City of Ghosts: Photographing Disinvestment in the St. Louis Urban Landscape

The photos are beautiful, stunning. It strikes me that there is so much truth in the photos, that to nitpick or complain about the attention brought to St. Louis' decay, to dwell on sensational language, or reach for the exception that proves the rule, is misplaced. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's a much more positive story to tell in St. Louis. The photographer, Demond Meek, isn't required to tell it, he can photograph what he wants. And to be honest, it remains less than clear what that better story is exactly (declining population but rising affluence, the unlikely saving of many buildings while many more are lost, a looming renaissance in the number of residents and quality of life?). Images of neglected urban landscapes are powerful. The photos make clear what has happened to St. Louis.

The photos have come to everyone's attention via a feature on the Daily Mail online. It starts, "With boarded up windows, peeling paint and crumbling bricks these deserted St.Louis buildings have been long forgotten. Residents seem to have fled years ago and the dilapidated properties now serve as a bleak reminder of the Missouri city's declining population and struggling industry." (And just in case you would like to know who's to blame for the neglect, the Daily Mail online commenters are happy to tell you it's the "liberal democrats" who rule cities, and those who only care about the "thug life".)