Forgotten Toys: My Photographic Journey Of An Abandoned 1960s House Packed With Childhood Memorabilia
There is a house in North Carolina that is filled with 1960s and 1970s toys. The last occupant was a grandma who passed away in 2002. The toys were left for her great-grandchildren to play with and belonged to the woman’s daughters when they were young. Take a small peek inside.
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The House Exterior
I’m a portrait photographer who has been photographing abandoned houses for over 10 years. I’m a best-selling author, and currently traveling the world working on future books. I love to connect with other artists, especially through my Instagram.
I was always drawn to history. I am also a very curious person and intrigued by the unknown. This leads me to explore places that maybe others haven’t seen.
The Barbie Dream House room
Another room of toys
The atmosphere of this house was very eerie. With all the portraits around, it felt like the family was watching me. There was also a sadness left throughout because you could see how much love was once in that house. It definitely triggers memories from my childhood seeing many of the old toys.
The downstairs is caving in
The closet is busting from behind the wall
There were still Barbie items in the original boxes, such as the Barbie Townhouse, the Barbie Dreamhouse and Dream Boat. So many toys children would have loved at the time but maybe never got. That also makes it very unique, to see everything just sitting there now, when they were once so desirable.
I’m not too sure which toys would maybe have been more rare, but I do know Barbie stuff is collectible. There were old troll dolls, dollhouses, toy musical instruments, and so much more.
Generations of family photographs
Family portraits
Since the house is collapsing and unsafe, I do believe these toys will be lost or destroyed. This is why I love photographing things left behind, to preserve them in a different way.
If you want to see videos from inside the house and more pictures, you can see the link to my Instagram.
The downstairs
Another toy room
Babie toy car junkyard
Zippy the monkey
Grandma’s bedroom
A mantel
Barbie boat
Upstairs bedroom
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Its heartbreaking that no one in the family claimed anything! Im really wondering why? 🤔
Where is the 30 years of dust? This house looks too clean to have sat empty for so long.
Dust is largely comprised of skin, so when there is no one around there is less dust!
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It looks like a fanily just disappeared.. why would you leave all this stuff when you move to another house? And it's confusing nobody stealed or destroyed the things or the house after it was empty for so many years.
I really want to know the backstop of it!
Load More Replies...
We had to leave my grandparents’ house like this when my grandmom passed- it was in foreclosure and we didn’t have room for their stuff or time to take it all out of the house before it got locked up by the bank. It was heartbreaking. I still have nightmares about having to leave it all like that
It seems really sad that it's all been waiting there for someone to come home and bring life to the home. Time stood for so long
Barbie boat?! I missed out. My Camper Van's getting crushed at the bottom of that Barbie car pileup. Wish we could have seen inside Granny's pink bathroom! So many memories in this place.
This seems like such a wonderful, cozy home. Not sure why this is labeled a "1960's house". The house is of course much older than that, and some of the family photos are from the 70's, 80's, maybe even the 90's.
What's odd is someone must still own it and is paying property taxes on it other wise it would have been sold at a tax default auction long ago. Plus that would mean the photographer was probably trespassing unless they had permission from the owner.
In the photo of the Barbie Boat room. Look down in the right hand corner... There is the top of what looks like an elderly woman's head. Uncombed hair. Sitting down. That's creepy or someone still lives there. Hence your permission question
Load More Replies... In the photo of the Barbie Boat room. Look down in the right hand corner... There is the top of what looks like an elderly woman's head. Uncombed hair. Sitting down. That's creepy or someone still lives there. Hence your permission questions
This house is not from the 1960. This house appears to have been built in the 1890s and contains objects from the 1960s.
Where in NC? Love this house exterior. Wish has the money to save it. Can't understand how people have family homes that just get abandoned without war or famine etc Who can afford to let a house sit and sit while you pay the property taxes? Anyone i know would have to sell it, even at a loss. And if you can afford it, why be so wasteful????
This is interesting. I had to clean out my elderly aunt's apartment when she moved into assisted living and there was a lot of stuff left behind, similar to your pictures. Donating and disposal of things did not work while she was living in the apartment. Then after she was settled in her new place there was not enough time or assistance with emptying out her old place.
Its heartbreaking that no one in the family claimed anything! Im really wondering why? 🤔
Where is the 30 years of dust? This house looks too clean to have sat empty for so long.
Dust is largely comprised of skin, so when there is no one around there is less dust!
Load More Replies... It looks like a fanily just disappeared.. why would you leave all this stuff when you move to another house? And it's confusing nobody stealed or destroyed the things or the house after it was empty for so many years.
I really want to know the backstop of it!
Load More Replies... We had to leave my grandparents’ house like this when my grandmom passed- it was in foreclosure and we didn’t have room for their stuff or time to take it all out of the house before it got locked up by the bank. It was heartbreaking. I still have nightmares about having to leave it all like that
It seems really sad that it's all been waiting there for someone to come home and bring life to the home. Time stood for so long
Barbie boat?! I missed out. My Camper Van's getting crushed at the bottom of that Barbie car pileup. Wish we could have seen inside Granny's pink bathroom! So many memories in this place.
This seems like such a wonderful, cozy home. Not sure why this is labeled a "1960's house". The house is of course much older than that, and some of the family photos are from the 70's, 80's, maybe even the 90's.
What's odd is someone must still own it and is paying property taxes on it other wise it would have been sold at a tax default auction long ago. Plus that would mean the photographer was probably trespassing unless they had permission from the owner.
In the photo of the Barbie Boat room. Look down in the right hand corner... There is the top of what looks like an elderly woman's head. Uncombed hair. Sitting down. That's creepy or someone still lives there. Hence your permission question
Load More Replies... In the photo of the Barbie Boat room. Look down in the right hand corner... There is the top of what looks like an elderly woman's head. Uncombed hair. Sitting down. That's creepy or someone still lives there. Hence your permission questions
This house is not from the 1960. This house appears to have been built in the 1890s and contains objects from the 1960s.
Where in NC? Love this house exterior. Wish has the money to save it. Can't understand how people have family homes that just get abandoned without war or famine etc Who can afford to let a house sit and sit while you pay the property taxes? Anyone i know would have to sell it, even at a loss. And if you can afford it, why be so wasteful????
This is interesting. I had to clean out my elderly aunt's apartment when she moved into assisted living and there was a lot of stuff left behind, similar to your pictures. Donating and disposal of things did not work while she was living in the apartment. Then after she was settled in her new place there was not enough time or assistance with emptying out her old place.
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