I really can't explain or describe it. I love photos of things of long ago, of places and things that reek of history. I love pictures that evoke the reality that these places have stories of their own to tell; that they were once (living) entities bustling with sounds, people, events ie. everyday busy lives. Take the boatyard section. You can almost hear what the old ships are trying to convey, that they have a past full of history we will never ever know. It's like an old retirement home, where things and people languish and stagnate yet are still not fully rid of the concept we call life.
For me, the picture that hit me the hardest and invoked the most vivid imaginations was this one here.
http://oboylephoto.com/state_hospital/sh_02.htm
I can't explain why but when I look at it I can really imagine what would have been going on in that room long long ago before most of us even existed. How many people had looked out that window looking at whatever site they would have being looking at? I can imagine a janitor keeping that tiled floor nice and shiny. Maybe the room was a kitchen, or maybe an administration room. Who can know? The only one who can tell us what went on in that room is the ruins themselves. Which brings me back to my love of pictures that have their own stories to tell.
Another image is the next one. http://oboylephoto.com/state_hospital/sh_03.htm
Just imagine how many stories these walls could tell if it were possible! You can almost see the deranged ranting up and down this hallway, caregivers walking from room to room, How many people tripped and fell in this hallway? How many people had relatives come and visit? How many people died alone here? What would it have looked like when it was first built and occupied? Imagine the new fresh paint smell it would have had when it opened. It's overwhelming to think of all that may have gone on in that hallway.