Time and tide wait for no man and all it means is that no one is so powerful that they can stop the march of time. Throughout the ages, mankind has had a unquenchable desire to understand our past and so continues to explore the ruins of previous societies. The ensuing abandonment and eventual ruin of a structure reflects the values and ideals of a time. In some of the books on Abandoned Buildings listed below, the authors provide a photographic record of the decay of societies forcing us to confront who we were, who we are, and who we wish to become among this modern debris in our midst. As an act of full disclosure, these books are sold on Amazon and the link to these books is an affiliate link.
Abandoned America:
The Age Of Consequences
Matthew Christopher originally intended to examine the state hospital system. However, his work grew to encompass derelict factories, schools, churches and other abandoned buildings. He ultimately makes a powerful statement about job loss and urban blight, the collapse of American industry and the subsequent economic meltdown.
Abandoned America:
Dismantling The Dream
In this book Matthew Christopher continues his tour throughout American cities, examining the abandonment and the losses and failures that led these ruins to become forsaken by their communities.
His photographic expose envelops abandoned theaters, mental asylums, high schools, mega-malls, a ghost town built around a gold mine, hotels doomed by deteriorating economies, cities struggling to cope with many blighted properties left behind when the industries disappeared.
Abandoned NYC
Will Ellis is a Brooklyn-based writer and photographer who has posted regularly on his blog, AbandonedNYC.com since 2012. This is a book that shares insight into the history and explores the urban decay of New York. It details what the buildings were used for, who stayed there, and why they became abandoned in the first place. The photos show places that most people will never see, of crumbling institutions, defunct military posts, abandoned factories, railroads, schools, and waterways.
Abandoned Planet
This book brings you an epic collection of the work of Andre Govia never before seen in print. Andre is a photographer based in the United Kingdom. He has experience in the fields of film and television. He is regarded by his peers as a pioneer among urban explorers.
He has traveled in over 22 different countries worldwide and he has explored over 800 individual locations to document global urban decay left behind by the ravages of time. He has a talent to arouse a mixture of emotions through his work giving rise to feelings of sadness and curiosity.
Ruin: Photographs of a Vanishing America
Brian Vanden Brink is an architectural photographer who has been taking memorable pictures of the interiors and exteriors of American buildings for almost 30 years.
Brian has captured hauntingly beautiful images of abandoned homes, churches, mills, and storefronts to name a few.
“Ruin” is a fascinating browse and a very highly recommended addition for any personal, professional, academic, or community library American Photography collection.
By Midwest Book Review on July 17, 2009.
States of Decay: Urbex New York and
Americas Forgotten North East
Photographers Daniel Barter and Daniel Marbaix are part of the new breed of urban explorers who share a ride from NYC to the infamous Rust Belt, once home to America’s heavy industry. The photographs of U.S. urban decay tend to speak for themselves and remind us of what life was like before manufacturing went off-shore. This book is a unique exploration of abandoned power plants, hospitals, asylums, schools, theaters, hotels and cathedrals and more and shows that there is failure and decay hidden just beneath the surface.