“The Abandoned
Did you ever wonder
Why abandoned houses looked so sad
Much like the people
Their exterior was only for the function
We would not feel so sad
If we recognized
That the spirit of the house
Had already moved on
The dream remained”
― Maria Lehtman, The Dreaming Doors: Through the Soul Gateways
Anne has sent us one of my – and many others’ I know – favourite themes, Abandoned things! Personally I love abandoned houses and places, and for some time I joined my son in searching and photographing our finds.
My thoughts on Abandonement? A great theme it is, and an opportunity to dig out precious things from the archives – thank you, Anne! I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, with only a short title on each of them. I don’t want to think of abandoned people though…that feels too sad. And, I have never photographed anyone in that kind of situation.
Tjernobyl
The saddest photograph in the gallery is of the Jewish cemetary in Warsaw. Walking in the silence there, knowing what happened to all these people and that there are no relatives left to remember or to tend to the graves… It is hard to fathom all the sadness and tragedy, but somehow there was a comforting feeling in walking alone in the silence, reading on the gravestones. Many of them still so beautiful.
Two homes – one in Norway, Lofoten, and a little bird’s nest in my forest
The stray dogs in Tblisi, Georgia, were many, but in a way they were not totally abandoned. Every dog had a tag in their ear, emitting medicine, so they were all castrated and friendly. They could also find food at a special place built for them in the city centre.
Sweden. A library in the forest – unfortunately an abandoned, unfinished octagon building
Agricultural machinery from an abandoned farm
Two abandoned factories that I visited with my son when he too was into photographing
The challenge is to tell and show our thoughts on abandonment. Please visit Anne’s beautiful site for more inspiration. I enjoy being alone, but that is my own choice – being abandoned does not sound that positive… When you respond, please link back to Anne’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag.
Last week, I had the pleasure of being your host – thank you for so many fun and original responses of your last outings! I enjoyed seeing the varied places you visited and things you saw. Next week, look for John’s post as he will be leading our challenge.
Until then, stay safe and be kind. To yourself as well.
Leya 
This is one of my favorite responses, Ann-Christine! That cemetery in Warsaw is so sad. The poem is so :on point.”
Thank you, John – happy you liked it. That cemetary still makes me feel it through the photos…
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What an amazing gallery. That graveyard fascinates me – with the trees growing up around it. Here in Ireland people get obsessed with tidying up old graveyards – but I love the idea of this one.
I love it too – the sadness has a natural tinge…and the beauty remains.
So many amazing captures. Well done.
Thank you, Rebecca!
Beautiful and poignant images Ann-Christine and it is good to see the stray dogs in Tblisi being cared for in this way ❤️ xxx
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These are wonderful, evocative images. The Chernobyl bus hides so many stories, as does the poignant cemetery. The unfinished building and the factory also contain volumes. Great post – I loved it!
Thank you – pleased you liked it!
This is a wonderful post on my challenge. Yes, we photographers love to photograph old, derelict and falling down items. They give us color, texture and stories. We create the stories in our imagination. Thanks for including the Jewish cemetery in Warsaw. My grandfather immigrated from Warsaw in 1913 and brought his family over when he got settled. My mother was their first child born in America. After the war he tried to find his family, my legacy, and couldn’t find anyone left. It’s a comfort to hope that some of them may be in that cemetery.
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Your serene look over these abandoned things make them even more beautiful, Ann-Christine.
Thank you, Sofia.
Very thoughtful and beautifully illustrated! I can really feel the melancholy atmosphere in your shot of the Jewish cemetery. It seems that Tblisi cares for its dogs much as Kotor does its cats 🙂
Wonderful pictures, every single one of them, and a beautiful and thoughtful way of describing them, Ann-Christine. – I feel the same about the Jewish cemetery, but somehow there is a comfort in it as well, that Nature seems to have taken over the grooming and covers everything with her very own peaceful decorations.
Thank you – Nature’s care is the best.
Well Ann-Christine you definitely have a keen eye for abandonment. The images are wonderful and varied. I especially love those taken with your son. The old European cemeteries are such a sad reminder of such difficult times. They remind us of never again but such things have a way of returning if no one cares enough to resist. Your post is wonderful.
Thank you, Tina. Take care.
Between the outstanding emotionally evoking photographs and the words, my heart was totally engaged. Wow! ❤️
So glad they spole to you! Thank you!
Ruins of buildings, machinery rusting and falling apart, things which have outlived their use, such evocative photos.
Thank you –
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Gorgeous captures that brings out kintsugi so effectively
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Ann-Christine, these photos are marvelous. The stories you told us were very touching.
Thank you, Egidio – I still feel the sadness of that cemetery.
Great photos – I’m glad the dogs are cared for
In fact that was fantastic – in such a poor country. I loved them for their good hearts and care for animals. Cats too.
Amazing photos Ann-Christine, each one telling a story of a past life
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Great photos. We have a saying “there’s a June” every time we saw a dilapidated, old building, as we have a friend who loved using them in her paintings. They make great subjects. So we would always stop and photograph them for her.
Ah, so June is her name! Fun. And I love such houses too.
This is such a poignant and beautiful post of a sad theme. The images tell the story of the journey life and things that have been left behind
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These are all terrific images, but that one of the Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw will stay with me. Such a poignant shot. And you’ve been to Chernobyl as well? That in its own way must have been a bit of a thought-provoking time. Wonderful photos, every one.
Thank you, Margaret – but Tjernobyl comes from David, my son. He was there with his father.
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Ann-Christine, what a beautiful post. I was really moved by the Jewish cemetery in Warsaw.
So was I Beth. I can still feel it when looking at the pictures.