Entertainment

More Incredible Post-Katrina Pics: Photographer Brings You Inside Abandoned Hospital and Movie Theater

The ruins from a natural disaster or the evidence of a failed economy can take years or decades to erase from the facade of a city. Although some may see abandoned spaces as an eye sore, others see the value in them as a reminder of the past.

Will Crusta, who has lived in New Orleans his entire life and experienced Hurricane Katrina before, during and after, is one of the latter. TheBlaze has been featuring a series by this hobbyist photographer and his work documenting these incredible abandoned spaces.

As we continue to introduce you to this photographer and this medium, we want to explore the question: What was Crusta’s first urban exploration (UrbEx as he would call it) adventure? The answer: an abandoned maintenance shed in City Park in New Orleans. It was an accident he was even there, he said in an email to TheBlaze, something he just stumbled upon.

“I’d seen UrbEx photos people had taken before and loved them and wanted to make it a hobby of my own, but I never knew of any good spots in my area in which to get started with it,” he said. “Then after exploring that shed, I came to the realization that, wow, Hurricane Katrina left me with tons of opportunities and I can get started basically anywhere. I have a semi-pro camera now, too, so why not go seek out these unique, potentially overwhelmingly eerie sights that must exist in a post-Katrina New Orleans and document them?”

His first “big” UrbEx experience was through an abandoned hospital. Another was delving into a long-closed movie theater. These were both places he said, despite living in New Orleans his whole life, he had never been to while they were operational.

“It was pretty odd going to them for the first time with them being in complete disrepair,” Crusta said, going on to note he is glad they remain in the condition they are now. “I totally understand that the city wants to revive its image after Katrina and needs to get rid of all this ‘blight’ eventually, but I’m glad a lot of it has been left alone as long as it has. You pass places like these every now and then and you remember what your city has been through and how much stronger you are for having endured it.”

Here are a few of Crusta’s photos from his rounds through the hospital and theater:

Crusta noted the “loads of unused medical equipment” in the hospital, but the most interesting thing he saw there was the calendar with the date Hurricane Katrina swept through still on it.

“That was pretty chilling, but an awesome find,” he said.

Photographer Will Crusta UrbEx Series Brings Viewers Into Abandoned Spaces: Hospital and Movie Theater

(Photo: Will Crusta)

Check out all of Crusta’s photos of the abandoned hospital here and the movie theater here. See all of his collections on Flickr here.

Comments (46)

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  • taberphoto.com
    Posted on August 18, 2012 at 11:45pm

    I lived in Biloxi, MS when Katrina hit. Here are some of the pictures collected.

    http://taberphoto.smugmug.com/Weather/Hurricane-Katrina/11628265_9zZz2t

    Report Post » taberphoto.com  
  • koolkat333
    Posted on August 18, 2012 at 11:02am

    What’s up with the “JEWS” sign over the patients room picture?

    Report Post »  
    • TucsonDude
      Posted on August 18, 2012 at 11:09pm

      It looks like the “ews” portion of the “sign” was “tagged” there by a vandal or graffiti hoodlum. The “J” is the only part that looks as if it was posted by the hospital. For what purpose? I have no idea.

      Report Post »  
  • TreeTrimmerJim
    Posted on August 18, 2012 at 9:19am

    We missed a great chance to fence this low lying area off and make it a nation park. Looks nature is going to reclaim it all any way.

    Report Post » TreeTrimmerJim  
  • midwesthippie
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 7:39pm

    …a lot of folks were paid a lot of $$$…and left…

    Report Post » midwesthippie  
  • LameLiberals
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 5:08pm

    The fools just Re-BUILT upon sinking ground.
    I could care less if they used their own money but the weeping RINOs/Liberals gave them BILLIONS of taxpayer money.

    The only section of New Orleans that is not sinking is the French Quarter. The French knew where to build and it was NOT on a swamp.

    New Orleans Sinking Faster Than Thought, Satellites Find
    http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/06/060601-new-orleans.html

    Most of New Orleans is built on the bottom of a sinking bathtub surrounded by walls which are the only thing keeping out the water. How dumb is that?

    Report Post »  
  • AlBundy
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 4:34pm

    And 69 Billion Dollars later……excuse me, 69 Billion Taxpayer Dollars later you have……

    Report Post »  
  • dirtydog1776
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 4:32pm

    Where are the pictures of the people with their hands out who don’t want to help themselves and expect the government to shower them with money and do all the work?

