Bodie Ghost Town Historical Site
Bodie is a ghost town in the Bodie Hills, east of the Sierra Nevada range of mountains in north-central California. Established as a Mining camp in 1859, it became a boomtown in 1878, as a result of the discovery of rich gold deposits nearby. At one time it had about 2,000 buildings and a population of five to seven thousand, but started its decline as early as 1880.
Today the remains of the town of Bodie are in what is termed, a state of arrested decay, as a National Historic Landmark and State Historic Park. As can be viewed in these images, it is a photographer’s treasure-trove of opportunities to photograph a bit of history before it’s gone forever. Some of the things in these photographs, such as a broken rocking chair shown in a couple of the photos, already no longer exist. Although some of my images of Bodie were originally made in color, most were made with large and medium format cameras using black and white film. I have chosen to show all the images in B&W, because I feel it is the most appropriate and artistic media for depicting such a historic place.
Read MoreToday the remains of the town of Bodie are in what is termed, a state of arrested decay, as a National Historic Landmark and State Historic Park. As can be viewed in these images, it is a photographer’s treasure-trove of opportunities to photograph a bit of history before it’s gone forever. Some of the things in these photographs, such as a broken rocking chair shown in a couple of the photos, already no longer exist. Although some of my images of Bodie were originally made in color, most were made with large and medium format cameras using black and white film. I have chosen to show all the images in B&W, because I feel it is the most appropriate and artistic media for depicting such a historic place.