A derelict building has a kind of haunting beauty, appealing to the casual viewer and the student of history. When the photographer Matt McDonough began exploring abandoned mental asylums, however, he sought to transcend the architectural mystique.
“I’m really drawn to the peeling paint and all the crazy colors,” said Mr. McDonough, 26. “But I think it was more important for me to try and find traces of people who used to live there.” So he looked for the little details hinting at the kind of lives that had been lived inside.