Abandoned America

Abandoned America chronicles photographer Matthew Christopher's decade-long documentation of deserted buildings across the United States. Through images and text, the book captures forgotten places including schools, churches, factories, hospitals, and prisons. Christopher provides historical context and background stories for each location, explaining how these once-bustling places fell into disuse and decay. The photographs reveal both architectural details and evidence of the human lives that once filled these spaces. The compilation serves as a record of America's changing industrial and institutional landscape, examining cycles of growth, decline and transformation in communities. Through its documentation of architectural ruins, the book raises questions about preservation, progress, and what society chooses to remember or discard.

Readers rate this photography book 4.7/5 on Amazon and 4.3/5 on Goodreads based on hundreds of reviews. Readers highlighted: - High quality images that document abandoned buildings in detail - Historical research and context provided for each location - Balance between photos and written descriptions - Print quality and paper stock Common criticisms: - Some readers wanted larger photos - A few noted repetitive themes across locations - Price point ($45) considered high by some Notable reader comments: "The descriptions transport you into these forgotten places" - Amazon reviewer "Documents America's industrial decline without being preachy" - Goodreads review "Would have preferred less text and more full-page spreads" - Barnes & Noble review Ratings across platforms: Amazon: 4.7/5 (312 reviews) Goodreads: 4.3/5 (189 ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.5/5 (47 reviews)

Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff This street-level chronicle captures Detroit's urban decay through photographs and reporting that document abandoned buildings, closed factories, and the lives of residents who remain.

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman This exploration shows what happens to buildings, infrastructure, and landscapes when humans disappear, including detailed accounts of nature reclaiming abandoned spaces.

Beautiful Terrible Ruins by Dora Apel The examination of Detroit's ruins reveals how photography and other media portray urban decay in post-industrial America.

Ghost Towns of the American West by Raymond A. Bial The photographs and historical accounts document abandoned mining towns, forgotten settlements, and deserted communities across the western United States.

Ruins of Detroit by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre The photographic documentation presents Detroit's architectural decline through images of empty factories, abandoned schools, and forgotten theaters.

🏚️ Matthew Christopher spent over a decade photographing more than 300 forgotten locations across America, including abandoned churches, factories, schools, and asylums. 📸 Before focusing on abandoned architecture photography, Christopher worked as a mental health worker in a psychiatric hospital, which influenced his interest in forgotten psychiatric institutions. 🏥 The book features Philadelphia's Holmesburg Prison, which gained notoriety for conducting controversial medical experiments on inmates from the 1950s to 1970s. 🎭 One of the featured locations, the Victory Theatre in Holyoke, Massachusetts, was once considered the most technically advanced theater in New England when it opened in 1920. 📖 The photographs in the book are accompanied by detailed historical research, documenting not just the physical decay of these places but also the economic and social factors that led to their abandonment.