The Backrooms, an eerie digital legend, has captivated the internet’s imagination, spawning countless memes, creepypastas, and creative works. This unsettling space, reminiscent of an endless, desolate office, is said to be accessed by “noclipping” out of reality, much like glitching through walls in a video game. Characterized by its sickly yellow lighting, damp carpet, and a pervasive smell of moisture, the Backrooms evokes a unique sense of isolation and unease, sometimes punctuated by the rumored presence of shadowy entities.
Emerging from the depths of 4chan, much like the Slenderman myth, the Backrooms quickly transcended its online origins to become a widespread internet phenomenon. It has inspired a plethora of content, from chilling stories and indie games to YouTube videos and evocative artwork. The Backrooms’ influence extends to related aesthetic trends like “Liminal Spaces” and “Dreamcore,” all tapping into a shared sense of nostalgia and unease associated with empty, transitional environments.
But where did this pervasive internet myth truly begin? The genesis of the Backrooms phenomenon lies in a single, haunting photograph.
The Genesis of a Meme: 4chan and ‘Disquieting Images’
Like many enduring internet memes, the Backrooms meme was born on the anonymous imageboard 4chan, specifically on its paranormal discussion forum, “/x/.” In May 2019, a user initiated a thread, challenging others to post “disquieting images that just feel ‘off.'” Among the responses was a now-iconic photograph of an unsettling office space. This image, with its oppressive yellow lighting and labyrinthine corridors, struck a chord with users, igniting a collective sense of unease and familiarity.
The lore of the Backrooms was collaboratively constructed in the replies to this initial post, rapidly evolving from a simple image into a detailed and terrifying concept. The idea of an infinite, liminal office space resonated deeply, tapping into a collective subconscious fear and nostalgia. Many attributed the meme’s popularity to shared, unsettling childhood memories of empty offices, retail spaces, and the uncanny feeling of being alone in such environments.
While the Backrooms meme gained traction on platforms like Reddit through horror stories, its resurgence into mainstream popularity is largely credited to the visually stunning and narrative-driven YouTube videos created by VFX artist Kane Pixels. These videos further cemented the Backrooms in internet culture, pushing it onto platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and even gaming platforms like Roblox, leading to widespread interpretations and expansions of the mythos.
However, for years, the origin of the photograph that started it all remained shrouded in mystery. Internet users were left wondering: Where Was The Backrooms Photo Taken?
Unraveling the Mystery: Tracing the Backrooms Photo’s Location
Despite the original 4chan post dating back to 2019, dedicated internet sleuths on Discord embarked on a quest to uncover the true source of the photograph. Their investigation revealed that the image had actually surfaced on 4chan as early as 2011, predating the meme’s viral explosion by almost a decade.
The crucial breakthrough came when the sleuths traced the 2011 post to a seemingly innocuous tweet from 2019. This tweet, easily overlooked amidst the internet’s constant stream of information, casually disclosed the original location of the Backrooms, having been posted by someone familiar with the space.
Although the link embedded in the tweet was no longer active, the resourceful internet investigators utilized the Internet Archive, also known as the Wayback Machine, to access the archived website. This digital time capsule led them to a blog post from 2003. This blog post documented the renovation of a HobbyTown store situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
In a bizarre twist, within this archived blog post, all images were missing except for two: the iconic Backrooms photograph and another image of the same room taken from a slightly different angle. This discovery definitively pinpointed the location of the original Backrooms photo to a HobbyTown store in Oshkosh.
Further digging by the internet detectives unearthed an even older photograph – a black and white image of the same space when it functioned as a furniture store. This historical image provided a glimpse into the location’s past, predating both HobbyTown and the Backrooms meme.
From Furniture Store Backrooms to Internet Legend
The irony is palpable: the photograph that birthed the Backrooms meme was literally taken in the back rooms of a store. This mundane origin story adds another layer of intrigue to the Backrooms phenomenon. The once-unsettling yellow-lit office space has since been transformed into an RC racing track, its eerie ambiance replaced with bright, white interiors, a stark contrast to the liminal dread it once inspired.
Following the revelation of the Backrooms photo’s true location, some commentators speculated that the discovery might signify the end of the meme’s reign. However, the Backrooms has proven to be more than just a fleeting internet trend. It has evolved into a permanent fixture of internet folklore, an enduring symbol of liminal spaces and existential unease. The Backrooms, as a concept, will forever linger in the collective imagination, residing in the shadowy corners of our minds, evoked by any musty, vacant office space with an unsettlingly strange vibe. The question of where was the backrooms photo taken has been answered, but the mythos of the Backrooms continues to expand and evolve, proving its lasting impact on internet culture.
