Creepiness in a Not-So-Old and Abandoned Home
Old and abandoned buildings are usually a ruin that results from age and abuse. Damage from water, mold, deterioration, and vandalism is commonplace and expected when entering one. I recently photographed an old bungalow that was a bit different. Parts of the home were in pretty good shape. A little time with a broom and mop would make the place look like it was never abandoned.
It felt strange, creepy actually, being inside this house. Although it had been years since anyone lived there, I couldn’t help feeling like I was invading someone’s home.
The Living Room
The living room was in relatively good condition with cheery wallpaper and a need for a thorough cleaning. I was drawn to the old television set which was a throwback to another time. Even the idea of a TV as a common item in every home is diminishing as more people watch their visual entertainment on computers and mobile devices.
It was interesting and a bit odd that amid the mess were decorations in good condition hanging on the walls.
The Kitchen
The kitchen was deteriorating with peeling paint and disconnected plumbing. Yet the decorative objects, cleaners and dishes looking like they were recently used, gave a really creepy, lived-in, feeling. The title of this photograph, by the way, is the year on the old date book laying on top of the ironing board. I did look through it. Nothing was written inside, so it gave no insights as to when this bungalow ceased to be a home.
The rest of the bungalow was more like one would expect an old and abandoned building to look like, yet the stairway to the basement still had a clean little knick-knack hanging on the wall.
I’m starting to feel more and more of an obligation to photograph and document some of our local old and abandoned places. As they all start to disappear, their histories and memories of them will also fade.
Enjoy
wow…I would love to stay awake one night there….
It would be interesting although in the middle of the day it was pretty strange.
Very creepy indeed. I often wonder about the people who lived there, why did they leave and where did they go?
I wonder about that myself. Even with industrial buildings you wonder what happened to the workers who lost their jobs. For homes and farms, you wonder not only what happened, but how it must have felt to lose the legacy of a house or farm that may have been owned by generations of the same family.
Another great find. Love that TV Wonder what the last show was that played on its screen.
Strong collection.
Thanks Buck. I appreciate your compliment. I wonder about that TV too. It really is kind of a icon of the golden age of TV before cable and the internet.
Nice post!! I know someone who just bought a house like this (in better shape) and he almost lost it to a developer who was going to gut everything. He and his wife lucked out and got it, and have been restoring it, putting all sorts of kitschy stuff from that era into it. Love that old TV.
Thanks for your comment Michael. That TV is what attracted me to the inside of this place when I saw it through the window. I’m glad your friend saved his house. They are all loaded with character, history, and once in awhile, a ghost. This one will probably be demolished at some point to make way for a commercial development.
I don’t know how you do it was my first thought… then… yep, been there done that. Not sure how you deal with the voyeuristic tendencies that creep in but in this place, upon just viewing the pics the force was stronger with me. So not being there I’d imagine they would be even stronger. I glad you posted this so I could work out my insecurities prior to shooting a place like this… oh … really love the ‘stairwell’ and the ‘TV’ shot!!!!
Mike, I always appreciate your comments as we tend to share the same tendencies in our work. I recently have been inspired to record old places around the area. As they disappear, we lose a piece of our local history that should be recorded before they go. By the way, that TV was the thing that really attracted me to this bungalow. It tells its own story, doesn’t it?
Great set Rich. I really felt like I was going on your tour as I read the text and scrolled through the pictures! You and I share the same feelings about these old places. Since this one was not abandoned that long ago perhaps we feel even more of a presence.
Thanks Denise. As always I appreciate your comments. You are one of the people who influenced me to point a camera at abandoned buildings and rusty old things so it stands to reason that we would share the same feelings for these places. Lately, I’m finding that becoming even more important to me, especially because some that have been apart of the local landscape for years are starting to disappear.
Great Stuff!
Thanks Pat!