I recently photographed the interior of the old abandoned Linda Vista Hospital in Boyle Heights Los Angeles, California.
It was originally built in 1905 as a railroad hospital to care for the Santa Fe railroad workers who had been injured on the job. Twenty years after they closed their doors to the last patient, the interior of this turn of the century edifice still holds endless treasures of the past. As I roamed from room to room, and floor to floor, I observed the faded peeling walls that were once brightly painted, which added mystery to my 3 hours journey throughout this historic and eerie structure.
I found myself walking alone down the long, maze like hallways, littered with papers, old bed springs, lone chairs, exam tables and debris with only light from the windows of the open bedroom doors guiding my way.
Photography has always been a hobby of mine, and with great interest I attended photography classes throughout my life at various colleges on the East and West Coast. These intense classes helped me to hone in on my artistic side and to help mold my unique photographic techniques. It wasn’t until I purchased my digital Canon 5D that my photography became much more serious, and in early 2006 I began traveling with other photographers to various destinations both domestically and internationally. I would capture the essence of each destination with tremendous pleasure while behind the camera. It was then that I discovered that being behind the camera is when I felt most at home.
Laurie McCormick
