Atlas of Forgotten Places

Described as 'one of the country's finest pop culture historians', Travis Elborough is an acclaimed author and social commentator who lives in London. His work delves into the ephemera of retro culture as well as the history of London, geography, and a broad range of other subjects. His Atlas of Vanishing Places won the Illustrated Book of the Year at the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards in 2020, and he has also written The Bus We Loved, a passionate love letter to the Routemaster bus which defined London transport for more than 50 years. His other works include A Traveller’s Year, A London Year, The Long-Player Goodbye, Being A Writer and A Walk in the Park: The Life and Times of a People’s Institution. Travis is a regular contributor to Radio 4 and the Guardian, and has penned articles on all aspects of travel and culture, from pirates in the Caribbean to donkeys at the British seaside. He has written for the Times, Sunday Times, New Statesman, BBC History Magazine and Kinfolk among others, and is a visiting lecturer at the University of Westminster, where he teaches creative writing.

Introduction
 
Section 1: Vacant Properties

Büyükada Orphelinat, Turkey
Żarnowiec Nuclear Power Plant, Poland
Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway
The Castle of Dona Chica, Portugal
Sans-Souci Palace, Haiti
Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse, Denmark
Sammezzano Castle, Italy


Section 2: Unsettled Situatons

Wünsdorf, Germany
Old Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Mandu, India
Craco, Italy
Grängesberg, Sweden
Plymouth, Montserrat, West Indies
Kolmanskop, Namibia
Kennecott, Alaska
Döllersheim, Austria


Section 3: Dilapidated Destinations

The West Pier, Brighton, UK
Santa Claus, Arizona, US
Ducor Palace Hotel, Liberia
Hachijo Royal Hotel, Japan
Grand Hôtel de la Forêt, Corsica
Camelot Theme Park, Lancashire, UK
The Salton Sea Riviera, California, US
New World Mall, Bangkok, Thailand
Kupari, Croatia
Hellinikon Olympic Complex, Greece


Section 4: Journeys Ended

Nicosia Airport, Cyprus
Train Graveyard, Uyuni, Bolivia
Crystal Palace Subway, London, UK
Suakin, Sudan
City Hall Subway Station, New York, US
Balaklava Submarine Base, Crimea


Section 5: Obsolete Institutions

St Peter’s Seminary College, Scotland, UK
Roosevelt Island Smallpox Hospital, New York, US
Volterra Psychiatric Hospital, Italy
Gary City Methodist Church, Indiana, US
Akampene Island, Uganda
Seaside Sanatorium, Connecticut, US
Lennox Castle Hospital, Scotland, UK
Alcatraz Prison, California, US 


Selected Bibliography
Picture Credits
Acknowledgements
Index