The Remains of Detroit

From the "It Could Be Worse" Department:
Sean Hemmerle, a Brooklyn, New York-based photographer has captured much of the world when they were at their lowest point. His work at Ground Zero led to his continued work in Afghanistan and Iraq. A regular photographer for Time, he has recently preserved the derelict side of Detroit. Time.com has put this photo-essay online covering some of these aging abandoned structures of America's Motor City. In reference to the former passenger depot, Michigan Central Station, Hemmerle says "It's staggering, that such a phenomenal piece of architecture could stand empty for twenty years." For all of the history of industrial superiority that many of these buildings represented for the city of Detroit (and indeed all of the US), they now wait patiently for their inevitable demolition. Makes me thankful to live in Tulsa. It truly could be much worse.

I've always been fascinated by Detroit's abandoned buildings since David Kohrman started Forgotten Detroit back in 1999. It's the closest thing we have to a post-apocalyptic large city in the United States. Ukraine has Chernobyl (Pripyat) and we have Detroit. Even though I've only briefly driven through the city once, I've spent many hours absorbing the images and history of a lost Detroit. BTW, I do realize that these only represent a portion of the city, and that it's not entirely this way. But the shots of the forgotten parts are ominously wonderful to me!

Above: The Michigan Theatre, a glorious 1926 performance venue was converted to a parking garage in 1976.

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