    Report Post » dirtydog1776  
    • calmandclear
      Posted on August 18, 2012 at 9:38am

      That would be the people who inhabited our four extremely large public housing complexes. Controlled by warring gangs who constantly fought over their drug territories, they were all flooded and abandoned. The majority of those people were dispersed to other cities throughout our country. The criminals soon found out they couldn’t get away with the same crimes in other states. Happily, most ended up in prison, some returned to New Orleans and we’ve been, happily, putting them in prison. The decent people from our projects and poor neighborhoods have done well in other states. They have better schools for their children, safer neighborhoods and more opportunity to get ahead. Needless to say, many have not returned to New Orleans. Now that is what happened to the majority of the people on the public dole, satisfied? Oh, when you go out and get in your car, turn the key and start it, remember that the gasoline came from one of our refinerys. In fact, every part of your car, except the metal parts, is made from oil. The asphalt on the road in front of your home came from our refinery. The paint on your house, the carpet, drapes, most of your furniture, most of your clothing are all made from oil, they are petroleum products. All the plastic products in your home and that you use during the day are all made from oil, they are petroleum products. Go in your local hospital, it couldn’t exist without petroleum products made from oil we produce and refine. Rebuild? Hell yes.

      Report Post »  
  • Black Manta
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 3:43pm

    Seven years later and they come with abandoned pictures….Don’t be fooled….ESAU has rebuild what Katrina has done….Always walking blind but, the vision always stay….

    Report Post » Black Manta  
  • MistaB
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 3:33pm

    I was at a computer show and a tree-hugger speaker who worked in N.O. after Katrina presented a slide show of New Orleans after the storm. The first picture was an aerial shot of New Orleans under water and she stated: “This is what our government did…” Then she explained how she made money from the government by setting up computer networks during cleanup. I left shortly after.

    Report Post »  
  • bamanana
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 3:28pm

    FEMA does not demo business only residential. I live on the MS Gulf Coast & we were hit directly by Katrina & I know how long it takes to clean up & rebuild. Thank God we had & have great leadership pushing to get our coast built back. NOLA has been given millions of $$ but mostly to individuals. It depends on how the politicians spend the money to.

    Report Post »  
  • tj1961
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 2:42pm

    Camden NJ!! AKA Philadelphia’s A-hole!!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • Bookster
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 1:19pm

    I spent a week down there helping people gut out their homes after Katrina. There is no possible way to impart the complete and total destruction that happened with pictures or video. Actually being there, smelling the smells, noticing how gray everything that should be green was, noticing little things like no birds chirping, etc. are things you just can’t absorb unless you actually go there. I thought I knew how bad it was until I actually got there when I realized I didn’t have a clue as to how bad it really was.

    Liberalism is a mental disorder. Progressives are a virus.

    Report Post »  
    • Gold Coin & Economic News
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 1:48pm

      I was on the disaster relief team for our church and made 3 trips to Biloxi Mississippi and that is exactly right. Unless you saw and experienced the atmosphere, smells, sights, sounds of total destruction pictures hardly tell the story. To see everything from 2 bedroom shacks to trailers to multi-million dollar homes and hotels reduced to rubble, is truly sobering.

      Report Post » Gold Coin & Economic News  
  • My Two Cents
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:54pm

    Finally, some pictures of what Obama’s business would look like if he had actually ever built one.

    Report Post »  
  • paladin42
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:48pm

    As someone who owns a house in Slidell (across the lake from NOLA) and spent my copious free time over 4 years rebuilding it (5 1/2 feet of water in it) I can tell you the following:

    The northshore (which is very republican) was rebuilt with very little left trashed. After the storm people just started rebuilding… without waiting for the gubmint to do it for them.

    In NOLA proper, most of the area is democratic and took a lot longer to rebuild. They waited around for someone to do it for them. I recall, about 2 years ago, driving thru part of the city on a 4 lane divided road where for a 3 block stretch there was no electricity and the houses hadn’t even been cleaned out! This was YEARS after Katrina.

    Report Post »  
    • woemcat
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 10:27pm

      thank you for pointing this out. it definitely shows the differences in mentality between the survive/thrivers and the perpetual victims.

      Report Post » woemcat  
  • Mamma Bear
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:47pm

    Don‘t tell me these business’ didn’t get insurance money that included the cost of clean up. Looks like some lawsuits need to be filed against the property owners by the City. What a mess!

    Report Post »  
  • team1blazer
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:32pm

    This is what welfare looks like; no pride, no morals, no sense of decency, only decay, squalor and waste. Welcome to mayor Nagans “chocolate city”.

