We all see familiar buildings in our neighbourhoods change over the years, but what if you photographed them from the exact same spot, documenting them over a time span of over four decades? That’s exactly what Chilean-born photographer Camilo José Vergara did. Focusing on the poorest and most segregated communities in urban America, Camilo returned year after year to re-photograph the same places, becoming “an archivist of decline”. Here is a brief look at the space and time he has tracked…

Ransom Gills Mansion (1993-2014)

65 East 125th St., Harlem (1977-2014)

Fern Street, Camden, New Jersey (1979-2014)

4344 West Madison Ave, Chicago (1981-2014)

Vyse Avenue, South Bronx, NY (1980-2013)

And now I cannot recommend more highly that you discover the life’s work of Camilo José Vergara on his website. Flicking through his slides is like time-travelling through forgotten America.

Images via the Library of Congress.