Castillo de San Marcos

St. Augustine, Florida 

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Built by the Spanish in St. Augustine to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument preserves the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States and interprets more than 450 years of cultural intersections.

Castillo de San Marcos Website

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The particular shape of the Castillo, known as the Bastion System, was a technical adaptation to the architecture. This defensive structure was designed to withstand the impact of cannon bullets, as well as to install cannons effectively to defend against any attackers. 

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Coquina seemed like a poor choice to build a fort, but it was the only stone available on the northeast coast of Florida at the time. However, the material's porosity was beneficially compressible. The cannon balls that were fired at the Castillo would burrow into the rock and become trapped, instead of shattering the walls. 

Visual In Conversation 1

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/371039

The Castillo de San Marcos is surrounded by a multi-use moat. At one point the fort was used to keep the townspeople safe from the dangerous town. When the people moved into the fort, they brought their livestock with them. The animals were kept in the moat, which smelled and sounded like a farmyard. Nearly 1500 people stayed at the fort for over a month. Fortunately, the moat was wide, dry and deep enough to keep these animals safe from canon fire and infantry attacks. 

This idea visually reminded me of the Biblical story of Noah's Ark. In the story, God instructed Noah to build an ark. In accordance with God's command, he brought all of the world's animal species into the ark, both male and female specimens. The animals were kept safe in the arc from the flood that covered the Earth, and therefore saving each animal and allowing the eventual reproduction of each species. 

Visual In Conversation 2

https://www.nothymetocook.com/culinary-tours-events/colonial-williamsburg

The Castillo de San Marcos has demonstrations of how to fire a cannon. This dramatic and entertaining show gives guests a realistic visualization of the history contained in the fort. Similarly, Colonial Williamsburg also has demonstrations of cannon firings. My family and I have visited this historic town multiple times, and this even has always been a highlight. The men are dressed in traditional clothing, shout the appropriate commands, and fire the cannons in the middle of a large battle field.  

Literature In Conversation 

Quote from Parable of a Sower by Octavia Butler

"Crazy to live without a wall to protect you" (Butler 8)

For Lauren and her community, the walls they lived within were a shelter from the chaos happening outside them. Similarly, the Castillo has walls surrounding it to provide safety for the soldiers. During battles, the walls served as a protective barrier for the soldiers to defend themselves.

Creative Component

I made a rough drawing of the layout of the Castillo de San Marcos to show how the fort is designed. 

First Congregation Sons of Israel

St. Augustine, Florida 

Thursday, March 24, 2022

First Congregation Sons of Israel is the oldest Synagogue in “The Nation’s Oldest City”, St. Augustine, Florida. Located in the beautiful historic district at 161 Cordova Street, we are a conservative, egalitarian congregation. Sabbath services are conducted each week. All holidays are observed in the appropriate manner, such as our community Seder at Passover. 

First Congregation Website 

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Artifact 1

The original stained glass windows were installed in 1958 by Rabbi Jacob and Mrs. Dora Tarlinsky’s three daughters. In the summer of 2013, the windows were restored by Ken Hardeman, who is the great-grandson of the original window artist.

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The Torah constitutes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. The Torah is an important aspect of Jewish life today because it is considered to be God's word. The Torah is used by all Jews to guide them in their lives, yet some Jews follow it more strictly than others. Some Orthodox Jews, for example, think that it is critical to follow every single law in the Torah. At First Congregation Sons of Israel, the Rabbi reads from the Torah in Hebrew. 

Visual In Conversation 1

https://www.alamy.com/orlando-floridamuseum-of-artbenefactorsdonor-recognition-wallfl190511013-image249440474.html

First Congregation Sons of Israel designated their back walls to recognize the unforgettable loved ones who lived and died through this temple. Their names, as well as their death dates, are listed on the memorial plaques to honor their lives. After the terrible destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew, the plaques were refurbished and newly incorporated LED lights which highlight names of the individual's whose death dates are upcoming or recently passed. 

Similar to this memorial, the Orlando Museum of Art has a wall designated to acknowledge its donors. These donors ensure that everyone has access to creative and transformative visual art experiences. 

