More decay - Ellis Island

Første gang jeg var i New York, var jo den store sightseeing tour, hvilket også inkluderede Ellis Island. Jeg synes faktisk, det var en af de bedste seværdigheder, jeg fik set på den tur. Noget af det der var mest fascinerende var udstillingen om den periode, hvor Ellis Island lå ubenyttet hen. Det virkede som om øen blev forladt fra den ene dag til den anden. Der var ikke blevet fjernet noget, f.eks var skrivebordene fyldt med papir, og alt hospitalsudstyret stod tilbage i infirmeriet. Hovedbygningen på Ellis Island blev siden hen restaureret og åbnet i 1990, men mange af de resterende bygninger står stadig, som da de blev forladt, de er desværre ikke åbne for publikum (det var nok det, jeg allerhelst ville se:)). Der er dog blevet gjort tiltag for, at de ikke helt forfalder.

The first time I was in New York I went to see Ellis Island. It was an exciting and fascinating experience, but what I found most interesting was the exhibition about the period where the facilities at Ellis Island wasn’t in use and the buildings were left as if the people there just left one day and didn’t come back. There were papers on the desks, mattresses on the beds and medical equipment in the infirmary. The main building was later restored and opened in 1990, but many of the other buildings have not been restored and are unfortunately not open to the public (these buildings are probably the ones I would have liked to see most of all :)). However the buildings have been stabilized so they don’t completely collapse.

De fleste af overstående billeder er taget af Stephen Wilkes til hans bog Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom

Most of the above pictures are by Stephen Wilkes from his book Ellis Island: Ghost of Freedom

Denne bog er helt sikkert en, jeg vil kigge efter næste gang, jeg er i USA, også selvom den er lidt pebret (ca. 70$) Den er desværre out of stock i England, hvor jeg snart skal over…

This book is definitely one I’ll look for next time I’m in the U.S., even though it’s a little pricey. (approx. 70$) Sadly it’s out of stock in England, where I’m going soon…