Driving through east Cleveland, you might stumble across the abandoned Warner and Swasey Observatory nestled into the edge of a residential community. Constructed in 1920, it was abandoned in 1980 when creeping light pollution had long since prevented it from serving its function of astronomical research. The building’s shell, with the telescopes taken away and an obliterated roof, has instead become a favorite spot for local graffiti artists and photographers. The observatory, which for years could only see the night sky when an operator opened the ceiling for a telescope to peer out, now has unfettered access to looking up into the universe. I share photos from my recent trek there to add to the many such collections online.

For more information and historical photos, visit clevelandhistorical.org.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: CORWIN LEVI

Corwin is a visual artist working in design, illustration, bookmaking, curating, and writing. As an artist, he has attended over twenty artist residencies. He has also have lived in eighteen cities across twelve states. Along with Michelle Aldredge, he co-created Mirror Mirrored: An Artists’ Edition of 25 Grimms’ Tales. He is currently remixing vintage game boards and making a book from illustrations of Alice in Wonderland.