'Abandoned America' spotlighted in local authors' new books

MILFORD — Rusty Tagliareni and Christina Mathews will be signing two new books at Since Yesterday, 320 Broad St., in Milford, during the Art After Dark event on Saturday, Aug. 13.
One, “Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital,” is a part of the greater “Images of America” book series by Arcadia publishing. This book tells the tale of the old Greystone Park asylum from its birth upon a Parsippany hilltop to its the untimely and highly controversial demolition. Contained within are more than 100 archival photos from the hospital's day's of operation rescued from the campus basement prior to demolition and never before seen by the general public. It sold out twice in its opening week on Amazon, and has been listed both as a "#1Best Seller" and "#1 New Release."
The second book, “Antiquity Echoes: A Photographed Tour of Abandoned America,” is a hardcover gloss-printed coffee table book by Skyhorse Publishing that chronicles the authors' time visiting abandoned locations throughout the United States. The pages tell stories about a wide range of sites, including mental asylums, shopping malls, and resorts, all with a heavy focus on history and architectural preservation. Included at the end of nearly every chapter is a QR code that, when scanned with a smartphone or tablet, plays cinematic short films of the locations depicted on the pages.
"We are strong and outspoken supporters of architectural and historical preservation," said Tagliareni.
In 2015 Tagliareni and Mathews presented at PreservationWorks, a national historic asylum conference, on the topics of preserving the nation's few remaining historic asylum complexes and re-purposing them for future. In the days following the conclusion of the conference, a nonprofit organization called PreservationWorks was created, with Tagliareni and Mathews as founding members. PreservationWorks operates as a national advocacy group to protect the country's last remaining Kirkbride institutions.
At the Art After Dark event, the authors will show cinematic videos of their travels across the United States.
The authors live in Milford and are currently fixing up an 1850s home that had" fallen a bit into disrepair during a multi-year span of vacancy....There's still much to do, but bringing this one back to life has proven deeply rewarding thus far."
Held in Milford the second Saturday of the month from 6 to 9 p.m., Art After Dark is an evening of art, shopping, and dining. A number of galleries host receptions, performances, and art demonstrations.
For more information about the authors visit AntiquityEchoes.com.