Thursday, March 11, 2021

Fort Castillo de San Marcos: Saint Augustine, Florida: March 11

Fort Castillo de San Marcos is a fort that was built by the Spanish in Saint Augustine to defend Florida as well as the greater Atlantic trade route. The Fort is also the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States. 

For more information about the history of this site, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/casa/index.htm

-Artifacts-


Artifact #1


This is a photo of the draw bridge that leads into Fort Castillo de San Marcos. The bridge crosses a dry moat which is where I happened to be standing when I took the picture. Further, in the background, you can see the Fort flying its flag as well.


Artifact #2

This is a photo of the main guard tower of the Fort where guards would stand watch over the fort and city

-Exterior Photos-



Exterior Photo #1

This photo was taken just outside the Fort by the main entrance.


Exterior Photo #2

This photo was taken right next to the main entrance of the Fort of the Bay that the Fort overlooks.

-Images in conversation with the Site-


Image in Conversation #1

This is a photo of the Fort back when the moat was filled with water to attract more tourists to the site. However, as the Park Ranger, our class talked to explained, this water, damaged the Coquina that the Fort is built out of. This led the Park service to make the decision to drain the water and reinforce the base of the Fort. I thought that was an interesting piece of the Fort's history so I decided to include it as well as a photo of what the Fort looked like surrounded by water. Further, this photo is in conversation with this site simply because this photo highlights how many changes the fort has been through, throughout the years.




Image in Conversation #2

This is another historic photo of the Fort. In this photo, the United States Coast Guard is holding a graduation ceremony. The Fort and the city of Saint Augustine as a whole played a very important role in World War II. This image represents another chapter in the Fort's long history and that is why it is yet another image in conversation with this historic site.


-The English 202 Connection-

One concept from my English 202 class that relates to Fort Castillo de San Marcos, can be found in the book The Surrounded by D'Arcy McNickle. In the book, Archilde says: "When you came home to your Indian mother you had to remember that it was a different world" (McNickle, 3). This quote highlights the isolation that many native Americans have to live in while on reservations such as the one in the book. Further, Archilde's description of the reservation being a "different world" highlights that isolation. Further, on our tour, the Park Ranger talking to my class discussed how some members of the tribes of the Seminole, Plains, and Apache, were all at one point or another held as prisoners in the fort. This relates back to the book my English class was reading because the idea of the Fort being a prison for Native Americans is similar to how many of the Native Americans on the Flathead Indian Reservation (the reservation from the book) felt like they were being imprisoned as well. So I think that the parallel that can be drawn between this historic site and the book is one that highlights the contentious and complex relationship between Native Americans and the United States Government.

-Creative Component-


This is a photo that I took at the main entrance of the fort. With this photo, I increased the contrast and made it black and white to highlight the historic nature of this site as well as its beauty. I believe that the black and white and the contrast represent not only the rich history of this site but also the beauty of the site. This photo simply looks all around serene and that is what I was going for. 





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Thursday, March 4, 2021

Government House: Saint Augustine, Florida: March 4

Government House is a historic property that is managed and ran by the University of Florida. At the Government House, visitors can find a variety of exhibits about the history of Saint Augustine and the state of Florida as a whole.

For more information about the history of this site, please visit: http://staugustine.ufl.edu/govHouse.html

-Artifacts-



Artifact #1

This is a photo of a Postcard that was on display inside the Government House. The postcard depicts the Alcazar Hotel which is now more commonly known as the Lightner Museum. 


Artifact #2

This is a photo of Silver Ingot which is something that the Native Americans and Spaniards both mined.

-Exterior Photos-



Exterior Photo #1

This a photo of the courtyard that can be found just outside of the Government House.


Exterior Photo #2

This is a photo of the balcony that overlooks the courtyard. From the balcony hangs a variety of flags including the Spanish flag, and the Union Jack.

