Abandoned Vehicles, White Mountains – Over the years, I have documented a number of abandoned vehicles in the New Hampshire White Mountains, and today I want to share some of them with you. These forgotten relics make great photo subjects. Personally, I love coming across them in the middle of nowhere.
New England outdoor photographers should have a few abandoned vehicles on file. This type of imagery can be used in numerous ways to represent the outdoor environment. And some art collectors do like this type of subject matter for their walls.
More than likely, we will never know the story behind how some vehicles reached their final resting place in the forest. The record keeping during the early years of the White Mountains was less than ideal, and if these vehicles are not referenced in a book, it is anyone’s guess as to why they are in the middle of the woods.
Each one of these abandoned vehicles has a story to be told, but what is the story? Do we accept the fact that in the 1920's someone drove their Dodge Coupe down a road (now abandoned and overgrown) in the woods and just left it there? Maybe it is that simple, and there is no story to be told, but I would like to think there is.
Being an editorial photographer focused on history, I try to reproduce scenes of abandoned vehicles as natural as possible. And for this reason, I prefer photographing this subject matter on overcast days when the clouds act as a natural diffuser, producing even light across the scene.
Where some of these abandoned vehicles rest in the White Mountains is amazing. The truck above is in a wetlands area in Woodstock. This area likely wasn’t always flooded like it is today. And a skidder or similar piece of equipment would be needed to remove it from the forest.
All of the above images can be licensed for publications by clicking on the image, and you can view more scenes of abandoned cars and trucks here.
Happy image making..
Don’t Remove Artifacts | Historic Information Disclaimer | White Mountains History
Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC
Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society.
Do you have a map of some locations of abandoned cars? I love to photograph abandoned cars.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Cheers
Hi Beth,
No, I do not have a map of the locations of the abandoned cars. And I do not know of a map that shows them.