Odysseys

One of a number of publications from Freeman Patterson, a Canadian photographer, this one has been signed by him.  I wonder if many (or any) of you have heard of him?  I have four of his books.
He came to our club a number of years ago for a weekend workshop with a NZ photographer Sally Mason who often combined together to run workshops here in NZ.  We as a club were extremely fortunate as the saying goes "it’s not what you know, but who you know".  One of our members (and past blipper) had done workshops with him in Africa and Canada previously.  
At 87, I'm unsure if he still does workshops.  After perusing his workshop he has some listed for 2024!  Legend.
Anyrate, I stuck my nose in this book again this afternoon - it covers his journeys into Namibia, namely the Atlantic coast of southern Namibia - Gogenfels, Pomona, Elizabeth Bay and Kolmanskop. Some of his intro - 
"The mining towns were built by German settlers in the early day of the twentieth century, and abandoned when the then economically exploitable deposits of diamonds were exhausted in the 1930s and 1940. The mine workers, managers, and their families no longer needed to live in this arid African land where rain seldom fell and supplying water was difficcult and costly.  So they left, taking their belongings and most of the furnishing from their homes, but leaving enough behind to provide rudimentary sketches of their lives".
The photography in this book is exceptional, shows how the structures were left to the elements giving shelter and dens for birds, animals and insects.  Sand has built up against walls, windows are shattered, but the colours of the walls and doors seem to have stood the test of time.  I chose the "Family" chapter as my blip, seeing the two iron beds just visible from the sand as it spewed through the door seemed to resonate with me.