-Images in Conversation with the Site-


Image in Conversation #1

This is an old photo of the Alcazar Hotel which is now the Lightner Museum. The reason I chose this photo and believe that it is in conversation with this site is because the photo on the postcard that was displayed in the Artifacts section of this blog post is of the Alcazar Hotel. So I thought it would be interesting and important to include another picture of the hotel.



Image in Conversation #2

This is a photo of Government House from a more historic time when the streets of Saint Augustine were still dirt. The reason that I chose this photo to be in conversation with the site is that I thought it was important to highlight the changes that the building, as well as the city, has gone through by presenting an old photo of what the Government House used to look like.


-The English 202 Connection-

One concept from my English 202 class that relates to Government House can be found in the book The Surrounded by D'Arcy McNickle. One concept that the book touches on a lot is the concept of preservation of culture, particularly Native American culture. One quote that exemplifies this theme of culture from The Surrounded is: "That was something he had forgotten to include in his visit- the old lady and her feasts! You gorged yourself on meat until you felt sick, and a lot of old people told tiresome stories." (McNickle, 4). This quote shows just one of the many cultural traditions that Achilde and his family participated in and it also shows that the tradition was able to be preserved. This is a concept that I think connects to this site because Government House's main purpose as a historic site is to preserve not only Florida and the city of Saint Augustine's history but also its culture and traditions. 

-Creative Component-




This is a photo that I took when I first entered Government House. I remember the house looking almost regal with all the marble and the general design and architecture adding to the regal effect. I wanted to emphasize this aspect of the site so I increased the contrast and made the image black and white. This provides an emphasis on the beautiful architecture that I was trying to emphasize with this image.



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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Tolomato Cemetery: Saint Augustine, Florida: February 25

The Tolomato Cemetery is the oldest European-founded cemetery in the United States and was in use as a Cemetery from the 18th century until 1884. The Cemetery is the last resting place of roughly 1,000 Saint Augustinians.

For more information about the history of this site, please visit: http://www.tolomatocemetery.com/

-Artifacts-



Artifact #1

This is a photo of one of the tombstones found in the Tolomato Cemetery. This particular tombstone is in place to remember a member of the Confederate States of America. This is notated by the acronym CSA and the symbol on top of the tombstone.


Artifact #2

This is a photo from inside the mausoleum for Felix Varela. The photo is of a bust of Varela, who was a Cuban Catholic prelate and independence leader in Cuba.

-Exterior Photos-



Exterior Photo #1

This is a photo of the front gates that lead into the Tolomato Cemetery.


Exterior Photo #2

This is a photo of the outside of the mausoleum for Felix Varela.

-Images in Conversation with the Site-


Image in Conversation #1

I chose this photo as one of the images in conversation with the site because I think it represents the commoditization and tourist desecration of an actual holy and important historic site. And I believe that that is a common theme throughout Saint Augustine.



Image in Conversation #2

This is a photo of Felix Varela. The reason that I believe that this photo is in conversation with the site is because he has an entire Mausoleum dedicated to him in the Tolomato Cemetery and I thought that it was important to include a picture of the man to which the mausoleum is dedicated and for.


-The English 202 Connection-

One concept from my English 202 class that relates to the Cemetery is a concept found in the novel Kindred. That concept is the concept of history and both the literal and figurative need to travel back to it. For example in Kindred Dana said: "We flew to Maryland as soon as my arm was well enough." (Butler, 262) In the novel, Maryland is where Dana was held as a slave and her reason for returning was because she had a calling to return to where her ancestors lived. The Cemetery acts in unison with this concept because it is a way for people to both figuratively and in a sense literally travel back to their history and literally walk through it and experience it. This is something that not only Tolomato can do but also just Cemeteries can do in general.

-Creative Component-



This is a photo that I took really low to the ground of the coquina that lines the paths throughout the cemetery. The reason that I took this photo is that I always find coquina all over Saint Augustine and it is such an integral part of the city, and so to see it pave a path through a cemetery with such a rich history is something amazing. I then increased the contrast and made the texture of the coquina appear rougher to represent the rough path that Saint Augustine has been through.


