Mastodawn

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

1/ Here's a quick introduction: nice to meet you! I'm Matthew Christopher, creator of the Abandoned America website, book series, podcast, and ice cream flavor (sold poorly, discontinued). I photograph abandoned spaces and write about their stories - I'm interested in actual #history, not ghost stories. Here are my links if you're interested in more of my work:

Website: https://www.abandonedamerica.us/

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/abandonedamerica

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AbandonedAmerica

Shop: https://dismantlingthedream.com/

Abandoned America

Matthew Christopher's Abandoned America: a hauntingly beautiful urban exploration chronicle of the abandoned buildings in our midst and their fascinating histories.

Abandoned America

2/ The Abandoned America website has hundreds of abandoned locations I've visited over the years with as many histories as I've had time to write. It's outdated and has ads (I hate them too but I also have to pay bills) but it's also a collection of over 15 years of work and a ton of really fascinating places that are gone forever.

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

3/ The podcast is a new project as of this year, meant to give more background and info on abandoned places. I'm honored to have some really talented and knowledgeable guests on to discuss things like why so many theaters were built and abandoned, the rise and fall of the shopping mall, unethical medical experiments at a now-abandoned prison - same theme but loads of approaches. Your support this year and next, even by listening/sharing, are critical to keeping it going.

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

4/ The Patreon is really what keeps this work going in a lot of senses, so if you're already there, thanks so much. If not, I post high quality, unwatermarked photos, have votes on what I do next, giveaways, ad-free write-ups and podcasts, you name it. Seriously, name it. I'll try to add it if I don't do it already.

The shop: you know, signed books, prints, cups, calendars, postcards, basically cool photo stuff. Gotta sell merch if you want to survive as an artist and aren't rich, I'm afraid.

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

5/ Oh, and the ice cream flavor: that was rusty vanilla with lumps of of asbestos, some black mold and broken glass for a kick, and soggy drop ceiling tiles. I really don't know what we were thinking there. Nobody bought any and my ice cream business went under almost immediately. I'm not really able to go into it more because of the lawsuits except to say that I am deeply sorry and am not allowed to sell ice cream any more in 27 states.

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

6/ A few more odds and ends:

- Business inquiries: [email protected]

- Join my mailing list: https://us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=24ba303f6c1b17ce6e5f37d49&id=88f0dd85ff

- All work is mine unless otherwise noted. I'm not a photo bot!

- As such I do post my opinions from time to time. Feel free to disagree but "stick to photography" is an immediate block

- I do take suggestions but not submissions (sorry, I'm too overwhelmed as is)

- if you know of a good spot and have access, hit me up!

- I respect these places. Hope you will too

Abandoned America

Abandoned America Email Forms

Collin Beyer Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica hey you should reuse your business email for mastodon! I did it for myself it wasn't too much trouble with linode marketplace images

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

@haplessidiot hoo boy I don't know what you mean at all I'm afraid

Collin Beyer Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica your domain at abandonedamerica.org can be used for email web and also a mastodon subdomain. You could setup things so your username says [email protected] on here and it would look so dang cool. If you have a spare weekend you should install mastodon with docker! Our community is great they helped me get my joke domain getautism.online converted over from just being for email.

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

@haplessidiot oh, thanks! I've been thinking about my own domain but it seems really overwhelming right now so I may have to put that on the future projects list

Harry Tuttle, heating engineer Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica Cincinnati is chock full of abandoned places. The building stock goes back to the 1880s and later. There’s been a good bit of redevelopment but still plenty of places left in decline. If in the neighborhood, let me know, I might be able to point you in the right direction, there’s endless potential.

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

@CinciMike thanks so much! Really hoping to travel more in 2023

🌻 Welcome Back 🌻Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica This all sounds very interesting and appetizing?, except #5. Is there a podcast about the failed ice cream flavor? Fascinating. Must be a way to turn this around #AddChocolateChunks ?
#IceCreamFan
Blue Bell #recovered ?
#Texas

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

@Scotter you know, maybe if we had mixed chocolate with the asbestos that might have done it 🤔

Sean Boyer 🇵🇸 FREE PALESTINE Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica
Hey, here's an asbestos related joke for ya! What kind of civilized country would mine and export asbestos in 2022? #Canada! Oh, I said joke. Sorry, I meant #shamefulFact.

But on the bright side, more and more of them are becoming #abandoned. It's well worth looking into the history of towns like Asbestos, Quebec.

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

@sb ridiculous - it definitely is a subject I'm interested in. Know any good experts on the subject?

Sean Boyer 🇵🇸 FREE PALESTINE Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica
Shockingly (!!) there were a lot of parties interested in keeping this matter quiet. Most of what I know has come from a book by Michael Bowker. I believe there is also a documentary film by the same name, but haven't seen it. YouTuber Tom Scott has a video mostly focused on the town's complex history with the name, as well as some back history:

https://youtu.be/CB3LJdMYzrQ

A Town Called Asbestos

YouTube

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

@sb thank you! That sounds like a podcast topic if I could get the right person

Sean Boyer 🇵🇸 FREE PALESTINE Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica
Doesn't it just, though?

UnformedWorlds Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica I am now, perhaps understandably, curious as to how many abandoned ice cream parlors/stands/factories you have photographed…

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

@UnformedWorlds Let's see. Off the top of my head, one ice cream factory but that was a loooooong time ago. At least 2-3 ice cream parlors if you don't count diners and other places where ice cream would be sold but was not the primary thing.

Drooling Fan Girl Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica next time you might rethink using this to make it. I mean yes it’s on brand and all, but I’m not sure it was a good idea.

https://www.abandonedamerica.us/photo13998175.html

Abandoned Kemp's Ice Cream Plant - Matthew Christopher's Abandoned America

New and Displaced photographic work on Matthew Christopher's Abandoned America

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

@drooling_fan_girl oh, you found that place! I'm impressed, sincerely. I literally forgot about it until this subject came up. I was like, wait, I DID photograph an abandoned ice cream factory, didn't I?

Drooling Fan Girl Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica search engines can be very helpful don’t ‘cha know. ;)

Tigorasou Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica wow such amazing work and I can support you starting at $3 a month!

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

@Tigorasou thank you, and, you know. I'm not trying to pressure anyone but I do put it right back into making more work to share with people ❤️

Tigorasou Dec 20, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica In all honesty I’ve been following you for years and I want you to keep doing what you’re doing. I love your work and as an hobbyist photographer I can imagine what you need. 👍

Abandoned America Dec 20, 2022

@Tigorasou that's so kind, I appreciate it and promise to put everything on Patreon back into podcast editing, website fees, getting to locations, etc 🥰🥰