a lot of people share this feeling. Great pictures.
Nikon D3100 vs Canon T2i | Oct 19, 2011 | Reply
I love this type of thing. I remember as a kid we used to love to go to abandoned buildings around Halloween time. Good fun. But dangerous and I don’t recommend it
Joey G. | Oct 19, 2011 | Reply
Very cool, I will be going to the run down buildings around my town. Thanks
mike alexander | Oct 20, 2011 | Reply
There’s an awesome abandoned building right on the main road in Mineral Wells, TX. It used to be a big hotel.
Donald Kelly | Oct 23, 2011 | Reply
Wow Really Amazing photos! very enteresting to look at. THANKS!
NYC Birthday Ideas | Oct 24, 2011 | Reply
What a great idea for a post! I found myself recently mesmerized by “abandoned buildings” when exploring the old city in Panama, and now I have brought that fascination back to NYC. Great post!
CHIPMUNK | Oct 26, 2011 | Reply
Great insight of these buildings thanks
Worldmodels | Nov 5, 2011 | Reply
gr8 work frnd nice post thanks for sharing
Commercial Photographer Brisbane | Nov 9, 2011 | Reply
Nice article. I photograph a lot of old buildings and forts and I find the wonder of “what was” the most attractive thing to these old buildings. Of course the natural decaying process is an artform in itself and begs to be captured in photographs before the process passes. Great blog, thanks for sharing.
Sam Greensted | Nov 24, 2011 | Reply
Great post, thanks for the handy collection.
Sam
Andrew | Nov 24, 2011 | Reply
I love old buldings
Andy | Nov 25, 2011 | Reply
Buildings like this are a dream once found. Great for photo shoots. This one looks like something out of a fairy tail.Wedding Photography Bedford
Harry Hilders | Nov 30, 2011 | Reply
I agree, we need to keep the old buildings in live becasue it is our heritage and they have so much history hidden inside.
Joe@muskegon photography | Dec 1, 2011 | Reply
nice
I found a house like that on my way to yellowstone a few months ago. It was caving in and creepy looking 
Bob Stubbs | Dec 3, 2011 | Reply
Great article and pictures. It is sad seeing the pictures and thinking of the story each one can tell.
Urban Interest | Dec 6, 2011 | Reply
Harry, I agree with you. I think history is a very important part of our life!
Kevin | Dec 14, 2011 | Reply
good article and great photos
Fashion Photographer | Dec 15, 2011 | Reply
There’s a few abadoned buildings near to my photography studio that would make great shoot locations. I find it all fascinating, but could never imagine saying to a client “yeah, just meet me at the abadoned asylum” =D
digital-camera-fan | Jan 7, 2012 | Reply
It’s a pity to destroy a building that has taken a lot of time and effort to erect.
mp-digital | Jan 7, 2012 | Reply
Sometimes it’s easier and cheaper to move on and start from scratch.
Amber@Salt Lake City Child Photographer | Jan 12, 2012 | Reply
Amazing photos! I LOVE old buildings, I love the story they tell…. very cool.
rj11-adsl-cables | Jan 13, 2012 | Reply
I wouldn’t have taken a second glance but your photograph makes it mildly interesting.
20W-halogen-bulbs | Jan 13, 2012 | Reply
Your work is very thought provoking judging by the amount of comments.
mika | Jan 17, 2012 | Reply
so cool pictures good job
i hope you visit me at:photo trick
digital-camera-user | Jan 21, 2012 | Reply
I guess this building was beyond repair. How sad.
Tom E | Feb 3, 2012 | Reply
Yeah man… Very creepy
I also have a morbid thing with sunken ships… probably a very similar thing.
I used to to the photography for a company called ‘Stage electrics’ in the UK who required photographs of the lighting set ups for a program called ‘Most Haunted’. It meant me wandering around scary old buildings (Meant to be haunted) and taking creepy photos.
One of the highlights of being a photographer for me personally!
Linus Moran | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
Makes you wonder. Modern society throws things away rather than repair and reuse.
Dan | Feb 23, 2012 | Reply
What an unusual post. Its cool to come across something so different. There’s something kind of sad about abandoned buildings. There’s an abandoned one near where I used to lived called “The hell fire club”, it was on top of a mountain and people used to camp in it to test there nerve. Too creepy for my liking. Thanks for sharing.
Jasmin @ Utah Wedding Photography | Feb 29, 2012 | Reply
Very well written and great photos, this makes me want to go out and photograph older structures/buildings to show their beauty.
Nic @ Suffolk Wedding Photographers | Apr 13, 2012 | Reply
As part of my business is the sale of images for use as book covers, I have often used abandoned buildings as locations for stock shoots. It will be a sad day when all these abandoned buildings are replaced by some architect’s modernistic dream.