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Monday, February 22, 2021

St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine: Saint Augustine, Florida: February 18

The Greek Orthodox National Shrine is a living memorial to the first Greek settlers who moved to the American continent and a memorial to the Greek Orthodox pioneers who came to the new world for freedom.

For more information about the history of this site, please visit: https://stphotios.org/

-Artifacts-



Artifact #1

This is a photo that I found super amazing that was hanging in the shrine. The photo depicts a group ascending up a mountain for the feast of transfiguration. 


Artifact #2

This photo depicts a variety of items that are used for Holy Communion.

-Exterior Photos-


Exterior Photo #1

This photo was taken outside of the entrance of the shrine and depicts the signs that hang outside of the shrine.


Exterior Photo #2

This is another photo of the exterior that was taken across the street from the shrine. 

-Images in Conversation with the Site-



Image in Conversation #1

This is a photo from inside a Greek Orthodox church. I selected this image because it looked very similar to how the inside of the shrine looked. This is because the shrine had a very similar paint scheme as well as very similar colors.




Image in Conversation #2

This is a photo of Saint Photios. I selected this image because this is the saint for which the shrine is named after and so I thought it was important for people to be able to see the saint for which the shrine owes its name too. 


- The English 202 Connection-

One thing about this shrine that I find interesting is the fact that it is quite hidden away from the main street. In fact, I have accidentally walked past it a few times because it is so hidden. The reason that I bring this aspect about the shrine up is that I think it connects to a book that my English class is reading called The Surrounded by D'Arcy McNickle. The connection that can be made between these two is between the shrine itself and the Indian reservation in the book. The connection that can be drawn between these two places is the fact that both are little enclaves that preserve certain elements of cultures. For example, the shrine is rather secluded yet it is this seclusion that preserves elements of the Greek Orthodox culture. Meanwhile on the Indian Reservation in The Surrounded Native American culture can be more or less preserved since it is almost hidden from the rest of society and there is a certain level of autonomy associated with the reserve. This is not to say that Indian's being forced onto the reservations by force is the same as erecting a shrine voluntarily. But I believe that a connection can be drawn nonetheless. 

-Creative Component-


For my creative component, I edited a photo that I took while I was visiting the shrine. I edited this photo to bring out the very beautiful vibrant colors and blues that I really loved about this area. To do this I increased the contrast, exposure, and saturation. These edits, in turn, made the image more vibrant and made the image emphasize my favorite aspects of this area of the shrine. 






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Thursday, February 11, 2021

Oldest House: Saint Augustine, Florida: February 11

The Oldest House is a site that has been occupied by Saint Augustinians for more than three centuries. The house started out as a thatched wooden structure beginning around 1650, however, later the coquina stone house was built since the English burned Saint Augustine in 1702. The house then grew from a one-story rectangle to a two-story house with new features that were added by the Spanish, British, and American occupants. 

For more information about the history of this site please visit: https://saintaugustinehistoricalsociety.org/oldest-house-museum-complex/ 

-Artifacts-


Artifact #1

This was a painting that was hanging in the oldest house complex. This painting depicts Native Americans being held at Fort Castillo de San Marcos. This painting was called Indians at Castillo and was painted by James Calvert Smith in 1943.



Artifact #2
 
This is a photo of a portrait of Saint Augustine that was woven with Silk thread and called Saint Augustine and was woven by Alex Albert in 1853.

-Exterior Photos-

Exterior Photo #1

This is a photo of the outside of the Oldest House Complex. 


Exterior Photo #2

This is another photo of the front entrance of the Oldest House Complex. 

-Images in Conversation with the Site-



Image in Conversation #1

This is a photo of the city gates to Saint Augustine. I selected this image because touring the oldest house complex really made me want to look deeper into the long history of Saint Augustine so I have been looking at old photos of the city like this one for a while and decided to pick this one to include in my blog since both the photo and the house are historic. 




