Kirsch is a 35-year-old web programmer whose curiosity got the better of him. He started when he stumbled into an abandoned psychiatric hospital, and wondered what was inside. Now, he takes photos of long-abandoned buildings decaying as a result of the neglect as a hobby and runs a website called Opacity, where he posts these photos.
Website: http://opacity.us/
Website: http://opacity.us/
Schools
The first photo is that of the Arlington School, which opened in 1908 and was the first high school in the city of Bessemer. It made plenty of use of natural light and included facilities like this gymnasium. When it closed in 1986 and fell into neglect, graffiti eventually took place. The graffiti in the gymnasium made it look more cryptic, as it had many references to the Ku Klux Klan, a pro-white hate group in the US. In this instance, the graffiti only serves to promote the fact that the building has fell into disrepair among the crumbling of the building,
The second photo was in Chateau de Mesen in the city of Lede, Belgium. The building closed in 1970 as it taught it's lessons in French, but the legal provision was to teach in Dutch. As a result, the building fell into neglect. The broken, fungi-ridden beams and the light shining in from the top of the broken ceiling that allowed light in demonstrates the lack of care that the building was subjected to.
The third photo is that of the Carr School, an elementary school that was opened in 1909. It featured a U-shape, and featured only basic amenities as the school district had a low budget to build the facility. The school shuttered in 1978 and fell into disuse. Here in the photo, the grand staircase is shown, heavily decayed with the railing heavily rotted and a huge amount of rubble on the ground. The light shining in from the window and only shining unto one part of the staircase gives it a more cryptic, abandoned feel as it lacks the usual full, artificial light it once had.
The second photo was in Chateau de Mesen in the city of Lede, Belgium. The building closed in 1970 as it taught it's lessons in French, but the legal provision was to teach in Dutch. As a result, the building fell into neglect. The broken, fungi-ridden beams and the light shining in from the top of the broken ceiling that allowed light in demonstrates the lack of care that the building was subjected to.
The third photo is that of the Carr School, an elementary school that was opened in 1909. It featured a U-shape, and featured only basic amenities as the school district had a low budget to build the facility. The school shuttered in 1978 and fell into disuse. Here in the photo, the grand staircase is shown, heavily decayed with the railing heavily rotted and a huge amount of rubble on the ground. The light shining in from the window and only shining unto one part of the staircase gives it a more cryptic, abandoned feel as it lacks the usual full, artificial light it once had.
Hospitals
The first photo was taken in Hayswood Hospital, which was constructed in 1925 and was originally named Wilson Hospital before being renamed. It shuttered for good in 1983 as services shifted elsewhere. The decay, with the natural light peering through parts of the hallway as a result of the neglect, gives this photo a very cryptic feel due to the lack of consistent light. The exposed pipes result in a picture that shows the clear neglect and age that the building has underwent.
The second photo was taken on Hart Island, which was established as a hospital for women in 1885. The building went through many iterations, such as a Reformatory for Misdemeanants, which was built in 1904. The island was finally shuttered in 1976 and no more residential programmes were carried out. The foreground of an unkempt tree, together with the broken windows and the ivy-adorned walls show the destructive elements that the building has weathered over the years. This gives the photo a creepy feel to it as a result of the leafless tree that has taken the foreground.
The final photo was taken at Krankenhouse Staacken, built in 1935 and was originally constructed as an airport. It was then used by a university after the Second World War until 1959 before becoming a hospital. Save for a small part to become a kindergarten, the rest was closed in 1998 as a result of a new hospital being constructed following the reunification of Germany. The photo shows the building in minor disrepair(as a result of it's recent abandonment) with mild graffiti on the wall. The graffiti shows that a delinquent has come in and sprayed it on. The result is an impactful photo depicting only the beginning of a building that will only fall more and more into decay.
The second photo was taken on Hart Island, which was established as a hospital for women in 1885. The building went through many iterations, such as a Reformatory for Misdemeanants, which was built in 1904. The island was finally shuttered in 1976 and no more residential programmes were carried out. The foreground of an unkempt tree, together with the broken windows and the ivy-adorned walls show the destructive elements that the building has weathered over the years. This gives the photo a creepy feel to it as a result of the leafless tree that has taken the foreground.
The final photo was taken at Krankenhouse Staacken, built in 1935 and was originally constructed as an airport. It was then used by a university after the Second World War until 1959 before becoming a hospital. Save for a small part to become a kindergarten, the rest was closed in 1998 as a result of a new hospital being constructed following the reunification of Germany. The photo shows the building in minor disrepair(as a result of it's recent abandonment) with mild graffiti on the wall. The graffiti shows that a delinquent has come in and sprayed it on. The result is an impactful photo depicting only the beginning of a building that will only fall more and more into decay.