The decline of industrial importance in the region now known as the “Rustbelt” has left much of the Midwest abandoned. Ohio’s history is decaying away, waiting to become part of the forgotten past. However, one student has been working to prevent this.
Hayes junior Liam Monahan has been taking advanced photographs ever since he was 12 years old.
“I got my grandpa’s old camera,” Monahan said. “It was a Minolta X-7a, released in 1985.”
With a new (old) camera, he began to fall in love with photography. When Monahan entered high school, the introduction of photography classes allowed him to learn new methods and skills. Because he uses film cameras, Monahan must develop his photos.
“All of my photos are put into a lightproof bag, then they go into a light proof tank; from there, I take them to my bathroom for the chemical process,” Monahan said. “These are hung up to dry in my house.”
With such work needed for the photos, Monahan needed to find something interesting enough to photograph to justify such a process.
“I have always wanted to explore abandoned places, and with photography, I realized I could do this by taking pictures.”
This fascination with abandoned regions led him to begin a photography book named “Left Behind.” The purpose of this book is to record lost regions of Ohio, the ones that have been fading in both industrial and cultural importance.
“My photos preserve what’s not there anymore,” Monahan said. “Many of these locations don’t exist anymore, [even] since I visited them.”
One of such locations is the Warner and Swasey Observatory in East Cleveland. This observatory was built by the Warner and Swasey company and given to Case Western University in 1919. However, with Cleveland’s growth, light pollution made observations in the observatory difficult, and the telescope used was moved to a new observatory in Arizona.
In the modern day, this observatory is run down and completely covered in graffiti. Rust covers what’s left of its dome, and vines run up the walls. It now stands as a common area for urban explorers and photographers such as Monahan to relive an old era.
Another region documented by Monahan is the Westinghouse factory. The building is formerly of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, a company that saw great prominence in the early 1900s, being the chief rival of General Electric. They even ended up employing the famous inventor Nikola Tesla. Today, this factory is similar to the Warner and Swasey observatory, with much of the inside painted with graffiti and vines coating the front of the building.
While this hobby is interesting and artistically stimulating, it can be dangerous. Many abandoned buildings originate in cities where the entire economy has declined over past decades. This has led to an increased crime rate in these areas, which proves dangerous to a freelance photographer, especially a high schooler.
“When I was at [the] Westinghouse factory in East Cleveland, there was a man in the basement crouched down doing drugs,” Monahan said. “I just said hello and left as fast as I could.”
In this same area, Monahan reported that there were “gunshots all over” until he left.
Other dangers occur because of the dilapidated buildings themselves.
“One time I went to a worn-down wooden building and stepped on a nail,” Monahan said. “It went right through my foot; my aunt wrapped up my foot and I finished taking photos.”
Because of these dangers, Monahan often visits these places with family members or friends. This includes people like Talisman’s very own Carson Stroupe and Monahan’s mother and father.
Despite the issues faced, Monahan’s family has been treated well in these foreign areas.
“How nice and accommodating the people that we met was surprising, other than a few,” Monahan’s mother, Cecilia, said.
This response by strangers when going on these trips has allowed for them to become quite frequent.
“We usually plan a weekend to go out; sometimes we plan on a location, but other times we just go out,” Cecilia Monahan said.
With the effort put into this passion, Monahan wants to expand this from being only a hobby.
“I want to become a professional photographer,” Monahan said. “It’s how I express myself.”
He seems to be on his way. His hard work has proven to pay off, and Monahan has gained artistic recognition. In the recent Arts Castle high school show, Monahan placed first in photography for his photo “Left Behind,” named after his book.
Professional praise is not all Monahan has gotten for his hard work. He has also grown closer with his family.
“Seeing Liam develop his passion for taking his photographs and these phototrips have made me excited to learn alongside him,” Monahan’s father, Josh, said.
Monahan’s effort to preserve our state’s past reminds us that one day we will also be forgotten. Buildings that once saw thousands enter their doors are now more part of nature than habitable structures. Eventually our very own city will face a similar fate. This can be prevented; if others also value our history, preserving it and passing information down to the next generation.
