The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I've always found Urban Archeology to be a fascinating activity, and there are tons of online photos from many sites devoted to the exploration of abandoned structures, ghost towns, etc. Here are a few I've found especially haunting--a musty, ethereal ambiance:


From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/artic ... -West.html


From: http://www.salon.com/2012/03/16/in_pict ... ide_show/1
Main Story -- http://www.salon.com/2012/03/16/in_pict ... ing_homes/


From: http://freaktography.wordpress.com/tag/gramophone/

The one on this page -- http://www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com/urbex/2014 ... mber-2013/ -- has been carted off and apparently sold since it was photographed.

Joe

Kind of creepy, but as an antique collector (furniture, japanese pottery, slag lamps, and so on) I always wonder who used to use these things. How did they live? What was their life like? Very interesting if you look at it like that. Great pics though. Makes me wonder......

Look at that mold on the Columbia in the second pic! Kind of strange for it to have that kind of moisture damage and nothing else in the pic does.

zenith82 wrote:Look at that mold on the Columbia in the second pic! Kind of strange for it to have that kind of moisture damage and nothing else in the pic does.

Looks like water stains on the wallpaper too. Old leaking roof probably. And of course when there is no heat to dry things out anymore . . . .

Sad

Clay

The photos are beautifully done, if not saddening. How many of us cringe at the prospect of our homes winding up to be only an abandoned anachronism?

Regarding the mould...who knows? I have some types of duo art reproducing piano roll boxes which are of modern manufacture and they get mouldy, but sitting right next to them on the shelf are modern and vintage boxes by other makers and they never get mouldy...also my HMV 163 and diamond disk C-19 can get a bit of mould on their sides, but my two pianos and other gramophones in the same room never have a problem. I've given up trying to work it out and just regularly wipe them down...

Regarding mold, it could have to do with the composition of glues, finishes, and such. Early wax cylinders are notorious for molding and I seem to recall reading that the reason for that is that some of the chemicals used to make them attract moisture.

Clay

Hello,
I to am also very interested in old abandoned buildings. Here on the prairies in Canada there are so many completely abandoned farming towns dotting the landscape. The photos are interesting. The 1st photo however I am rather certain is staged, noting the oil lamp is a modern chinese reproduction

Cheers,
Brad