Atmospheric photos show desolate, empty buildings from Birmingham’s industrial past

Abandoned remains left behind from a former industrial powerhouse city in America have been revealed in a chilling narrative of eerie images.  

The haunting pictures from a new urban exploration book show an abandoned steel works, a bank vault inside the City Federal building and vintage furniture left behind in an office tower in Birmingham, Alabama.

Other striking shots show the inside of an abandoned city jail, a shuttered Masonic temple and the desolate Carraway Hospital campus.

This picture shows a now deserted rooftop of the Empire Building at 1928 1st Avenue North. The eerie images were captured by freelance photographer Leland Kent in his new book Abandoned Birmingham

One of the images captured in the book is of an abandoned steel works, which had been left to wreck and ruin following the collapse of the industry in the early 1970s

The stunning snaps are showcased in freelance photographer Leland Kent’s, 34, new book, Abandoned Birmingham.

‘The images are a look into the city’s past, from the forgotten steel industry, the closed schools, and so much more,’ he said.

‘In recent years, Birmingham has seen a resurgence giving many of these structures a new life through historic tax credits.

The remains of a deserted city jail are pictured in another of Kent’s images, it appears that many items of the items used by the prison were left behind, including tins of paint and cardboard boxes, when the prison was abandoned 

A bank vault inside the City Federal building has a rustic feel after it was put into disuse and left empty after years of storing the wealth of the city

Century Plaza closed at the end of business on May 31, 2009. At the time of its closing, fewer than 40 stores, including Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Finish Line and RadioShack remained open in the mall

‘The message I want to convey is really simple, it’s a look back at history. 

‘These places are not going to be around forever so I want to give the reader a view of what they once were, since most of these places are being renovated and are never the same again.

‘I’d have to say the Colored Masonic Temple is my favourite location. It is a hidden gem in downtown and needs to be restored. 

Dated looking televisions which were no longer used in a Birmingham hotel have been stacked up against a wall in a damp room which looks like it was no longer populated either

Birmingham rapidly grew as an industrial enterprise due to the abundance of the three raw materials used in making steel-iron ore, coal, and limestone however many sites now look like this after the industry died up

Century Plaza was an enclosed shopping mall in Birmingham, Alabama, United States which opened in 1975 and originally included four anchor stores and more than one hundred tenants which dwindled to 40 before it closed

‘The owner is currently working to raise funds to restore the building. The architecture inside is the Grand Hall is beautiful.’

Among the spooky sites are pictures of a ghostly stairwell and deserted rooftop of the 16-storey Empire Building, abandoned steel works in the city and a bank vault inside the City Federal building.

The photographer also captures a deserted city jail, the closed Century Plaza mall and a series of school auditoriums which have long stood without the presence of pupils or teachers.

Century Plaza was an enclosed shopping mall in Birmingham, Alabama, United States which opened in 1975 and originally included four anchor stores and more than one hundred tenants which dwindled to 40 before it closed 

The photographer also captures a series of school auditoriums which have long stood without the presence of pupils or teachers

Unoccupied rows of chairs still stand, each branded with a different number, Kent captured the tired appearance of the vacant school hall

This school auditorium hasn’t been kept in quite the same manner, some of the chairs have been broken and strewn across the floor which is littered in rubbish

Founded in 1871 after the Civil War, Birmingham rapidly grew as an industrial enterprise due to the abundance of the three raw materials used in making steel-iron ore, coal, and limestone.

It’s booming iron and steel industries gave it the nickname ‘Magic City’ and ‘Pittsburgh of the South’, the city was named after Birmingham, England, as a nod to the major industrial powerhouse.

However once those industries began to dry up in the early 1970s, dozens of abandoned structures were left behind, which now dot the city’s landscape.  

Once stylish furniture has been abandoned in this shot, peeling plaster from years of abuse has dropped from the walls onto the faded green chair and side table 

Over the years, the landmark building in the 4th Avenue Historic District has hosted its share of notable people, however this is how it looked before undergoing reconstruction to restore it to its former glory

In the last several years, Birmingham has begun to experience a rebirth, with money being invested in reconstructing the historic downtown area into a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use district. 

This is not the first time Mr Kent has captured photos that reveal a past long forgotten, in 2016, the freelance photographer revealed the remains of a famous treasure hunting ship in US history, which salvaged $50million worth of gold bars from a 1857 shipwreck.

The incredible images revealed the inside of the R/V Arctic Discoverer in Green Cover Springs, Florida and the high tech equipment within it. 

The abandoned Carraway Hospital is seeing a new life, according to city leaders however at the moment it sets the scene for a horror film judging by its overgrown shrubbery and stained walls

The stunning snaps are showcased in photographer Leland Kent’s, 34, new book, Abandoned Birmingham