As a photographer I’ve come to love exploring and photographing new places. Over the past few years, this has included urban exploration. I’m always intrigued by the histories of various abandoned buildings and landmarks. I often wonder, what stories are held within these walls? Why is it abandoned now? What were the circumstances which led to it being left in these conditions?

Century Manor in Hamilton, Ontario has always been very intriguing to me. Century Manor itself is only one of the few buildings left standing which were part of what was formerly known as the Hamilton Asylum for the Insane, established in 1876. When first discovering this historic landmark, I had no knowledge about the dark and intricate histories of its past. Having said this, I took this opportunity to dig deeper past the visual aspects of this site, in order to learn about and truly recognize the complex history of this landmark.

In this series, History Abandoned, I explored the property of Century Manor in its current state. To accompany my own photographs, I also included elements of historical research about the property. This includes objects such as old photographs, articles, maps and blueprints. I have presented this collection of work in the form of a layered mind map starting with the key focus of the project in the middle. Then as the work branches out in various directions, the content gradually hones in on more intricate details with historical elements weaved in throughout. 

Through this work I have documented what one would normally see when exploring this location and added a new layer to it. In doing so, I have made way for viewers to gain a deeper perspective on the histories around us which one may not normally recognize otherwise.