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 around the world to study the vestiges of lifestyles that have vanished in an attempt to capture their mystique and beauty. Join author Matthew Christopher as he discusses his adventurous explorations for his new book, Abandoned America. The author will have books for sale and will stay to sign them after the talk.
About the Book
Originally an examination of the rise and fall of the state hospital system, Matthew Christopher’s Abandoned America rapidly grew to encompass derelict factories and industrial sites, schools, churches, power plants, hospitals, prisons, military installations, hotels, resorts, homes, and more. Through his collection of essays and photographs, Christopher has spent the last decade documenting the ruins of one of the greatest civilizations the world has ever known: our own. Exploring sites like the charred remains of the Hotel Do De, the rusted cells of the Essex County Jail Annex, the sublime majesty of the Church of the Transfiguration, or the eerie and dilapidated remnants of the New Castle Elks Lodge, Christopher’s work spans architectural treasures left to the elements and then all too often lost forever.
About the Author
Christopher earned his MFA in Imaging Arts and Sciences from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2012. His work has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the East Coast, including OK Harris (NYC), Open Lens Gallery (Philadelphia), Frick Fine Arts Building (Pittsburgh), and the Edward Hopper House (Nyack, NY). His photography has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the L.A. Times, BBC, ABC News, NPR, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, Catholic Sun, Yahoo News, Yahoo Travel, Business Insider, The Telegraph, Daily Mail, Buzzfeed, the Weather Channel, the Huffington Post, New York Daily News, the Metro, Photo District News, Photographer’s Forum, Juxtapoz, the Discovery Channel Magazine, and many others. He has lectured on the art of ruins, abandoned spaces, historic preservation, and mental health history across the United States.