The walls echo with haunting creaks and groans from distant hallways and corridors. Footfalls and voices can be heard in the wind as the roof rattles and wooden floorboards heave and sigh with a subliminal but unmistakable message.
You’re not supposed to be here.
I’m alone, but I’m also aware that I’m being watched. When I turn the corner from one broken down room to another, I’m being followed. There’s a presence here.
Now I’m not one who’s easily seduced by supernatural folly, but more than once I’ve made physical contact with something unseen and every hair on each of my arms stood erect.
This structure ceased being a working hospital more than seventy years ago, yet I can still hear the cries, feel the pain and the death through the cracks in these walls. The sensations are every bit as real as the peeled paint, shattered windows, and columns of shocking sunlight beaming down from tears in the ceiling - ephemeral images of faces and twisted limbs in the swirling light and dust.
Kolmanskop, is a ghost town nestled in a remote area of the Namib Desert. It remains standing as a haunting emblem of transient wealth and human greed.
This deserted town was built in the early 20th century when diamonds were first discovered in the shifting sands, leading to a rush of fortune seekers. As a result, Kolmanskop flourished, transforming itself into a thriving community with luxurious amenities such as the Southern Hemisphere's first x-ray machine, an ice factory, school, and yes - a hospital - amidst the stark desert landscape.
The town's architecture reflected the prosperity of its inhabitants, with grand homes and public buildings constructed in the German architectural style of the time. But the depletion of diamond reserves and the discovery of richer fields to the south led to Kolmanskop's decline. By the 1950s, the town was abandoned.
Today, there’s surprisingly minimal physical decay and the paint on the walls is well preserved due to the arid climate. But alas, nature rules - as she always does. Its remains are at the mercy of the unstoppable forces of sand, wind, and time. The desert has indeed reclaimed the once thriving town, grain by grain, but not the restless souls of the mortals who once called it home.
New Podcast: Meet The Hosts Of The New Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom
Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant are hosts of the new Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom Protecting The Wild’ TV show airing on NBC, which is the successor to the classic Wild Kingdom that aired on the same network from 1963 – 1988. Peter Gros was a host from the original series during episodes in the 1980s and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is a National Geographic Explorer and research faculty member at the University of California – Santa Barbara.
Wild Kingdom is one of the most beloved wildlife programs in the history of television. The new series highlights stories of wildlife and wildlife conservation from around the world.
Topics Richard, Peter and Dr. Rae discuss:
• Contrasts and similarities between the new and old series
• The ‘Wild Kingdom’ legacy
• Peter’s relationship with Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler
• Dr. Rae’s reaction to learning she was named the iconic show’s co-host
• The show’s balance between entertainment and education.
• The conservation message
• The show’s lasting relationship to Mutual of Omaha
• The challenge of appealing to a newer audience with more viewing options
• Dr. Rae’s inspiring message to young black women
• Dr Rae’s new book, ‘Wild Life: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World’
• Dream destinations for future episodes
• A message of hope
And much more.
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Here’s to Truth, Adventure, and Passion…
This is so lovely. That photo grabbed my heart. I wondered about the history behind it.
I'm an actor, not a photographer, so this written piece helped me to perhaps understand a bit more of where you're coming from as a photographer. Your photos reflect your talent and skill, of course, but reading this it appears to come from the heart/solar plexus, too. As it does in all artists with depth, I believe.
I too, am somewhat skeptical of supernatural stuff, but not completely. I've felt it when living in an old cottage in the highlands of Scotland, and on the Orkney Isles, which has an almost tangible magic, or at least, a strong genus loci. If I'm honest, I've also had a physical reaction to a presence, a couple times in my lifetime.
I'm writing too much, but then, I tend to feel compelled to respond to great art, I often go still and absorb, sometimes I write. Thanks for everyone's patience with my bit of nonsense, and thank you for sharing your photography and your thoughts in your newsletter.
I felt all of what you described. It may be partially due to the fact that your first three paragraphs could be written about my current house, which was built around 1903. But, it's mostly because your writing is so evocative and when accompanied by your haunting imagery, it has a powerful impact. Thank you for sharing your experience.