2 Comments Posted by cb

This picture captures the essence of decay and loss. My favorite so far.

I first learned that sometimes when people walk away from a structure they leave furniture and records when I visited Goldfield Nevada in 1967. The Goldfield Hotel had closed in 1959 or thereabouts, and looking in the windows of the dining room, I saw the tables set for a meal but covered with dust. The grocery store had a calandar on the wall from the year of closing and the shelves were lined with canned goods. These artifacts added to the air of tragedy and dashed lives present in the abandoned buildings.

In 1956 I was a college student who took an Abnormal Psychology class at a nearby college. We had a field trip to Belchertown to observe the "feebleminded" which included a visit to the theater where some students entertained us with a musical review. I remember every detail of the trip and experienced a shock of recognition looking at this picture.

I am familiar with most of the asylums in Massachusetts, and can tell you that even speaking their names invoked terror back in the 40's and 50's. My family came from Springfield ,and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Alzheimer's patients were sent to the state hospitals. I had many relatives that ended up in Northampton. My mother was terrified of "being sent to Northampton" and I admit that the pictures of the old asylums strikes fear into my heart.

Your pictures are stunningly beautiful and I am enjoying your web site very much.