Visual In Conversation 2

https://www.staugustine.com/story/news/2020/09/14/st-augustines-lightner-museum-receives-upgrade/5791558002/

The stained glass in First Congregation Sons of Israel is a monumental element of the synagogue. I learned a lot about the significance and background of this beautiful art at the Lightner Museum. The window panel on the far left is titles Fruit. Art Nouveau, French for "The New Art," was a decorative style that flourished in Europe and America from the late 1890s through the early 1930s. It was a reaction to the industrial revolution's outdated, repetitive designs and remaining Victorian conventions. Art Nouveau was inspired by nature and Japanese art and is characterized by organic forms, curvilinear depiction of leaves and flowers, curving lines, vibrant iridescence and a general feeling of lightness. The name Art Nouveau came Samuel Bing, who owned an art gallery called  L'Art Nouveau. He was the first to recognize and display the avant-garde artists, including Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Literature In Conversation 

Excerpt from "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Glacier" by Craig Santos Perez

"O vulnerable humans, / Why do you engineer sea walls? / Do you not see how the glacier / Already floods the streets / Of the cities around you?...I know king tides, / And lurid, inescapable storms; / But I know, too, / That the glacier is involved / In what I know."

Perez's poem takes an emotional journey through the effects of climate change, specifically on glaciers. Global warming is melting these crucial landmarks. But glaciers aren't the only things being affected by this phenomenon: storms are becoming more intense.  

The First Congregation Sons of Israel was flooded during Hurricane Matthew. Most of their cherished belongings were destroyed by the water. Because warmer water helps fuel hurricanes, climate change is expanding the zone where hurricanes can form. Therefore, climate change was a factor in the damage done to the synagogue. 

Creative Component

First Congregation Sons of Israel has a Flagler-student-built Jewish star outlining a remarkable chandelier. I drew this piece of architecture from directly below. 

Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center

St. Augustine, Florida 

Thursday, March 24, 2022

The Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center (LMCC) is an African American history museum located in the Lincolnville neighborhood of Saint Augustine, FL. The LMCC’s mission is to preserve, promote and perpetuate over 450 years of the African American story through the arts, educational programs, lectures, live performances and exhibits.

Lincolnville Museum Website 

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Frank Butler opened the Palace Market grocery at 87½ Washington Street in Lincolnville. Butler's business expanded quickly in the neighborhood as a result of his low rates, high-quality goods, and free delivery services. F.B. Butler scrip tokens were issued by F.B. Butler's Palace Grocery store. Customers were frequently given scrip pieces as change for their purchases. Customers were more likely to return as a result of this approach.

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Doug Carn, a local musician, was inspired by artists such as Ray Charles, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Billie Holiday, Billie Erskine, Muddy Waters, and BB King. Ray Charles grew up in Lincolnville and eventually rose to fame. Clubs in St. Augustine used to offer food and drinks, along with music filling the air. Unfortunately, almost all the former clubs and restaurants are now private residences and have been stripped of any sign of the foundations or their culture.  

Visual In Conversation 1

http://visualculturelc.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20History%20of%20VC%20Chapter%202

The top image is a piece from the museum called "Emancipation" by Thomas Nast. Nast illustrates a somewhat optimistic picture of the future of free blacks in the United States through his artwork. On either side of the central picture are scenes contrasting black life in the South under the Confederacy (left) with visions of the freedman's life after the war (right). At the top left, fugitive slaves are hunted down in a coastal swamp. Below, a black man is sold, apart from his wife and children, on a public auction block. At the bottom, a black woman is being whipped and a male slave is being branded. In contrast, on the right, a woman with an olive branch stands triumphantly. A freedman's cottage can be seen in the peaceful landscape. Surrounded by these scenes is a photo of Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation. 

This image not only visually resembles a dollar bill, it emphasizes why certain people were chosen to be printed on United States currency. Abraham Lincoln, who is shown on the five dollar bill, signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. The Emancipation declared slaves' liberation in the 10 Confederate states that were still fighting for independence. Hence, Lincoln's major impact on this country gave him the privilege to ceaselessly be represented and honored. 

Visual In Conversation 2

https://www.ncesc.com/what-shows-up-on-fingerprint-background-check/

The Lincolnville Museum has a fingerprint card with Martin Luther King Jr.'s fingerprints from when he spent one night in the St. Johns County jail. On June 11, 1964, he was arrested for unlawful civil disobedience. Although fingerprint cards are still widely used on arrested convicts and as a source for identifying criminals, they are also used as a background check for official company employment and volunteering. To become volunteer at a program that works with children, I had to have my fingerprints scanned to show my criminal history record information. This CHRI may include arrest records, military service records, federal job records, and naturalization records.  

