The House I Grew Up In
There have been a lot of abandoned places over the years. For awhile, the subject of "urban exploration" was the main focus of my photographic and written work. Since I was 17, I’ve had the opportunity to document many captivating subjects in both the historic and visual sense. Sometimes I was with a guide or showing up with an invitation—other times it was more of an “adventure,” if you will. From “ghost ships” to subway tunnels to stadiums and amusement parks—the types of places have varied, but there are two distinct categories in which I’ve viewed these derelict locales: the ones I knew and the ones I didn’t.
From The Archives: Surf Cincinnati on 35mm
Surf Cincinnati was the place where I first indulged in a curiosity of exploring abandoned locales, the place that turned a childhood interest with photography into a passion. I loved “Surf” as a 90s kid when it was alive just as much as I loved wandering through its derelict state later in life. The park has always stuck with me, a subject that still shines influence on my writing and photography to this day.
From the Archives: the Cincinnati Skywalk in December 2008
I recently posed a question on Twitter: “If you could time travel to any location/point in history, where and when would you travel to?” The answers ranged from the first moon landing to meeting Jesus Christ, the Wright Brothers’ first flight, killing Hitler, the Treaty of Versailles, and sports championships. Among the thoughtful responses, though, not a single soul (despite my hint) said that they’d travel to the Cincinnati Skywalk system in December of 2008.
From the Archives: The Pool at Pomerene Hall
Did you ever see that episode of “Are You Afraid of The Dark?”
Camden Park - May 18, 2008
During a recent trip through West Virginia, Ryan and I stopped to make a few photographs of Camden Park. Already closed for the season, the quick detour got me thinking about some older images from a visit to the park over ten years ago and how this place intersected with several other QC/D stories/elements of my work over the years.
The Hocking Drive-In Theatre & The Logan Roundhouse/Stewart's Folly
Photographs dug up from a few years ago: an abandoned drive-in and a peculiar, round house.
The Quest For McDonald's Pizza
Have you ever seen “Crossroads” with Britney Spears (and Dan Aykroyd, apparently)?
This is What a Blockbuster Looked Like...
…for the most part.
These stores weren’t always filled with banners displaying slogans like “everything must go” and “entire store on sale.” In fact, the idea of a Blockbuster Video location closing was probably once thought to be preposterous.
From the Archives: Tombstone Territory
As I started looking back at the story of the former LeSourdsville Lake/Americana Amusement Park, I came across some old photographs that were previously unpublished.
An Update to the Story of Galbreath Field
You may remember the "From the Archives" story back in February 2017 about Galbreath Field. The stadium was a high school football venue and once a cornerstone of the departed College Football Hall of Fame. In addition to American football, Galbreath also hosted the Cincinnati Riverhawks, a defunct pro soccer team that came well before the rise of FC Cincinnati.
From the Archives Part 9: Brown County, OH
Rambling and wandering down the roadside in Brown County back in 2014.
From the Archives Part 8: The Lake Drive-In Theatre
East of Cincinnati, the Starlite Drive-In still operates its own piece of Americana, but there was once another in the area, lost in 1974 and now buried behind the trees.
From the Archives Part 7: Indiana & Ohio Railroad Cars
Abandoned railcars from a bygone era of travel once sitting in Southeast Ohio.
From the Archives Part 6: Nelsonville/York School
Built in the early 20th Century: an abandoned school in Southeastern, Ohio.
From the Archives Part 5: The Emery Theatre
Music Hall, the Aronoff, the Taft, Memorial Hall, and even Bogarts have all come to be iconic Cincinnati concert venues in both classic and contemporary circles. However, at the corner of Central Parkway and Walnut, the Emery Theatre with its legendary acoustics and gorgeous balconies still waits to join that list. These photos from 2008 highlight an ongoing story.
From the Archives Part 4: Roseville Prison
A forgotten prison in a small Eastern Ohio town that was once part of the larger state penitentiary system. Featuring photographs from 2007: part 4 of From the Archives.
From the Archives Part 3: Galbreath Field and the Cincinnati Riverhawks
In the latest edition of stories from the archives, some decade old photographs of an abandoned football stadium reveal the history of a short-lived pro soccer team just as the current team pursues major league status.
Followup: The Oakley Drive-In When it Was Still Operating
Thanks to a reader: some photos of the previously featured Oakley Drive-In Theatre when it was still operational, before it was abandoned and subsequently demolished.
From the Archives Part 2: Shelter From the Weather or Nuclear Fallout?
In Part 2 of the "From the Archives" series: some photos from 2008 of a shelter in the woods. Was it constructed as a means of escape from violent weather or nuclear war? If the bomb did drop, could it even survive?