Abandoned & Industrial Photography

by Björn Sahlberg

Château du Pianiste

overgrown glory

Le spectacle est fini!

Abandoned palaces aren't uncommon in France but often they are empty of objects. Not in the case of Château de Pont-Remy. To put it mildly there was a huge amount of stuff left. Especially the ground floor was cramped. Magazines, books, computer stuff, two pianos, two grand pianos and a copious amount of chairs, and much more. Perhaps the last master of the house held concerts for an imaginary audience sitting on these chairs? A calendar from 2003 showed that the place hadn't been abandoned for very long though the decay and neglect obviously had been going on for decades.

The château burned down in August 2012 and any future plans for the remains are unknown to me. After clearing out the charred remains and the overgrown garden a foot path around the ruins have been arranged.

The château in all its overgrown glory. Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

the forgotten garden gothic glory

The château in all its overgrown glory.

The living room, with a high density of chairs at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

chaffed chairs débris élégant quel bordel

The living room, with a high density of chairs.

The salons on the ground floor. High density of chairs here, too at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

débris élégant gothic glory off the wallpaper quel bordel

The salons on the ground floor. High density of chairs here, too.

Billard salon with one of the two grand pianos at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

débris élégant less grand piano quel bordel

Billard salon with one of the two grand pianos.

Stairway to the attic on the second floor at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

débris élégant stairway to ...

Stairway to the attic on the second floor. Palace chapel is straight ahead.

Stylish scrap at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

débris élégant

Stylish scrap.

Bathroom utensils on the sink at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

let that sink in slefie

Bathroom utensils on the sink. The roof was missing in here.

Chairs. So many chairs at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

chaffed chairs quel bordel

Chairs. So many chairs.

Bedroom on the top floor at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

Bedroom on the top floor.

Stairway to the top floor at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

gothic glory stairway to ...

Stairway to the top floor. Among the oldest parts of the palace.

The balcony, with deco at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

the forgotten garden

The balcony, with deco.

Beware of death at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

graffiti

“Beware of death”. Ok.

The north facade 1 at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

the forgotten garden

The north facade 1.

In the garden where the statues sleep at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. May 2010.

the forgotten garden don't blink

In the garden where the statues sleep.

Il était une fois ...

Château de Pont-Remy in the early 1900s. Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. © Gustave William Lemaire, Ministère de la Culture (France).

The château in the early 1900s. © Gustave William Lemaire, Ministère de la Culture (France).

Billiard room at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. © Gustave William Lemaire, Ministère de la Culture (France).

Billiard room. © Gustave William Lemaire, Ministère de la Culture (France).

The salon at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. © Gustave William Lemaire, Ministère de la Culture (France)

The salon. © Gustave William Lemaire, Ministère de la Culture (France).

The salon at Château de Pont-Remy, Hauts-de-France, France. © Gustave William Lemaire, Ministère de la Culture (France)

The stairway. © Gustave William Lemaire, Ministère de la Culture (France).

Technicalities

May 2010

January 2014

March 2023

Hasselblad 500c/m Zeiss Distagon 50 mm F/4 Kodak Tmax 100 Imacon Flextight Photo

Exhibition Print

Château du Pianiste was among the selected works for the ASKA.nu anniversary exhibition.

This print has been sold.