Abandoned cars, ships, factories, houses. Some seem lonely, orphaned. Others deserve their fate. They cry, “I was beautiful and important once!” And we reply, “No, you never were.” Many are beautiful only now that they’ve been reclaimed by a splendor which existed long before their human creators, desperate for immortality, gave them their garish facades. The more they merge with the world around them, one that existed long before they were born, the more the beauty of that world and of its Creator adorns them. How many people are the same?
Click on any image to enlarge it, or to start slide show.
“The smell hit her first. Mold. Dampness. Cold lifeless things. Within, there was a darker sort of silence, as if the building had been holding its breath for so long it had forgotten how to breathe.” ~Angela Panayotopulo
“All is as if the world did cease to exist. The city’s monuments go unseen, its past unheard, and its culture slowly fading in the dismal sea.” ~Nathan Reese Maher
“He stood there for a moment looking around the silent room, shaking his head slowly. All these books, he thought, the residue of a planet’s intellect, the scrapings of futile minds, the leftovers, the potpourri of artifacts that had no power to save men from perishing.” ~Richard Matheson
“I bought this place for a pittance, because it was a dump. Rejected, abandoned, unwanted. Like me. I fixed it up. Made it mine.” ~Jasinda Wilder
“The greatest loss lies in our inability to accept loss.” ~Craig D. Lounsbrough
“God draws near to the brokenhearted. He leans toward those who are suffering. He knows what it feels like to be wounded and abandoned.” ~John D. Richardson
Mitch Teemley 
Reblogged this on Blue Dragon Journal.
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Beautiful! I am reminded of the Japanese term wabi-sabi. Loosely translated, wabi-sabi is the beauty of imperfection.
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I just noticed that you were the photographer of the abandoned truck. It looks so green there in Ohio.
The abandoned doll factory in Spain is chilling. But not as chilling as the abandoned nursery in Chernobyl. Whew.
I like the bicycle in the tree. Thanks for these. Wabi-sabi indeed!
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Reblogged this on A Blog About Healing From PTSD and commented:
“God draws near to the brokenhearted. He leans toward those who are suffering. He knows what it feels like to be wounded and abandoned.” ~John D. Richardson
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I’m honored, as always, Linda.
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God didn’t abandoned them. People abandoned them. God is slowly bringing them home.
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Exactly!
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Amazing photos! There’s a unique beauty within abandonment reclaimed by nature.
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There is indeed.
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1st picture second row (island ship)
that’s what I call harmony!
all super … one question … where’s the kid? Is he still on the bike?
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;>) Presumably driving his SUV to pick up his kid, or grandkid, home from college.
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good answer!!
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Haunting
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Absolutely love this. When I lived in the UK, I always preferred to visit the ruined castles than the intact ones with guided tours…
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Beautiful words and photography…thanks!
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A photographer’s dream discovering some of these sights, creepy, but reassuring how quickly nature takes over.
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Yes! I shouted, “Cool!” when I saw that abandoned truck in a field (my only personal contribution here), yet it pales in comparison to some of these other images.
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Hi Mitch,
Abandon things, but people shouldn’t feel like it, but they do. I love how the Lord let’s things die in order to make things new.
Thank you,
Gary
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Beautiful, haunting, and instructive. Thanks for these.
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My pleasure, Russ.
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Lovely, lonely story-prompts! How… when… whom… why…?
My heart wants to know…. and thus there is life still in these pictures of reclamation.
Well-posted! Thanks!
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My pleasure. And good to hear from you, Anne!
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These are all so evocative. The abandoned funeral home certainly is ironic, isn’t it?
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It is indeed.
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When I read your words “Many are beautiful only now that they’ve been reclaimed by a splendor which existed long before their human creators, desperate for immortality, gave them their garish facades” it made me think about the past and how people refer to the good old days without realizing all the strife and turmoil we had to experience to get through them. We focus on a handful of good memories and let the others dissolve in file folders in our minds. Great post, thanks for sharing!
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Thank you, Marge, and thank you for your thoughts!
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I’m a huge fan of photos of abandoned things and places. All of these are beautiful!
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The abandoned truck is more than just a truck. I have one that’s nearly identical to it within a short drive of my home.
It is a drilling rig. The one close to me was used to take core samples of the mountains in the search for water, oil, gas and of course coal. Often we’ll find the castings laying in the woods. The castings are cylindrical pieces of granite from deep breath mountains. In the old days people would collect them and use them as whetstones.
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And thereby hangs a tale, or rather many tales.
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Love the images and very glad God doesn’t abandon us!
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GREAT
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Amazing words and photography
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Looks like sites for a dystopian movie.
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This is quite a collection of abandonment. I may have been in some of those places. Great post.
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Thanks, JW.
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You are welcome
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These are great. My favorite is the “Haunted Past”. I have to share an exprience I encounted dealing with abandoned places.
A few years back I was really getting into these photos of abandoned places. The wallpaper on my computer was a rotation of strange and haunted photos. But before long I felt a check in my spirit, the Lord telling me,”That’s how you see yourself as empty and abandoned, but I live in you and that is not who you are.” I immediately took down the pictures.
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Wonderful, Michael! There’s no better therapist than the Holy Spirit.
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Some of these are absolutely amazing, yet so sad. The ones of Chernobyl made me teary. I like that the earth is reclaiming the land at lease.
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Me too, Carla.
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These pictures are really cool, Mitch. I like your picture of the water rig truck.
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Thanks, Bill.
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For whatever reason, I really enjoy these types of photographs of “abandoned” places and structures. This is a terrific collection. I always to know how these subjects came to be in the condition they are in. Thank you for sharing these, Mitch!
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This type of photography fascinates me, and at the same time makes me feel a little melancholic, as I wonder, why did the people just walk away? I sometimes thinksome of the items in these abandoned places could find new life if they were reclaimed, like the chandelier at the Mexico City theatre. (of course nothing could be reclaimed from Chernobyl, at least for a thousand years or so)
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Lovely, excellent pictures abandoned beauty
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These are beautiful and yet haunting
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Many beautiful pictures, but the abandoned doll factory is a little creepy
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Interesting images
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These are beautiful photos of abandoned, broke-down things.
I have done a lot of hitchhiking throughout the United States in the past 23 years. I have stayed in a lot of Christian missions and shelters full of abandoned, broke-down people. But some of those broke-down people are very much alive with the Spirit of God. Broken bread and poured-out wine.
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What a wonderful inside perspective, Tim.
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Tim, I appreciate the Oswald Chambers reference; especially as it applies to the homeless community.
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Wonderful!
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Love photos of abandoned places, incredibly fascinating and really gets the imagination working! Have you checked out any Seph Lawless’ work? He’s got loads of photography from all over the place, definitely worth a google if you’re into that kind of thing!
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No, I haven’t, but I will. Thanks, El!
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you’re in for a treat, I love his work!
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Brilliant curation of photos!
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Thank you!
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My pleasure
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