Poetic Landscapes of the Forgotten Forts

For the last decade I have photographed the three forts that protected the Puget Sound during WWI and WWII. Over fifty years has passed since the forts were decommissioned and the abundant vegetation now engulfs the structures and yet—the landscape tells a story. By photographing Fort Worden and her sister forts, Fort Flagler, and Fort Casey I’ve been able to capture the abandoned forts entwined with the rich landscape while bringing to mind the vision of fortresses filled with American soldiers prepared to defend the Puget Sound. 

With many of the images from the Forts series I have collaborated with the poet Kelli Russell Agodon. She responds to my photographs with poems that explore the history of the fort, personify the soldiers who were stationed there, and interpret what it is like to be there now, juxtaposed with the current affairs of our country. I offer Kelli images and she answers with a poem. From there, I then incorporate the poem into the image whether it is framed next to the image or combined into the actual image. 

Both Kelli and I grew up with each of our fathers sharing numerous stories from their experiences in WWII and saw how it shaped them throughout their lives. This knowledge inspired us to immerse ourselves in understanding the forts and create a reflective, lyrical history of the ghosts of the war’s past. It is easy to forget our local history, to see these areas as places to camp or mountain bike, but we are connected to the history and the stories hidden in time and place. The ongoing regeneration of the vast, lush, landscape enveloping and surrounding the abandoned structures is a reminder they are gone but somewhere new soldiers take their place and history continues to evolve.