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NOW SEE THIS: Scenes of ruin at the Navy Yard
Last weekend, Matthew Christopher of Abandoned America and the folks at Hidden City Philadelphia secured access to two of the abandoned buildings in the Philadelphia Navy Yard for a handful of photographers.
NOW SEE THIS: Scenes of ruin at the Navy Yard
I’ve always been particularly fond of urban exploration (or even better, rural exploration), but having a young child makes it hard to justify the risk anymore, both from trespassing and health and safety viewpoints. Last weekend, Matthew Christopher of Abandoned America and the folks at Hidden City Philadelphia secured access to two of the abandoned buildings in the Philadelphia Navy Yard for a handful of photographers. I'd categorize it as organized (and legal) exploration. I did miss that little tingle of excitement that comes from being somewhere you’re not supposed to be, but that overwhelming curiosity and sense of preservation that comes with this style of photography quickly settled in.
The Navy Yard is an interesting study. As the country’s first naval shipyard, its origins can be traced back all the way to 1776. It became an official part of the U.S. Navy in 1801, and moved to its current location at the south end of Broad Street in the late 1800s. The Navy officially closed the yard in 1995, and it has since seen significant transformation (its campus arrangement now serves as the home of companies like Urban Outfitters and Tasty Baking Co.), though quite a bit of its industrial infrastructure remains. One could hazard a guess that given the rapid development there, these old buildings won’t remain much longer, at least in their current state. I’m particularly fascinated by the closing year of 1995, the year in which I was a junior in high school. Given the condition of the buildings, it’s amazing how fast things can fall apart. Guess that goes for people, too.
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