Local artist photographs decaying classic cars, finds the beauty of these 'weathered wonders'

 This Oldsmobile 88 was relegated to the crusher soon after Marc
 Weinberg took this photograph, entitled "At One With Heaven."

The rusting Plymouth Fury sits behind a house off Route 140 in northern Carroll County, Md. Its paint faded and peeled years ago, but the chrome on its tail fin still gleams like new. 

Marc Weinberg photographed that Plymouth and dozens more  "weathered wonders": once-gorgeous classics that are now ignored or forgotten, rotting away in scrapyards or back yards.

Devoted owners of classic cars keep their automobiles meticulously maintained, rolling artwork that is exposed to sunlight only for display at a few car shows.

Weinberg, a retired federal worker who splits his time between Frederick, Md., and West Virginia, documents a different type of automotive beauty.

The cars and trucks in his pictures have stories behind them, he says. He calls many of them as "sad," "lonely," or "forlorn." Below is his description of one photograph, entitled "Truly Desolate."

This ancient Ford coupe has been resting for decades right at the very edge of a junkyard in Hagerstown, MD. She was slowly being eaten up by the surrounding vegetation. She seemed to be telling me that she once was filled with laughter and shined brilliantly as she puttered down the early narrow streets of America. But, she turned away from me because she was ashamed by her current situation. 

In some cases, the deterioration even adds an element to the cars. Many of Weinberg's photos are detail shots, close-ups of body panels whose paint is passing through many hues as it deteriorates. He traces his inspiration in old-car photography to an old pickup in West Virginia that had become "quite colorful, like Joseph's coat."

See a selection of Weinberg's photos in today's slideshow, and check out his full collection on his web page with discoveredartists.com. 

Photos published with the permission of Marc Weinberg