Culture

The Personal Lives of Forgotten Trinkets

A photographer explores the emotional connections of mementos that change hands at Dallas estate sales.
"LBJ With Fishhooks"© Norm Diamond

This post is part of a CityLab series on wastelands, and what we squander, discard, and fritter away.

In an average week, Norm Diamond frequented as many as 10 estate sales scattered in various parts of Dallas, Texas. Perusing thousands of possessions left behind by previous homeowners, he photographed the ones that struck him. Spanning 15 months, the project started in March 2015. The result is a poignant series of images capturing the soul of wasted items—one-time cherished possessions, now left to collect dust and money from those keen to newly reclaim them as their own.