Literature In Conversation 

Quote from Parable of a Sower by Octavia Butler

"Today, my parents had to go downtown to identify the body of my brother Keith" (Butler 89)

At The Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center, they present an article from The New York Times that was published on June 6, 1897. The article tells a disturbing  story from St. Augustine about Isaac Barrett. Barrett attempted to murder his boss, Hewson, along with his family. After sneaking into their house and cruelly beating Mr. and Mrs. Hewson with a club. He attacked the young children as well, but after hearing an alarming noise, the man jumped out the window. Yet, instead of fleeing the scene, he came back into the bedroom and innocently aided the oldest daughter and went for help. Bennett was arrested the next morning, but managed to escape during the ride to the County Justice. However, he was caught by a mob of masked individuals and dragged into a forest. It was reported that, after he finally confessed to the crimes, he was hung to an oak tree. 

This tragic story reminded me of the events in Parable of the Sower. The neighborhood in the book is introduced as one that is gradually destructing. But this neighborhood isn't nearly the worst part of the world. Outside of the walls they live in, people behave with chaos and violence. Lauren's brother is introduced to this outside world and becomes lured into it, until he eventually is killed. The family is hit with sudden, deep grief as they are told the graphic way their family member was murdered.

Creative Component

The St. Augustine sit-in happened at Woolworth's on March 15, 1960. I made a 60s diner style menu for the restaurant to represent the status of society and the economy at the time. 

The Lightner Museum

St. Augustine, Florida

March 10, 2022

An iconic building in the heart of America’s oldest city. An extraordinary museum collection, beautiful, curious, and intriguing. Occupying the former Hotel Alcazar, a Gilded Age resort hotel commissioned by railroad magnate Henry Flagler, the Lightner Museum offers an immersive experience of art, architecture, history, and design.

Lightner Museum Website

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Artifact 1

This Rococo Revival Style Urn is made of blue and white porcelain. To make this Parian Style urn, oxide of cobalt was mixed into a thin clay slip and applied to the

inside of the mold before the rest of the body was poured. The colors fused together when the pottery was fired. The urn was made in Bennington, Vermont, where most blue and white porcelain have a precise blue background that follow a design. 

Artifact 2

When it was built in 1888, this swimming pool was the world's largest indoor pool, measuring 120 feet long and 50 feet wide. Anyone from the town or the other hotels could access the Casino for 25 cents. It quickly became common for swimmers to visit the pool at midday, when the hotel band would perform. Weekly evening  entertainments included daring dives from the ballroom balcony into the pool, games of water polo, races, comedy events, and general swimming. The evening would conclude in the ballroom with dancing and refreshments.

Visual In Conversation 1

https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Diagon-Alley/Preview-Pictures-Video-35050726

The beautiful snowy owl is displayed in the Lightner Museum and is describes and a day-flying, arctic bird. Its habitat is most often in prairies, fields, marshes, beaches, and arctic tundra. Letters, parcels, and Howlers were all delivered to the wizards by owls. Because of the soft, hair-like edges on an owl's flight feathers, as well as their inherent camouflage, they are ideal for delivering mail. This wonderful bird has fascinating value, even in the realm of fiction. 

Visual In Conversation 2

https://artzealous.com/empowering-women-in-contemporary-society-via-allegory-myth-and-hope/

The marble statue to the left is an intricate late 19th century sculpture of Cleopatra by Raffael Romanelli. The Italian artist incorporated Carrara as well as Breccia Violet Marble and Travertine. The sculpture visually reminded me of the painting to the right by Nanci France-Vaz. The top of their heads are delicately decorated; both are wearing flowy clothing, with one breast uncovered. Both women have a strong sense of femininity and power in their stature. 

Literature In Conversation 

Excerpt from "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" by Wallace Stevens

"Among twenty snowy mountains, / The only moving thing / Was the eye of the

blackbird."

This stanza is describing the power of a landscape. This particular landscape is comprised of "twenty snowy mountains" and is contrasted by a blackbird. Although it's the first stanza of this poem, it does not provide his readers with sufficient background or a complete description of the setting. This frees the imagination to create visual moments that aren't tied to a specific location or time. Otto Lightner was a collector of things that people would like to admire. His incredible collections can be found in the Lightner Museum as items that do not signify a specific time or place; they are simply enjoyable.

Creative Component

I made a collage of oil paintings from the Lightner Museum that were not only beautifully painted, but also beautifully framed. I added a frame around the collage to emphasize this. 

