Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences [Hardcover]

Matthew Christophers photographic record of decay depicts the tragic truth: that something extraordinary has ended and that nothing like it may ever come back. Were now going in the other direction despite a lot of wishful thinking: toward a loss of complexity, a reduction in the scale of activity, a loss of artistry, and probably the end of many comforts, conveniences and amenities weve come to take for granted.James Howard Kunstler, author of The Geography of NowhereThe places Christopher photographs tell their stories with silence and extraordinary light  the spaces between the life and death of a building. His pictures make me feel like someone told me a secret.Jane Derenowski, Reporter, NBC Nightly NewsIts romantic, its nostalgic, its wistful, its provocative. Its about time, nature, mortality, disinvestment.Joann Greco, The Atlantic CitiesThrough his photographs, Christopher makes a powerful statement about job loss, urban blight and historic preservation. In light of the collapse of American industry and the subsequent economic meltdown, the relevance of these topics has never been more important to the examination of Americas national identity.Joseph and Barrie Ann George, The SentinelOriginally intended as an examination of the rise and fall of the state hospital system, Matthew Christophers Abandoned America rapidly grew to encompass derelict factories and industrial sites, schools, churches, power plants, hospitals, prisons, military installations, hotels, resorts, homes, and more.Throughout the ages, mankind has been fascinated by the ruins of previous societies. The desire to gain a greater understanding of our past has driven archaeologists, artists, and scholars from across the world to study the vestiges of lifestyles that have vanished in an attempt to capture their mystique and beauty.Originally intended as an examination of the rise and fall of the state hospital system, Matthew Christophers Abandoned America rapidly grew to enl1