    Report Post » team1blazer  
  • capitalismrocks
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:29pm

    Well… take a good look, if Obama gets a second term, that is how he wants ALL of America to look, he wants to turn America into a third world country to make the playfield more even… even in the sense that America will be down on its knees like everyone else and Russia will run the world, and Obama will be Emperor of Russia new North America resources and slave labor camps – aka the USA, they will rape and plunder everything from this country and leave this country a wasteland, while Obama and his autocratic henchmen live high on the hog, rulers over their own Mogadishu….

    Report Post » capitalismrocks  
  • Energized
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:19pm

    There are “victims” and “survivors” which do you think applies to New Orleans? Survivors move on and victims stay and complain, seems pretty obvious to me this is a show piece for the victoms to capitalize on for sympathy & government for our $$$.

    Report Post »  
  • DoctorRon
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:15pm

    “Film strewn on the ground” – Looks to me like it is on the floor, not the ground.

    Report Post » DoctorRon  
  • cjherin
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:09pm

    Mr. Crusta is incredibly brave. There is no way I would go near that hospital. There is probably toxic material everywhere. Also, I can explain that sign on the microwave. Most people don’t watch the time when they cook microwave popcorn, Therefore the popcorn burns and sets off fire alarms. That’s why the sign was posted.

    Report Post » cjherin  
  • COFemale
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 11:58am

    I can‘t understand why hasn’t the owner or the community cleaned up the place. That is ridiculous, surely insurance claims have been paid. This is why areas degrade because nobody cares. People are lazy. I guess they expected the government to come in and clean it up for them.

    NEW ORLEANS GET OFF YOUR LAZY BUTTS AND CLEAN UP THE PLACE. The government does not care.

    Report Post » COFemale  
    • momrules
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:16pm

      My question too Cofemale……….Why hasn’t this mess been cleaned up yet?

      Report Post »  
    • macbihi
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 1:11pm

      COFEMALE: At the time of Katrina, the maximum amount of coverage that you could get from a flood policy was $250K, I believe. The damage to these two facilities obviously exceeds that so I can understand if the owners don’t have the capital to rebuild. Just remember, for decades, this city has been governed by liberals and progressives whose only goals have been remaining in office and funneling public funds to themselves and family members. (I won’t go into detail, not enough room.) Ever since the late sixties and early seventies it seems like N.O. has made a concerted effort to drive off its tax base and responsible citizens and, so far, they have been highly successful. The only reason that I mention that is because you asked why the community didn’t get out an clean the place up. My response to you on that point is, GET REAL! A large portion of the population is a matriarcal society and their only function is to pop out a new welfare increase every nine and a half months.

      Report Post »  
    • woemcat
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 10:29pm

      you answered your post in your last sentence. there are too many people there who have sat on their LAZY BUTTS since the hurricane evacuation warnings were released. stupid whiny babies!

      Report Post » woemcat  
  • randy
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 11:51am

    Wow! Is this guy related to someone on the Blaze staff?

    Incredible photos? Come on…..

    Nothing more than amateur snapshots.

    Report Post » randy  
    • Toltepeceno
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:21pm

      Nobody said they are artistic simpleton, it‘s the content that’s incredible. Thinking must be too tough for you.

      Report Post » Toltepeceno  
    • Kaoscontrol
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 1:13pm

      Right you are RANDY. Crusta isn’t an artist– just a guy with a camera trespassing. Keep trying Crusta.

      Report Post » Kaoscontrol  
    • NotOptional
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 1:25pm

      I have to agree…this guy’s only talent is trespassing.

      Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 11:50am

    Looks like Detroit, what year was Detroit’s Hurricane?

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • CatB
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 11:59am

      I was going to post the same thing GONZO … hurricane DemocRATS .. on the job for DECADES!

      Report Post »  
    • rp454
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:18pm

      Funniest thing I have heard all week Gonzo.

      Report Post » rp454  
    • rlimike
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:38pm

      The same year as the one that hit East St. Louis , Gary Ind. and the south side of Chicago.

      Report Post » rlimike  
    • Charles
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 3:35pm

      Yes all those places are wastelands and are being run by the same servants of darkness. I would like to photograph them for the record, but without a few experienced armed guards with rifles to watch my back I won’t go there. Guess I could take a cell phone and call the police if I needed help! jk

      Report Post »  
  • spirited
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 11:45am

    Change certainly helped.

    Report Post » spirited  
    • edcoil
      Posted on August 17, 2012 at 11:52am

      How much money was spent on rebuilding the place? Lazy people, given great wealth to do nothing.

      Report Post »  
  • Eric_The_Red_State
    Posted on August 17, 2012 at 11:44am

    Looks like Detroit now.
    And soon to be Chicago

    Report Post » Eric_The_Red_State  
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