Ben Marcin's 'The Holdouts' Documents Baltimore's Surviving Row Houses

Ben Marcin's debut photobook, 'The Holdouts', published by Gost, presents a unique view of Baltimore and its surrounding areas, focusing on solitary row houses and homeless camps that have resisted demolition and development. The book's title derives from the real-estate term 'holdout', describing property owners who refuse to sell, sometimes forcing developers to build around them. Marcin's photographs span from 2009 to 2021, capturing structures in Baltimore, Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Worcester County, and Sussex County, Delaware. The images depict row houses that survived urban renewal, abandoned farmhouses on the Eastern Shore, and temporary homeless camps. Marcin notes that while none of these are true real-estate holdouts, they personify the act of resisting. The book includes personal anecdotes, such as a homeless man's camp that vanished within a year, and a hopeful camp with a microwave and TV powered by extension cords. Marcin reflects on the broader themes of history, memory, and marginalization, asking whose stories are preserved. The photographs originally appeared in a Guardian gallery, with captions providing context for each image.