Pearsonville 2010

The East Lot  :::::  The East Lot :::::
Haunted Castle  :::::  1950 Chrysler WindsorHaunted Castle ::::: 1950 Chrysler Windsor
Shadow of the Wing  :::::  1956 Cadillac Camper Conversion and 1963 Ford F150Shadow of the Wing ::::: 1956 Cadillac Camper Conversion and 1963 Ford F150
Thunderbirds Are Go!  :::::  1962 Ford ThunderbirdThunderbirds Are Go! ::::: 1962 Ford Thunderbird
El Matador Thinks  :::::  1974 AMC MatadorEl Matador Thinks ::::: 1974 AMC Matador
Marshmallows on Vega  :::::  1971 Chevy VegaMarshmallows on Vega ::::: 1971 Chevy Vega
Any Port in a Storm  :::::  1962 Chrysler NewportAny Port in a Storm ::::: 1962 Chrysler Newport
The Lap of Luxury  :::::  1973 Cadillac Coupe de VilleThe Lap of Luxury ::::: 1973 Cadillac Coupe de Ville
Eldorado Chiaroscuro  :::::  1970 Cadillac EldoradoEldorado Chiaroscuro ::::: 1970 Cadillac Eldorado
High Sierra Engineering  :::::  Early-'50s Sudebaker ChampionHigh Sierra Engineering ::::: Early-'50s Sudebaker Champion
Adorable  :::::  1961 Rambler AmbassadorAdorable ::::: 1961 Rambler Ambassador
The Brown Falcon  :::::  1960 Ford FalconThe Brown Falcon ::::: 1960 Ford Falcon
Constellation Montclair  :::::  1965 Mercury MontclairConstellation Montclair ::::: 1965 Mercury Montclair
Crepuscolo Amputazione  :::::  Fiat 128Crepuscolo Amputazione ::::: Fiat 128
Saline Dreams  :::::  1961 Pontiac BonnevilleSaline Dreams ::::: 1961 Pontiac Bonneville
Eyebrow Scar  :::::  1959 BuickEyebrow Scar ::::: 1959 Buick
Hang Ten  :::::  1962 Pontiac CatalinaHang Ten ::::: 1962 Pontiac Catalina
Job-Rated G  :::::  Early-'50s Dodge Flatbed TruckJob-Rated G ::::: Early-'50s Dodge Flatbed Truck
The Weather Channel  :::::  1955 ChevyThe Weather Channel ::::: 1955 Chevy
Porthole Stormwatch  :::::  1950 Buick SuperPorthole Stormwatch ::::: 1950 Buick Super
Jammin'  :::::  1966 Lincoln Continental CustomJammin' ::::: 1966 Lincoln Continental Custom
Taking the Flag  :::::  1969 Chevy CamaroTaking the Flag ::::: 1969 Chevy Camaro
Alluvial Ambassador  :::::  1956 Nash Ambassador SuperAlluvial Ambassador ::::: 1956 Nash Ambassador Super
Casket Bordello  :::::  1976 Lincoln Continental MkIV, Pucci EditionCasket Bordello ::::: 1976 Lincoln Continental MkIV, Pucci Edition
The Pole Won  :::::  1966 Chevy El CaminoThe Pole Won ::::: 1966 Chevy El Camino
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot  :::::  1971 Buick RivieraThunderbolt and Lightfoot ::::: 1971 Buick Riviera
Desoto Moonrise  :::::  1960 Desoto AdventurerDesoto Moonrise ::::: 1960 Desoto Adventurer
The Periwinkle Spaceman  :::::  1960 Dodge Dart SenecaThe Periwinkle Spaceman ::::: 1960 Dodge Dart Seneca
Lowering the Boom  :::::  Mid-'60s Chevy work truckLowering the Boom ::::: Mid-'60s Chevy work truck
Prom Night  :::::  1971 Chevy VegaProm Night ::::: 1971 Chevy Vega
Ville Phantome  :::::  1969 Cadillac Coupe de VilleVille Phantome ::::: 1969 Cadillac Coupe de Ville
  • The East Lot  :::::
  • Haunted Castle  :::::  1950 Chrysler Windsor
  • Shadow of the Wing  :::::  1956 Cadillac Camper Conversion and 1963 Ford F150
  • Thunderbirds Are Go!  :::::  1962 Ford Thunderbird
  • El Matador Thinks  :::::  1974 AMC Matador
  • Marshmallows on Vega  :::::  1971 Chevy Vega
  • Any Port in a Storm  :::::  1962 Chrysler Newport
  • The Lap of Luxury  :::::  1973 Cadillac Coupe de Ville
  • Eldorado Chiaroscuro  :::::  1970 Cadillac Eldorado
  • High Sierra Engineering  :::::  Early-'50s Sudebaker Champion
  • Adorable  :::::  1961 Rambler Ambassador
  • The Brown Falcon  :::::  1960 Ford Falcon
  • Constellation Montclair  :::::  1965 Mercury Montclair
  • Crepuscolo Amputazione  :::::  Fiat 128
  • Saline Dreams  :::::  1961 Pontiac Bonneville
  • Eyebrow Scar  :::::  1959 Buick
  • Hang Ten  :::::  1962 Pontiac Catalina
  • Job-Rated G  :::::  Early-'50s Dodge Flatbed Truck
  • The Weather Channel  :::::  1955 Chevy
  • Porthole Stormwatch  :::::  1950 Buick Super
  • Jammin'  :::::  1966 Lincoln Continental Custom
  • Taking the Flag  :::::  1969 Chevy Camaro
  • Alluvial Ambassador  :::::  1956 Nash Ambassador Super
  • Casket Bordello  :::::  1976 Lincoln Continental MkIV, Pucci Edition
  • The Pole Won  :::::  1966 Chevy El Camino
  • Thunderbolt and Lightfoot  :::::  1971 Buick Riviera
  • Desoto Moonrise  :::::  1960 Desoto Adventurer
  • The Periwinkle Spaceman  :::::  1960 Dodge Dart Seneca
  • Lowering the Boom  :::::  Mid-'60s Chevy work truck
  • Prom Night  :::::  1971 Chevy Vega
  • Ville Phantome  :::::  1969 Cadillac Coupe de Ville

Junkyard Requiem
The Pearsonville you see on this site no longer exists.  In early 2011 hundreds of vehicles were crushed and recycled. The remaining cars were packed tightly into the northwest corner of the yard and surrounded by a strong, high fence. The rest of this immense site is just empty dirt, almost as if this epic junkyard was never there.

I’m not surprised it happened.  Over thirty years of exploring abandoned places and junkyards I’ve seen hundreds of locations disappear.  Pearsonville is no different. But the inevitability in knowing that I’d eventually see it disappear didn’t make it any easier.   For me Pearsonville was special.

Between 2008 and 2010 I spent an unprecedented twenty-nine nights inside the fence, shooting by the light of the full moon. Many of them were spent leading more than 40 people on night photography workshops. I shot thousands of minutes-long time exposures, ending up with just under 500 finished images (about 85 favorites currently showing in the 3 galleries on this site.)  In all those visits I never ran out of things to shoot.  I still feel like I left many images on the table.  Lots of unfinished business . . .

I combed every inch of the place and discovered magic everywhere; from its smallest details, to its endless vistas and insanely surreal skies. I forged a tremendous connection to the place and I will miss it.

This massive gallery of images has become a requiem for a place that no longer exists.

For more on the history of Pearsonville, visit the Pearsonville 2008 set.
For more on “The Pearsonville Experience”, visit the Pearsonville 2009 set.