Tolomato Cemetery

St. Augustine, Florida

February 24, 2022

The Tolomato Cemetery is the resting place of over one thousand St. Augustinians. Many of the deceased buried here were majorly important to the history of Florida, making this cemetery filled with stories and legends. The gravesite holds people from all over the world, revealing St. Augustine's rich history.
Tolomato Cemetery Website

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Elizabeth Forrester died in 1798 at the young age of 16 years old. She was buried in this above-ground vault made with beautiful and luxurious marble ledger stone, confirming that she came from a wealthy family. This grave is the oldest existing marked burial in Florida.

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This touching memorial lists the names of the parents and children of the Benet family. After the death of Hanaro Thomas Baya's and Mary Carmen Benet Baya's second child, Agnes Teasdale, in 1865, the family only continued under this misfortune. In 1868, they tragically lost their other three children: Franklin Dibble, Louise Porcher, and baby Mary Carmen. The mother passed away on the same day as her newborn. The husband/father established this grave as the last member of the once happy family. He lived a strong life; honoring his family until he passed away in 1912. 

Visual In Conversation 1

https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/florida/articles/brief-history-orlandos-greenwood-cemetery/

Greenwood Cemetery is a historic cemetery located in my hometown, Orlando, Florida. It was established in 1880, but until then residents lacked a fixed burial site, which resulted in many misplaced burials and uncertainty. Following a sensational newspaper campaign, eight Orlando residents collaborated to purchase 26 acres of land from John W. Anderson. Greenwood is home to a number of well-known residents, including T.G. Lee, Bob Carr, Samuel Robinson and more. 

Visual In Conversation 2

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65978324/hanaro-thomas-baya

Although his wife is buried in the Tolomato Cemetery in St. Augustine, Florida, Hanaro Thomas Baya is buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida. Baya installed his wife's grave as a sacred memorial of her and their children. However, he lived to the age of 75 and died in 1912, after spending his long life honoring his family. 

Literature In Conversation  

Excerpt from "One Hundred Love Sonnets" by Pablo Neruda 

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, / I love you directly

without problems or pride: / I love you like this because I don’t know any other way

to love, / except in this form in which I am not nor are you"

In these lines, the speaker is summarizing his love for a woman. He spends the

whole poem describing his feelings toward his loved one: what the love is versus

what is not. He wants to use this poem to remember his life with her and how he

felt being with her. Similar to the speaker of the poem, Hanaro Thomas Baya

wanted to memorialize his life with his wife and children. His love for them lasted

much longer than their lives, and he wanted to create something to make sure it

lasted forever. 

Creative Component

This symbol is placed on a plaque on the outside wall of the Varela Chapel. I drew the symbol, which is called tempus fugit or time flies. 

The Oldest House Museum Complex

 St. Augustine, Florida

February 17, 2022

The mission of the St. Augustine Historical Society is to acquire, preserve, and interpret the historical influence of St. Augustine and its sphere of influence for the benefit of the public through its stewardship of historic building and collections, research, publications, and educational programming. 
Oldest House Website

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Artifact 1

This was Richard Twine's 1886 Rochester Optical Co. Glass Plate Camera. Twine was St. Augustine's first African American photographer. This camera captured numerous events of the lives of the citizens of Lincolnville. This African American community in St. Augustine may have been otherwise left undocumented. 

Artifact 2

In 1930, men's swim suits were made from wool. They often had a white cloth belt with a metal buckle. This group of men, wearing the in-fashion suits, were part of the American Red Cross Life Savings Corps in St. Augustine in 1930. Surfers became associated with hippies in the 1970s and canvas swim shorts grew more popular for men. 

Visual In Conversation 1

https://www.nps.gov/articles/prwi-field-school-partnership.htm

The Oldest House has an outdoor kitchen with a display of how it typically would look. Although not seen much anymore, outdoor kitchens were common in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a technique to prevent house fires, which were once extremely prevalent as a result of open flame cooking and heating. An outside kitchen lowered the temperature in the house during the hot summer months and kept cooking odors out of the main house. It reminded me of an outhouse because the restrooms at the summer camp I went to were outside, and we had to walk a couple hundred feet to use the bathroom.Most outhouses were built between 50 and 150 feet away from the main house, generally facing away from the house, to prevent the odor from reaching the house.

