North Brother Island– the long abandoned former quarantine facility that housed infected patients including Typhoid Mary, has always piqued our interest here at Untapped. Sitting abandoned for over 50 years, its structures have decayed into an almost unrecognizable shell from its former life. Despite its state, the abandoned factor provides opportunities for some stunning photos and videos. Recently, NY1 took a tour of the island and provided viewers with an excellent breakdown of its history along with some great shots. Watch the video here!
Having been abandoned for 50 years, the facility has decayed into an almost unrecognizable shell of its former self. As one Radiolab producer put it, it’s “what will happen to the whole of our civilization when humanity is dead.”
Ian Ference, another photographer and historian based in New York has visited the island as well and spent years using the ruins to gain a more comprehensive history. In an interview with Business Insider, he spoke about the interesting tidbits that he had discovered in his study.
For instance, even though North Brother Island was shut down in 1963, in the ‘70s, kids from the Bronx used to party there because it wasn’t patrolled all that well. But due to various incidents including boats capsizing and people accidentally landing on Riker’s Island, patrols have stepped up their game which nipped up unauthorized visitors in the bud. Ference hopes to eventually create a larger project that documents the history of the island.
