L.E. Miller: Selections from What We Left Behind
If there’s one thing the United States of America has a surplus of, it is real estate. It is available in such a surplus that when a property falls into disuse, often it is left to decay rather than be reused and repurposed. When I briefly lived in Tokyo, before returning to Baltimore and Philadelphia, this wastefulness and blight seemed sadder than I had already realized that it was. In Tokyo, no land sits vacant for long, whereas in many US cities, it can’t even be given away. Since then I've photographed various abandoned locations in Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. I’ve tried to avoid simply just showing photos of buildings for this submission, focusing on details. I hope that in my lifetime they become not a social commentary, but a historical record of what is no longer an issue.
Mantua, Philadelphia
Mantua, Philadelphia
West Baltimore
North Philadelphia
L.E. MILLER studied photo journalism at Temple University in Philadelphia. His interest in Japanese subcultures led Miller to study briefly at both Temple University Japan and Sophia University in Tokyo. The transition from downtrodden Baltimore City to the bright lights of Tokyo fostered a passion for urban renewal, which led to his current series of photographs of abandoned buildings.
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