Abandoned, 2nd Edition

In an expanded and updated edition, photographer Eric Holubow captures the melancholy, haunting beauty of decaying structures across the US. 

Across the United States, decaying ruins of once-thriving structures lie dormant and forgotten as time and nature leave their melancholy mark. Yet through this deterioration is an undeniable and haunting beauty, which Holubow skillfully captures. In this second edition, additional photos bring new stories and stirring sights to life. Centered in the Rust Belt but spanning the entire country, this photographic journey evokes the erosion of important parts of history. From big cities to small towns, breathtaking images of over 100 sites recall the faded glory of factories, churches, theaters, prisons, and power plants.

Arranged according to the functions these buildings served—working, living, learning, healing, playing, praying—Abandoned is a memento mori for industries, communities, and empires. Through rubble and rot, broken glass and clinging ivy, long-forgotten and forsaken corners of the country emerge as reminders of the fate that they—and everything we know—will eventually share.