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Join me on a journey of discovery! ⛰️
Stunning Vistas | Abandoned Places | Quirky History 💚

01/11/2024

📍 Kostel Svatého Jiří | St. George's Church, Luková, CZ

✨ The 14th-century church of St George crowns a hill in the charming village of Luková in the Czech Republic.

Tragedy struck in 1968 when the roof collapsed during a funeral, leading the community to believe the church was haunted and to hold services outdoors.

In 2012, after years of neglect, a university sculpture student created the haunting 'ghost' sculptures as a memorial to the Sudeten Germans who once thrived here before being expelled after WWII.

They now serve as a poignant reminder of the area's former German-speaking community.

Thanks to tourist donations, the church's exterior has been restored, featuring a new roof and clock faces.

Meanwhile, the ethereal white figures sit solemnly in the pews, quietly observing this historic place. 💚 👻

31/10/2024

📍 Olšany Cemetery, Prague, Czechia 🪦

Olšany Cemetery is not only the oldest but also the largest of Prague's three public cemeteries. It's the only one still in use, and its vastness is truly astonishing!

🪦 While exact numbers are unknown, historians estimate that up to 2m people are buried here, with evidence of at least 230k burials. 💀

Established as a resting place for plague victims in 1680, Olšany comprises 12 distinct cemeteries, each with its own purpose. Among its serene paths lie the graves of many notable Czechs.

These photographs were taken in one of the older sections. 💚

18/09/2024

🌕 The Harvest Moon over Aberdare last night! 💚

This week’s full moon is extra special: it’s a Harvest Moon, supermoon, and features a partial lunar eclipse! 🍂

The Harvest Moon shines bright as we welcome autumn, illuminating the night for farmers who once relied on its glow to harvest crops late into the evening. ✨

Meanwhile, a Supermoon occurs when the moon is at its closest point to Earth, making it look especially vibrant!

And don’t forget the partial lunar eclipse we witnessed early this morning in the UK – a stunning ‘bite’ taken out of the moon at the top right of the lunar disc! 🌙

💚

19/08/2024

📍 Charles Parrott & Associates Insurance, Athens, GA 🇺🇸

👻 The building on which this old ghost sign is painted dates back to the 1840s. It was once a Millinery and Fancy Goods shop. 👒🎩

✨ Established in 1925, Charles Parrott & Associates has a rich legacy in Athens. Charles Wesley Parrott Jr. joined the family agency in 1959, became president in 1963, and acquired the agency in 1964.

🌴 After a Caribbean adventure with his wife and a brief retirement, Charles returned to Athens in 1988 to launch Charles Parrott Insurance with partner Winston McWhorter, retiring for a second time in 1998.

🔗 Today, the firm is part of Chastain & Associates, continuing the legacy! 💚

18/08/2024

🌟🌍 Does anyone else play this road trip game, or are we just big kids at heart? 😄💚

🛻 While cruising down the US highways, Chasing History with Lando Bando and I love the challenge of spotting license plates from all 50 states! 🇺🇸

✨️ We outdid ourselves this trip, finding a whopping 40 states, plus a couple from Canada and one from Mexico! 🎉

Highlights included spotting a license plate from Hawaii all the way over in Georgia! 🏝️🌈

Not surprisingly, most of the missing ones are from the northeastern states.

Here’s our list! 📝👇

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Plus, Ontario and Quebec from 🇨🇦 and Nuevo León from Mexico!

Can you guess which states were hiding from us? 🤔

17/08/2024

✨ Powersville General Store, Georgia, 🇺🇸 ⛽

This charming gem dates back to 1934 and has been beautifully restored, preserving its quaint appeal 💚

I’m on a mission to uncover its history, but I’m struggling to find much info. If anyone has any insights, please share! 🙏

Stay tuned for updates! 👀

15/08/2024

🌟 Throwback to 1947! 🌟

The State Line Court in Tennga was a popular stop along US Highway 411, right at the Tennessee- Georgia line 🛣️

🍔🥤 With a bustling restaurant and store next door, it was the perfect respite for travellers before interstates changed the game.

🗺️ Did you know?

Tennga gets its name from merging ‘Tenn-‘ for Tennessee and ‘-ga’ for Georgia, reflecting its unique split along the border!

Fast forward to the early 70s; the motel, along with the restaurant and store, was closed 🛑

Today, the building is still used for storage by the son of the original owner, who we had the pleasure of chatting with on our visit! 💚

14/08/2024

📍 The Premier Clothing & Supply Co, Bargoed

👻 Take a closer look at this fascinating brick ad. As the paint has faded, an earlier sign for the Pearl Assurance Company has been revealed – a phenomenon known as palimpsest. 🎨

🖌️ The earlier sign dates to at least 1914, when Pearl Assurance started trading.

👗 In the 1940s, it was replaced by the Premier ad. They provided loan cheques to buy new clothes, allowing customers to redeem them at local stores and repay their loans each week to a representative who visited their homes.

The business was still thriving until the 1960s. 👖

I couldn’t find much info online and so asked in a couple of Facebook groups, which helped uncover the history 💚 and provided some intriguing historical anecdotes:

🗣️ “My Mother would have a Premier cheque each Whitsun to clothe me and my sister in new outfits for the church parade in the 40s and 50s.” James

🗣️ “You paid back in 21 instalments. 20 to cover the sum borrowed and one extra for the interest.” Marlene

13/08/2024

✨ Absolutely loving this stunning 1956 two-tone Chevrolet Handyman 210 in orange and cream! 🟠

💼 The first US station wagons appeared around 1910 to transport folks and luggage between train stations and country estates. By the 1950s, families were drawn to these stylish rides!

