Abandoned & Industrial Photography

by Björn Sahlberg

Brandbilsgaraget

old flames fading

Bienvenue!

What we have here is an impressive collection of dusted over vintage fire trucks in a run-down warehouse in the harbour of a decently sized French city. The trucks are from the 1930s to the 1970s. Mainly by French manufactures like Renault, Saviem, Peugeot and Citroën but also American like Ford and Dodge.

The story of these dilapidated fire engines goes something like this: It all began in the early 90s with fire departments around France wishing to deposit of their old trucks in a controlled manner. The aim is to gather the vintage vehicles in museums so they can be preserved properly and showed publicly. With some funding raised for the purpose they are sent off to various locations around France, with this warehouse being one of them. Some ten years later funding runs dry and even with help from a private organization this place is closed down a couple of years later. And so it remains until it's eventually emptied at some point in late 2015 or early 2016. If you have any further information, please let me know.

Bon voyage, belle camions de pompiers!

Not much parking space left at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Not much parking space left.

road's end

This crank starter engine ought to be among the older trucks in the collection at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

This crank starter engine ought to be among the older trucks in the collection.

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The Seine Maritime logo would look good on a t-shirt. Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

That Seine Maritime logo would look good on a t-shirt.

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A Renault truck at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

A Renault truck.

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Stretcher in front of a Citroën truck at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Stretcher in front of a Citroën truck.

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A sturdy Dodge among French collegues at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

A sturdy Dodge among French collegues.

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Cobwebs building up at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Cobwebs building up.

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Maugiére compressor and an old battery in the workshop area at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Maugiére compressor and an old battery in the workshop area.

fzzxkrrrxzt! ghost machinery

Delahaye truck at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Delahaye truck.

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Hand painted declaration of the truck's home village of Saint-Romain-de-Colbosc at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Hand painted declaration of the truck's home village of Saint-Romain-de-Colbosc.

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Ford truck with a V8 engine, apparently at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Ford truck with a V8 engine.

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Truck interior at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Truck interior.

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Arques-la-Bataille had a nicely hand painted symbol of the community on this truck at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Arques-la-Bataille had a nicely hand painted symbol of the community on this truck.

The hand painted symbol up close at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

The hand painted symbol up close.

A Renault from Ville de Cherbourg and a Citroën truck, hanging out at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

A Renault from Ville de Cherbourg and a Citroën truck, hanging out.

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Snapshots

Some kind of time and distance measuring device? Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Some kind of time and distance measuring device?

Metal brooms at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Metal brooms.

Before the days of the EU-standard emergency number at Cimetière camions de pompiers, France. March 2015.

Before the days of the EU-standard emergency number.

Technicalities

March 2015

November 2016

June 2020

France

Hasselblad 500c/m Zeiss Distagon 50mm f/4 Kodak Ektar 100 Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Imacon Flextight Photo

Exhibition Print

“Brandbilsgaraget” was among the selected works for the ASKA.nu anniversary exhibition.

This print is still available.

Print Brandbilsgaraget. Normandie, Frankrike. Mars 2015.

Brandbilsgaraget

Normandie, Frankrike
Mars 2015