Image in Conversation #2

This is another photo that I found while looking through old archives. This is a photo of the Oldest house that was taken in 1913. The reason I chose this photo is that it was just another really cool historic black and white photo that I thought blended well with the history behind the oldest house. Especially since this photo is of the oldest house. 

Source- https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/147945

- The English 202 Connection-

One concept that was discussed in English and in the book Kindred by Octavia Butler is the concept of home. In the book, Dana essentially has two homes her home in her time in California, and eventually, she calls the Weylin plantation home as well. The book illustrates how the concept of home can be quite fluid and how even the most hostile of places can come to feel like home to people. For example in Kindred one of the first things Dana says is: "I lost an arm on my last trip home." (Butler, 9). This concept of home is woven throughout the story, however, begins in the very first sentence of the novel. Further, I thought this concept fit very well with the Oldest House given the fact that this house was so many homes for so many different people, and how the house and the concept of home with it changed throughout the centuries. Just like how the concept of home changed throughout Kindred.

-Creative Component-



These are two photos that I put together that I took at the Oldest house. When we toured the Oldest House we learned that the bottom floor is the oldest part of the house and was built long before the second floor was built. I edited the image on the bottom of the bottom floor to make it look older, to do this I increased the contrast and made the photo black and white to make it look older. Then when we moved to the newer second floor I kept the photo in color and increased the saturation to make the room appear to be newer and illustrate the progress between the two floors. With these two opposite edits, I believe that this image effectively illustrates the contrast between not only the top and bottom floors of the house but also the contrast of the times the two floors were built.




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Wednesday, February 10, 2021

The Monson Motel: St. Augustine, Florida: February 4

The Monson Motel, was the site of a Civil Rights protests during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. In an effort to protest segregation ordinances, black and white activists jumped into the Monson swimming pool. The owner of the hotel then proceeded to pour acid into the pool to drive the protestors from the pool. 

For more information about the history of this site please visit: https://www.npr.org/2014/06/13/321380585/remembering-a-civil-rights-swim-in-it-was-a-milestone

-Artifacts-


Artifact #1

This is a plaque that is mounted right next to the pool of what is now a hotel that sits on the site that used to be the Monson Motel. The plaque is dedicated to reminding people of what happened at the Monson Motel during the Civil Rights Movement. 


Artifact #2

This is a pool that now stands where the original pool that the owner of Monson Motel poured Acid into to get the Civil Rights protestors out once stood. 

-Exterior Photos-


Exterior Photo #1

This is a photo of one of the buildings that make up the hotel complex where the pool now stands. 


Exterior Photo #2

This is a photo of the Bridge of Lions and the street that runs parallel to where the pool and hotel now stands.

-Images in Conversation with the site-



Image in Conversation #1

I selected this image because this is one of the most famous images from the Monson Motel incident as well as one of the most famous photos from the Civil Rights Movement. This image depicts the actual act of the owner of the Monson Motel pouring acid into the pool to try to drive out the protestors. 
Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=monson+motor+lodge&newwindow=1&rlz=1CAOTWH_enUS900&sxsrf=ALeKk00YP_I3ZTeWKok_UcUELQEMiDJBXg:1612895032298&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwib39abtt3uAhUuxVkKHZRxCd8Q_AUoAXoECAkQAw&cshid=1612895066188872&biw=1333&bih=721#imgrc=MlX7lPzq2ZHtuM

  

Image in Conversation #2

This image is another one of the most famous photos from the Monson Motel incident as well as one of the most famous images from the Civil Rights Movement. This image depicts a police officer jumping into the pool to expel the protestors from the pool that they were trying to de-segregate. 

Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=monson+motor+lodge&newwindow=1&rlz=1CAOTWH_enUS900&sxsrf=ALeKk00YP_I3ZTeWKok_UcUELQEMiDJBXg:1612895032298&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwib39abtt3uAhUuxVkKHZRxCd8Q_AUoAXoECAkQAw&biw=1333&bih=721#imgrc=z6ipllCeYUNW4M

-The English 202 Connection-

"We flew to Maryland as soon as my arm was well enough."- Dana (Kindred, Butler, 262). The reason that I selected this quote is because in it Dana is talking about traveling back to Maryland to find out what happened to the Weylin family after they traveled back to the present. This relates to our site visit because it shows that even though things may have happened long ago they are still important to learn about and it is still important to visit historic sites. So for example, in Dana's case Maryland was an important historic site and in the case of Saint Augustine the Monson Motel is an important site.

-Creative Component-



This is a photo of the plaque that was installed by the pool that once stood where the pool of the Monson Motel did. In class, we talked about how this plaque doesn't truly capture what happened at this site and how it almost whitewashes the history of this site. So for this photo, I edited it and cropped it in a way that makes the plaque almost blend in with the wall and appear unimportant. I did this to exaggerate what the current hotel had already done. For example, before editing this image it is clearly visible that the plaque is almost hidden, due to the fact that, it is below eye level and surrounded by pool tools. 










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Thursday, February 4, 2021

Lincolnville: St. Augustine, Florida: January 28, 2021

Lincolnville, and its cultural center that we visited, is an area that expresses the rich history of black Americans in both Saint Augustine and the United States as a whole. The town was founded by freedmen and women in 1866, and the cultural center and museum chronicle 450 years of the history of black Americans. 

For more information about Lincolnville and the cultural center please visit its website:  https://www.lincolnvillemuseum.org/

-Artifacts-



Artifact #1

This is a photo of a recreation of the Monumento a la Constucion (monument to the constitution) that is present in the Plaza de la Constitucion. The original monument was built to honor the Spanish Constitution. However, in this artistic interpretation of the monument, the artists put nails in the monument to symbolize the trials and hardships that the constitution has been through while defending things such as Freedom, Democracy, Human Rights, and Compassion. 


Artifact #2

This piece of propaganda is called "Emancipation" and it is a piece by Thomas Nast done to honor and celebrate emancipation as well as President Lincoln.

-Exterior Photos-



Exterior Photo #1

This photo was taken in front of the Lincolnville Cultural Center of the actual Museum itself.


Exterior Photo #2

This photo was also taken in front of the Lincolnville cultural center and it is of a model book that has "I have a dream" written in it which is a reference to Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech. On the next page, it says MLK Jr. 

-Images in Conversation with the Site-



Image in Conversation #1

I chose this image because this is the actual Monumento a la Constitucion and so I thought it would be good if other people viewing this could see the actual monument and what the artist's recreation was based on.



Image in Conversation #2

This image is one that is in conversation with the Thomas Nast piece because in both pieces of propaganda the slaves don't seem to have agency and the pieces almost appear to be more about Lincoln freeing them than about the slaves actually taking their freedom.


-The English 202 Connection-

"Repressive societies always seemed to understand the danger of "wrong" ideas." - Dana (Kindred, Butler, 141). The reason that I selected this passage is because I believe that a lot of the artifacts such as the constitution monument and the artwork depicting emancipation that are documented in this blog post represent freedom or obtaining freedom and they lead people to think deeply about the concept of freedom. And these ideas and thoughts about freedom would have been considered the "wrong ideas" that Dana was talking about. 

-Creative Component-


The image above is one that I took and edited of the artist's interpretation of the Monumento a la Constucion. When editing I made the image darker to add a more ominous and dramatic effect and also increased the contrast and color to emphasize and symbolize the unique challenges that the nails represent. 



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Fort Castillo de San Marcos: Saint Augustine, Florida: March 11

Fort Castillo de San Marcos is a fort that was built by the Spanish in Saint Augustine to defend Florida as well as the greater Atlantic tra...