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.

Source- https://www.google.com/search?q=tolomato+cemetery&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjh78_LmZLvAhVHWlkKHULFAUwQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=tolo&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgQIIxAnMgUIABCxAzIFCAAQsQMyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAOgQIABBDOggIABCxAxCDAToHCCMQ6gIQJzoHCAAQsQMQQ1CKrgFYqc0BYMHWAWgBcAB4AIABgAGIAZ0VkgEEMjcuNJgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nsAEKwAEB&sclient=img&ei=vn4-YOGYFce05QLCiofgBA&bih=721&biw=1333&rlz=1CAOTWH_enUS900#imgrc=LDcXtDgkzPfOUM

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.

Source- https://www.google.com/search?q=felix+varela&newwindow=1&rlz=1CAOTWH_enUS900&sxsrf=ALeKk004SEqgTGsKzVPeaxWmAzBGjYDqEA:1614708266286&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiTsoKFmZLvAhUOwlkKHYqfApwQ_AUoAnoECAoQBA&biw=1333&bih=721#imgrc=CSXgv4juIrxCyM

-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.

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. 

Source- https://www.google.com/search?q=saint+augustine+black+and+white+city&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjjz_XAmOPuAhUSU1MKHeeqDA4Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=saint+augustine+black+and+white+city&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1DcEFiLLWD0LmgAcAB4AIABWYgBnwOSAQE1mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=X9klYKOkLpKmzQLn1bJw&bih=721&biw=1333&rlz=1CAOTWH_enUS900#imgrc=TMTVC8uorgn9bM

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.

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. 

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.

Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=constitution+monument+st+augustine&newwindow=1&rlz=1CAOTWH_enUS900&sxsrf=ALeKk00lrxBEoERbBBOiIy1tLP_2JALsBQ:1612476771987&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWgc-JoNHuAhVH11kKHfDaAhQQ_AUoAXoECBIQAw#imgrc=wXCCgIyCft2wrM

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.

Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=emancipation+propaganda&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiR-b2KoNHuAhVHzlkKHTt7BSUQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=emancipation+propaganda&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIGCAAQCBAeOgQIIxAnOgcIIxDqAhAnOggIABCxAxCDAToFCAAQsQM6BAgAEEM6BwgAELEDEEM6AggAOgYIABAKEBhQo_0GWJz7B2Cs_AdoBXAAeASAAdUBiAHuMpIBBzI2LjMyLjGYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ7ABCsABAQ&sclient=img&ei=ZXEcYNGyMMec5wK79pWoAg&rlz=1CAOTWH_enUS900#imgrc=9IyGlw8ejRLxFM

-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. 

The Freedom Trail: St. Augustine, Florida: January 21, 2021

The Freedom Trail's mission is to help people remember, recognize, and honor people who risked their lives to attain civil rights for themselves and others. Its other purpose is to highlight the pivotal role that St. Augustine played in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

For more information on The Freedom Trail please visit its website: https://accordfreedomtrail.org/

-Artifacts-

Artifact #1

This first photo is of Trinity United Methodist Church which is the oldest congregation in Lincolnville. This church is also one of the oldest Protestant congregations in Florida. 

Artifact #2

This Second image was taken of a convenience store. The reason I thought this store was worth taking a picture of was because of what the owner did with the bars on the window. He put a mug shot of Martin Luther King Jr. and a mug shot of Rosa Parks. The bars make them both look like they are in prison which I thought was interesting. 

-Exterior Photos-

Exterior Photo #1

I took this photo while on a bridge and in it you can see Flagler College in the distance.

Exterior Photo #2

This was a photo taken by Trinity United Methodist Church and from it is another view of Flagler College.

-Images in Conversation with the Site-

Image in Conversation #1

In this image is a photo of Martin Luther King Jr. speaking in front of a church. I selected this image because during the civil rights movement churches played a huge role in organizing marches for civil rights and to this day play a huge part in the lives of African Americans and their community. And one of the pictures that I chose to post that I took on the trail was of a church.

Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=black+chuch+civil+rights+movement&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjXuOqcgr3uAhX0bDABHb-9C74Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=black+chuch+civil+rights+movement&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoECCMQJzoHCCMQ6gIQJzoECAAQQzoFCAAQsQM6AggAOggIABCxAxCDAToKCAAQsQMQgwEQQzoHCAAQsQMQQ1CTlQJYx5IHYJSUB2gBcAB4AYABd4gBxxqSAQQ0My4ymAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWewAQrAAQE&sclient=img&ei=vNURYNfqGvTZwbkPv_uu8As&bih=721&biw=1333&rlz=1CAOTWH_enUS900#imgrc=IYaFbpizyUb0HM

Image in Conversation #2

I chose this image of Martin Luther King Jr. in prison because it reminded me of that convenience store that had his mugshot displayed behind window bars.

Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=MLk+in+prison&newwindow=1&rlz=1CAOTWH_enUS900&sxsrf=ALeKk02cxvM_BWmBjDybWNg1MTffzlJ9Vg:1611781562465&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjrxfGbgr3uAhVBxVkKHeQcBmoQ_AUoAXoECA8QAw&biw=1333&bih=721#imgrc=MsZlFw76gYbZrM

-The English 202 Connection-

"...history. It happened whether it offends you or not.” - Dana (Kindred, Butler, 140). I selected this quote because as a history major it resonated with me a lot and also I selected it because I think that it is a lesson that people need to learn in general. Especially when it comes to historic sites like the Freedom Trail, and African American History as a whole.

-Creative Component-

Above is an image that I edited. In the Image, I made it almost completely black and white but left some color to represent how even though the site is historic it still has relevance. Further, I increased the contrast to illustrate the contrast between Downtown Saint Augustine and Lincolnville.