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

Exterior 1

Exterior 2

Artifact 1

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. 

Artifact 2

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 

Exterior 1

Exterior 2

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.

Artifact 2

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 

Exterior 1

Exterior 2

Artifact 1

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.

Artifact 2

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.