Kieron Connolly’s new book of photographs of more than 100 once-busy and often elegant buildings gives an idea of how the world might look if humankind disappeared. Here: Bodie, Mono County, California. Gold was discovered at Bodie in 1859 (just after the initial California gold rush) and it went from mining camp to boomtown. Its decline began in 1880, when word spread of new boomtowns elsewhere. The Standard Consolidated Mine closed in 1913, and four years later the Bodie Railway was abandoned. By 1940 the population was down to 40. Today, Bodie is maintained in a state of arrested decay as a visitor attraction. (Photo by Alamy Stock Photo)

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh meets members of the cast of “Chicago” during a visit to the Adelphi Theatre in this March 4, 1999 file photo in London, England. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

Wout van Aert of Team Visma Lease a Bike of Belgium during the UCI Worldcup Dendermonde 2025 at the Dendermonde on January 5, 2025 in Dendermonde Belgium (Photo by Pim Waslander/Soccrates/Getty Images)

A charred deer figure stands in the ruins of a devastated home, as the Eaton Fire continues, in Altadena, California, on January 14, 2025. (Photo by Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

A military aircraft flies low through the Mach Loop in west-central Wales on September 25, 2025 during Cobra Warrior 25-2, one of Nato’s largest multinational air exercises. The operation, running across the UK until October 3, brings together air forces from the UK, US, Canada, Italy and Germany for three weeks of high-intensity training in challenging low-level environments. (Photo by Tony Marsh)

Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs pose for photos before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Estadio Azteca on November 18, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images)

Jennifer Aniston arrives for the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards on January 5, 2020, at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

Revellers hit the booze cruise in the Croatian port city of Split on August 11, 2023. The hot new party town for Brits. Boat Party booze cruise with Split after dark. (Photo by Darren Fletcher)