American Flats was a chemical plant abandoned in the 1940s. It was located in the hills of Nevada near Virginia City. It was a place for locals to party until it was torn down in the 2000s. There were multi-storied structures above and below ground; everywhere was graffiti, broken glass, and gun shells. This made for a great place to photograph.
The shot here I took in the late 80s, and when I looked at the film, I thought I'd double exposed the film, or there was some camera shake - the repetition of columns and windows, together with some of the graffiti just made it look "off". So, 30+ years later, after closer examination, I saw it for what it is. Of all my American Flats images, this is a favorite for that reason - it's sort of unsettling.
Once I scanned the 4x5 film and took a closer look, I also discovered, in large letters, what I hadn't noticed before - that there was written above a doorway, in cement color, "The Babys Room", and that's how it got its title.
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Dimitri Vasileiou • Editor