Felicia Lalla, 21, is a self-proclaimed believer in the metaphorical spirit of homes. She started hunting for her perfect home in 2022 when she was led to a charming 19th-century bungalow that mixed vintage charm and historical significance.
The discovery began when the realtor pointed out an unusual sectioned-off corner of the basement, behind a heavy wooden wardrobe.
“She could see, through a slit between the side of the wardrobe and the wall, that there was a door behind it,” Felicia Lalla told Newsweek. “When we spoke to the seller, he said that he didn’t have the key to the door and it hadn’t been accessed in decades.”
As soon as the property sale cleared, Lalla drove to her new home, keys in hand, knowing the first thing she wanted to do.Behind the mysterious door, a trove of historical objects was waiting: “We found a few newspaper clippings, pictures, photography paraphernalia, postcards, and a dental radiography book,” Lalla said. “But the thing that caught my eye the most was a large machine tucked neatly into the corner of the room. After doing some research… I learned that it was a photo enlarger for black and white photography.”
When she told her photographer sister about the find, she rushed straight over to take a look too: “My sister came over, checked the room out, and told me it used to be a darkroom for developing photographs,” Lalla said. “We’re both huge history buffs, and getting to look at documents from years past together was a moment I’ll cherish forever.”
Pictures of some of the objects inside the hidden darkroom in Illinois.U/THIN_DOG4184
Initially she kept her discovery private, sharing it only with close friends and family. But when her friend suggested other people might be interested in the unusual find, she shared it on the r/centuryhomes Subreddit where it has garnered widespread attention.
In more than 200 comments, people shared their reactions to the unusual space.
