Albion, Michigan is one of those towns that was hit hard by the flight of rust belt industry. One big employer leaves and the whole town gasps.

There’s the college. And a few taverns to grab a bite to eat. A few manufacturers here and there.

But there’s also quite a few of abandoned spots in town – a glimpse at what this place used to look like, not so long ago.

Some of these structures were built to last. Strong brick and wood. It probably means they’ll last for decades.

They’ll probably outlast their original owners.

But others? The paint’s peeling. The wood is splintering. The glass is shattering.

It’s all going to hell, fading in the sun and the seasons.

There’s that old adage about one broken window in a neighborhood can’t be tolerated, or else more will appear. Here, though, people just drive past.

Jesus fading in the window. Boards protecting the inside from the sun’s rays and onlookers’ curiosity.

I don’t see this stuff as ruin porn or a fetishization of the Rust Belt Economy that’s dying (or in some places, dead). For me, it’s cool history.

Some of these places have a story, and lives attached to them. Who were they? What did they do here? How long did they hold out? Where are they now?

Uncategorized abandoned, albion, artists on tumblr, michigan, photography