Here be dragons.
This is the post I wrote about old cars being found in even older barns, for the Ontario Barn Preservation newsletter, January 2023.
Cars in Barns Are “Barn Finds”
I like to photograph old buildings, farm houses and barns included. I’ve met a lot of people who also have an interest in old places. Not everyone is about photographing them.… Read the rest
Of course, you could put together your own kit. Some cleaning solution, brushes, a little pick to pluck mould/ fungus out of the small places, and something to keep water in. But, it supports others if you choose to buy the kit. Also, you won’t have to look for the best cleaning solution and brushes yourself.… Read the rest
I found a book with photographs and history of Ontario cemeteries and graveyards. There must be some difference between the two, I will look it up later. The book is by Jennifer McKendry. She is a history enthusiast in Kingston, Ontario. On her site she has written about antiques, architecture, old houses, and researching historic properties.… Read the rest
I looked at the photos of barns in this post. To me, most of them are inactive, not actually abandoned. They are still maintained, enough to not be falling down, don’t look salvaged for barn boards, etc. So, they didn’t really seem abandoned or derelict. Probably someone else would consider any barn not actively used to be abandoned.… Read the rest
I think the idea that walking through a cemetery is scary or should be, is created by the media. In reality, its usually quiet, tends to be damp, among the trees, or windy if there are few trees. I’ve photographed an old cemetery which was on the edge of a farm field, only one tree. It was very cold and windy.… Read the rest
The lost art of found objects. (It sounds great as a phrase but I don’t think beach-combing (or urban combing) has ever been lost).
Every where you go there are little things to be found. Most people would call it bits of junk. But, its all in the eye of the beholder. An assortment of bits of things found while urban combing can build a whole story, or maybe become part of a creative project.… Read the rest
We hear about the grain elevators from Saskatchewan but less often about our own Ontario barns. Those hand built, long standing structures right in our own backyard, not literally in most cases. But, there they are. You don’t need to drive far outside of a city or town in Ontario to find an old barn.
Cathedrals of the fields is a great description for them.… Read the rest
“There is a class of walkers who share a certain camaraderie. We are not drunks, tramps, hookers, cops, priests, party-goers or night-shift workers; we are merely outsiders. On the rare occasions when we meet we acknowledge one another with a tiny tilt of the head, or a quick nod; but each of us carries his or her own solitude.… Read the rest
I’m an urban, rural and industrial explorer. Mainly, I venture out, trying various roads in rural Ontario and look for abandoned houses, old buildings ghost signs, stone flowers, and other interesting (and usually old) things which I then photograph.
As an explorer I take along a few things, travel light is always a good idea. So I bring my map book, better shoes than sandals and my camera.… Read the rest