Visual In Conversation 2

https://www.nfi.edu/when-was-the-camera-invented/

Twine's camera was once invented in the mid 1800s. Therefore, cameras had been, and continued to be, greatly revolutionized. The first camera was not a camera at all, but rather small dark rooms with light entering only through a small hole. Eventually, the camera became a took to take pictures instead of directing light to make a projection. The photographic camera was developed in 1816 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. Not long after, Louis Daguerre invented the Daguerrotype, which was a much more efficient camera device at the time. Mirror Cameras were an innovation of the Daguerrotype. Richard Leach Maddox devised instantaneous exposures, which served as the forerunner for Polaroid cameras. Finally, The use of roll film cameras was refined by George Eastman, and analog photography attained its pinnacle. The first digital camera was introduced in 1999 as a camera that instantly produces high-quality images shown through a viewfinder, which allows its users to visualize the scenes they're photographing. 

Literature In Conversation 

Excerpt from Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle-Whip Crackers: Poetry of St. Augustine by Ann Browning Masters

"Do you remember how my Daddy / rode Margie's old tricycle drunk / the night before she married? / How my grandfather would stand / in his / nightshirt on the balcony / and call me down this very street? / How Blanche and Grace said darl-ling / and e-nun-ci-a-ted / like good Me-nor-cans?"

Through her writing, Masters tries to preserve the lives of these people through memories and events. The Oldest House is seeking the same intentions: to preserve lives. Only, The Oldest House is doing so through objects and places. The house is set to be similar to how it would have been when people lived in it. It takes you through a historic journey of several time periods with several owners and residents. 

Creative Component

Since people used to not be able to read, there was no use for numbers and letting on playing cards. I edited numbers onto some of the cards in the Oldest House to show the merging of time periods in the house. 

St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

St. Augustine, Florida 

February 10, 2022

The St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is the first national shrine of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America. Today it is used for the education of Greek ancestry and the preservation and honor of Greek heritage. In 1777, the building was a refuge for survivors from the New Smyrna Colony. Decades later, in 1971, the building was named St. Photios in an honor to Photios the Great. 

St. Photios Website

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Artifact 1

The Holy Trinity is the Worship of God through the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. According to the Greek Orthodox religion, there is only one God. However, that God is comprised of three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity is eternal, all-powerful and equal with one another.

Artifact 2

Rev. Fr. Gregorios N. Eliades founded the First Greek Orthodox Church in Karkara, Greece in 1924. In 1926, he arrived in the United States and resided in Pontiac, Michigan. There, he was the first priest of the St. George Greek Orthodox Church. He owned Sacred Utensils including a holy chalice, censer and paten. Each item was hand-crafted of silver in 1866. However, when the rev. died in 1952, these Sacred Utensils were passed down to his son William P. Gregory. Finally, on June 27, 2003, the utensils were gifted St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine by Gregory's family. 

Visual In Conversation 1

https://www.savoryexperiments.com/honey-nut-baklava/

Baklava is a traditional greek desert typically made of phyllo dough, finely crushed pistachios, butter, and a simple syrup made of sugar, water, and lemon juice. My step-dad's mother is greek, and she brings this treat every year at Christmas. This tradition not only brings me closer to my Yiayia's greek heritage, it's delicious.  

Visual In Conversation 2

https://www.greekboston.com/religion/saint-george-day/

According to legend, Saint George arrived upon a village where a dragon was terrorizing the local people. They had been sacrificing a sheep every day to feed the creature's hunger until they no longer had any sheep, which then they began sacrificing children. George happened to be passing by when a young woman was being sacrificed. He offered to destroy the dragon because he was horrified by what he discovered. During the battle, George noticed a vulnerable piece of skin under the dragon's arm and charged forward with his sword, slaying the beast. The story of Saint George and the Dragon represents the triumph of good over evil. This story has been influential in my life considering my last name is St. George, the same name as the valiant hero. 

Literature In Conversation 

Passage from "Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle-Whip Crackers Poetry" of St. Augustine by Ann Browning Masters

"In 1777, indentured servants, mostly from the Balearic Island of Menorca, Italy, and Greece, walked to St. Augustine from the failed indigo plantation of Scottish Dr. Andrew Turnbull. This group of Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox eventually became known as Menorcans in St. Augustine."

Her writing shows as evidence of the founders of the Greek Orthodox Shrine. The Menorcans led to the merging of Greek religion in St. Augustine. The traditional artifacts have since been retrieved and displayed in the shrine to honor the Greek settlers who founded it.

Creative Component

I took and edited this picture of a red cardinal in the courtyard of the shrine. The bird is highlighted in red to represent how the building has been brought back to life through the shrine.