In a sense we all time travelers, so evidence of time’s passage is fascinating. Remembered scenes of childhood, nostalgia for better times, and photographs that show how places and faces have changed interest all of us. As a photographer, I have always been attracted to buildings and landscapes that illustrate the changes brought by time and abandonment.

During the summer of 2006, I photographed extensively in the ghost town of Bannack, Montana. Most of my pictures were of the old buildings set in a stunning location among sagebrush-covered hills. But some of my most successful photographs were of details, including this one showing the cracking of three distinct layers of paint in an old interior. When I got the slides back from the developer, I noticed that this image reminded me of old world maps that I had seen—hence the name.

Location: Bannack State Park, Montana, USA

Lee Rentz