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Abandoned Places Photography in Cairo, Illinois (with Video)

Abandoned Places Photography in Cairo, Illinois (with Video)

Travel with fine art photographer Keith Dotson to the fading city of Cairo, Illinois to make black and white photographs of abandoned buildings

Black and white photographs of abandoned buildings in Cairo, Illinois

Black and white photograph of an abandoned house covered with vines in a neighborhood in Cairo, Illinois. Buy a fine art print here.
Black and white photograph of an abandoned house covered with vines in a neighborhood in Cairo, Illinois. Buy a fine art print here.
Abandoned Historic House in Cairo, Illinois. Black and White Photograph by Keith Dotson. Click to buy a fine art print.
Abandoned Historic House in Cairo, Illinois. Black and White Photograph by Keith Dotson. Click to buy a fine art print.

I recently made my second road trip to Cairo, Illinois — once a prosperous river town near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. I was in Cairo the first time back in 2017, but the light was very harsh on that trip, so I returned on an overcast day to get more images and to see how the crumbling city has fared.

See all of my photographs of abandoned buildings in Cairo, Illinois and many other locations here.



An important river town with a troubling history

Cairo was an important river town in its past, but has spiraled downward to the point of becoming nearly a ghost town. Now, it has a reputation as one of America’s destinations for people who like to shoot urban decay and ruins.

How did the city of Cairo degrade to this sad condition? While I normally love digging into the history of abandoned places, I prefer not to delve too deeply into the history here. To be honest, the town experienced some pretty ugly, troubling events that I prefer to just leave alone for purposes of this blog post. The city began going downhill after many, repeated episodes of people treating other people very badly. There’s a lot of information on the Internet if you’re curious to know more.

None of that toxic history is the fault of the current residents, who are left to live in a city filled with abandoned neighborhoods and long stretches of downtown blocks that are either vacant, or demolished.

Cairo’s abandoned buildings are vanishing rapidly

Sadly but understandably, the abandoned structures are systematically being erased from the landscape here. Some are also being lost to fire.

I’ve said many times that I view photographs of abandoned places as a form of architectural preservation and in Cairo it’s very appropriate. The town is already a mere shadow of its former self, architecturally speaking. A lot of the old buildings are gone.

Ayer’s Pills for the Liver historic wall ad in Cairo, Illinois

This peeling advertisement for “Ayer’s Pills for the Liver” has not only outlived the product, but it has almost outlived the city.

This historic wall ad for "Ayer's Pills for the Liver," has survived because it was hidden beneath the walls of an adjoining building for many decades.
This historic wall ad for “Ayer’s Pills for the Liver,” has survived because it was hidden beneath the walls of an adjoining building for many decades.

Ayer’s Pills for the Liver was a “miracle cure” that promised to aid in numerous ailments, including constipation, indigestion, dyspepsia, heartburn and disorders of the liver. Ayer’s Pills were called the best remedy for gout, dropsy, and kidney complaints. They even promised to open pores, allowing release of inflammatory secretions. It seems to have been offered in the U.S. from the 1870s until at least 1900.

Ayer’s Pills were one of many pharmaceuticals offered by Dr. J.C. Ayer and Co., of Lowell, Massachusetts. James Cook Ayer was America’s leading and wealthiest manufacturer of patent medicine. In the 1870s, he spent the unbelievable sum of $140,000 annually to advertise his medicines, and amassed a fortune of $20 million (Wikipedia).

Ayer graduated from medical school, but never practiced medicine, choosing instead to concentrate on the development of his medicines and the subsequent business. He died in 1878.

Down in the bottom right corner of the wall is an ad for Oscar Pepper Whiskey. Oscar Pepper established his whiskey brand in 1838, with roots as far back as 1800. The brand went on to become Woodford Reserve, still in production in Kentucky.

Historic ironwork columns

Historic ironworks columns, on the left in black is a Christopher & Simpson made in St. Louis, and on the right also from St. Louis, The Union Iron and Foundry Company.
Historic ironworks columns, on the left in black is a Christopher & Simpson made in St. Louis, and on the right also from St. Louis, The Union Iron and Foundry Company. Copyright 2021 by Keith Dotson.

As historic storefronts are lost to demolition, historic ironwork columns like those pictured above are also lost. These ironwork storefronts were sold by mail order in the late 1800s, and were manufactured in many cities, but St. Louis was home base for the majority of the foundries.

I posted a reference list of antique ironworks here. I will continue to update it as I find more examples in small towns.

Portrait of photographer Keith Dotson on 7th Street in front of the abandoned Gem Theatre in Cairo Illinois.
Portrait of yours truly on 7th Street in front of the old Gem Theatre in Cairo.
This decorative tile entry marks the front of a business, and a building, that no longer exists in Cairo, Illinois.
This decorative tile entry marks the front of a business, and a building, that no longer exists.
This photograph shows my trusty camera before one of the many long-abandoned homes in this neighborhood in Cairo, Illinois. Slowly but surely, it's being consumed by the forest.
This photograph shows my trusty camera before one of the many long-abandoned homes in this neighborhood in Cairo, Illinois. Slowly but surely, it’s being consumed by the forest.

See all of my photographs of abandoned buildings in Cairo, Illinois and many other locations here.

Thanks for reading

Be sure to visit me on FacebookInstagram or Pinterest, or on my website at keithdotson.com.

~ Keith

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