Industrial Archeology

David Byrne (yup, that David Byrne), over at his Journal, has an interesting entry about the UNESCO world heritage industrial ruin in Essen. He writes that the place has "the feeling of an abandoned city, from a sci-fi movie maybe, or City Of Lost Children" (a favourite film of mine because of its extraordinary visual feel). His photographs confirm his impression. It makes me want to visit the site.

 

Such places fascinate me. As a child I used to wander around the abandoned machinery, buildings and workings of the mines at Laxey and Foxdale on the Isle of Man and let my imagination run riot. Essen looks as though it strikes the same chords for me, but on a much grander scale.