Illustrated books about Lost Places have flooded the book trade in recent years. But the new release “Between Worlds – Abandoned Places in Europe” from Annie Bertram, who calls herself a “photo artist”, stands out from the multitude of books on the subject.
What is special about the dilapidated buildings she photographs: She shows villas, places of worship, mental hospitals, theaters and spas as well as some ruins of industrial culture in their natural state of decay. Only the ravages of time have had an effect on the interior and exterior – no violence and blind destructiveness from people who have no connection to the history of these places.
The splendor in the sinking
Her photographs show the careful approach to the collapsing old buildings. Recordings from almost 20 years have gone into the selection of her recently published illustrated book. Because when Annie Bertram got involved with the motifs, Lost Places were not yet an issue and not a popular sport among amateur photographers.
“I was fascinated by the subject, which hasn’t let go of me,” says the photo artist in an interview with the star. Shortly after the turn of the millennium there were only a handful of photographers who had dedicated themselves to the subject. “You knew each other in the scene and gave each other tips at the time.”
For her, the abandoned places are also the backdrop for her portraits, for commissions for fashion photos or for band record covers. The recordings were always preceded by “a lot of preparation time in the team”. Among other things, she researched real estate advertisements in the respective national language in order to find her properties.
Many of the villas and palaces she photographed are now robbed of their fairytale magic. Vandalism has destroyed the often decades-long slumber and with it these ghostly worlds.
You can also click through the following photo series:
– North Brother Island: The deserted plague island of New York
– Once upon a time people lived here – now the places are forgotten beauties
– Discarded and Abandoned: These are the most fascinating wrecks in the world