🚘 The 210, or Two-Ten, was produced from 1953-1957 and earned its name by shortening the production series number 2100 – trendy for the time!

🚗 It quickly became the go-to choice for budget-conscious families, stealing the spotlight as Chevy's best-selling model for its first two years!

Today, collectors adore the 210 for its stunning design, comfort, and iconic chrome trim. 💚

11/08/2024

🎨 Had an incredible time at my first art show last night!

It was amazing to see so many people enjoying our work. ✨️

A huge thank you to Sarah Swanson at The Suffering Artist Gallery for hosting, all the hard work getting our work hung, and for those delicious meatballs! 😋

Thrilled that I sold 'The Lonely Tree' and some unframed prints! 🌳🖼️

Congrats to everyone involved - what a fantastic show! 🎉🙌

10/08/2024

🎉 The day has finally arrived – my first art show!

Thrilled to showcase my work alongside five amazing artists at The Suffering Artist Gallery in Hogansville, GA 🇺🇲

🖼 Our exhibition will be displayed until 21 Sept.

📷 For those who can’t make it all the way to America, I’m sharing my photographs here 😊

The set is titled 'Lost Wonders of Wales', and I've included the caption for each piece underneath.

Thanks for your incredible support! Enjoy!

Peter x 💚

09/08/2024

1 day until my first art show! 🎉

Stoked to showcase my work alongside five amazing artists at The Suffering Artist Gallery in Hogansville, Georgia 🇺🇲 for "Abandoned: Art of the Forgotten." 🖼️

Here’s another sneak peek at one of my pieces (and my most popular photograph ever taken):

Slate Shadows 🏚️🪨

Abandoned miners' cottages, once home to quarrymen, stand as haunting testaments to the decline of Dinorwig Slate Quarry in North Wales. Operating from 1787 to 1969, the quarry was once the second largest in the world, supplying slate tiles to the UK, Europe and America.

Built in the 1870s for those who lived too far away to return home each night, these two-room cottages offered little protection from the elements and living conditions were extremely poor.

💚

08/08/2024

🌳✨ Hidden gem alert! ✨🌳

Nestled along the beautiful Hiwassee River, the historic Higdon Hotel has a rich past dating back to 1878!

Originally a family home, it was transformed into a boarding house for railroad workers by 1890 as the L&N Railroad expanded. 🚂

Offering cosy rooms for railroad bosses and a lively dining area for workers, it became known as Higdon's Station. 💼

Once passenger trains began rolling in, it served as a riverside resort until the 1930s. Sady, with the decline of train travel, it fell into disuse.

In the 1970s, a local initiative to restore the Higdon led to it being listed as part of the Reliance Historic District in 1986.

While restoration efforts faced setbacks, a new roof has been added, though time and vandalism have taken their toll on this charming property. 😢

Plans are still underway to revive this gem, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Cherokee National Forest and majestic Smoky Mountains. ⛰️

Let’s keep the history alive for this beautiful landmark! 🌲

🎥 Chasing History with Lando Bando created a wonderful video of it on his page.

08/08/2024

Just 3 days until our art show at The Suffering Artist Gallery in Hogansville, Georgia! 🇺🇲

📷 Today, I'm sharing this stunning photograph from the show by Chasing History with Lando Bando. Definitely worth taking a look at his page.

It's titled Welcome to the End!

Landon writes...

The grand entrance to an asylum: entrapment and misunderstanding masqueraded as stern beauty.

Many were discarded at asylums when seen as different, spending their lives just glimpsing the outside world through a window. The sun's warmth replaced by electric shocks; their uniqueness lost in attempts to conform. A once-vibrant world of colour desaturated into a sea of grey.

Many of these individuals would be buried nameless, marked only with a metal number, often scattered by lawn crews on the sprawling campus. Forgotten. Abandoned without a voice, even their final resting places unknown.

🗓️ Opens this Saturday! 6-8pm.

Georgia friends, we'd love to see you there! 😊

07/08/2024

🌅 Sunset at Ben Morton Overlook, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee 🇺🇲

Seeing this with Chasing History with Lando Bando yesterday was absolutely unforgettable! We turned a bend in the road and were greeted by this incredible sunset. Just as we jumped out of the car, it dipped behind the mountains. Still, the views were epic! 🌄

📍 Morton Overlook is just 0.8 miles from the Tennessee-North Carolina border, and it’s the perfect spot for capturing breathtaking mountain layers and stunning sunsets! ✨️

🏞️

05/08/2024

Cherokee, North Carolina 🇺🇲

🌄 Journey into the heart of Cherokee, where history and neon lights collide! 🌟

🛖 The Wigwam Motel
The only wigwam around is found on its vintage neon sign, an iconic treasure dating back to the 1950s. 🌈 It’s the most photographed sign in the Smoky Mountains! 📸

🛍️ The Cherokee Trader
This classic neon from 1964 lights up the entrance to a charming gift shop bursting with quirky knickknacks and souvenirs! ✨️

04/08/2024

Happy Sunday, y'all! ⛪️

Just a pretty little wooden church on the backroads of 🇺🇲

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