• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

These Car Interiors Depict Life After War

March 22, 2018 By Nadeem Muaddi

The Hog Ring - These Car Interiors Depict Life After War

Photographer Matthew Casteel recently published a book titled “American Interiors,” which features compelling photographs of U.S. servicemen’s car interiors.

Although the book doesn’t include a single photograph of a serviceman, Casteel says it’s more about them than it is their cars. He believes the condition in which people keep their car interiors is a reflection of their mental state.

Casteel got the idea for the book while working as a valet parker at a veteran’s hospital in North Carolina, where he noticed that many servicemen were still enduring the psychological impact of war.

“I parked hundreds of cars a week and most were in some state of neglect and disrepair,” Casteel told The Guardian. “The symbolism of neglect was pervasive in the cars, but also in the folks that were driving them. I met several guys who actually lived in their cars.”

The Hog Ring - These Car Interiors Depict Life After War

Most of the photographs depict grimy, disorganized interiors. A common theme among them is guns, knives, medicine bottles, lottery tickets, pornography magazines, beer cans and ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts, according to The Guardian.

Also found in the interiors are photos of loved ones, religious items, lucky charms and patriotic symbols, like flags.

The Hog Ring - These Car Interiors Depict Life After War

Of course, not every serviceman or servicewoman who returns from war is emotionally or physically damaged. But enough are that Casteel wanted to draw attention to their struggle.

“The statistics speak for themselves: one in seven homeless adults in America is a military veteran; one in five veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan has post-traumatic stress disorder; every day, 22 veterans take their own lives, averaging one suicide every 65 minutes,” writes The Guardian.

The Hog Ring - These Car Interiors Depict Life After War

While photographing the cars, Casteel befriended many of the veterans, who told him about what life is like after returning from war.

“I heard so many stories and saw so many guys struggling with addiction or health problems relating to what they had been through that it kind of humbled me.” he said. “I grew up as a rebellious teenager who played in punk rock bands and was involved in anti-war activism. Back then it was just ‘fuck war!,’ but I never really considered the human plight of individual veterans. The ones I met were struggling, but they were also cool guys and I was always struck by their generosity. They were inspiring to be around, for sure. They changed my way of thinking.”

The Hog Ring - These Car Interiors Depict Life After War

As professional auto upholsterers, we sit in strangers’ cars all the time — and often complain about how dirty or disorganized they are. Without a doubt, this book has given me a lot to think about.

Maybe not all messy cars are owned by slobs. Sometimes, the driver is struggling with real pain.

“American Interiors” is available for purchase on Amazon. A forthcoming special edition of the book will give a portion of proceeds to a veteran’s charity.

All photographs by ML Casteel.

Filed Under: Archive, Interesting Read Tagged With: Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, ML Casteel

Primary Sidebar

anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation - Right Rail Ad 3
  • Albright's Supply
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • Leather Craft
  • Hyde Leather
  • Keyston Bros
  • OEM+ Banner Ad - The Hog Ring

THR Favorites

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - SideEffect Ltd - 1971 Pontiac Firebird

1971 Firebird Interior by SideEffect Ltd

In need of some inspiration? Check out this … [more] about 1971 Firebird Interior by SideEffect Ltd

The Hog Ring- First Project Car 1969 Dodge Charger

THR’s First Project Car: 1969 Dodge Charger

Big News! The Hog Ring just acquired its … [more] about THR’s First Project Car: 1969 Dodge Charger

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Design Studio

Design Studio: Full Generic Interiors

Last month we launched The Hog Ring Design … [more] about Design Studio: Full Generic Interiors

Building Brand Awareness for Your Shop

We’ve all been there before – standing … [more] about Building Brand Awareness for Your Shop

The Hog Ring - Side Impact Airbag Seams

Read This Before Sewing Airbag Seams

One of the most heated debates in the auto … [more] about Read This Before Sewing Airbag Seams

Warning: Do Not Resew This Cover

For many years, there has been confusion … [more] about Warning: Do Not Resew This Cover

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • Trimmer Richard Buczynski Dies at 87
  • Ontario Car Scene Unites to Support Beloved Upholsterer in Critical Condition
  • Audi’s New Feature Lets You Play Video Games in Traffic
  • Running a Trim Shop is Hard. This Free SBA Tool Makes It Easier
  • Subaru Seat Bolsters Are Failing. Here’s How to Fix Them (and Make Money)

Recent Comments

  • Edward Munday on Hidden Mouse Nest? How to Charge for the Extra Dirty Work
  • Jack on Keyston Bros. Acquires DLT Corporation
  • Brodie Smith on Aston Martin Just Introduced a New Convertible DB12
  • THE CAPTAIN on 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers
  • Dmei on Star Wars Seat Covers are ‘So Wizard’

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in