A Pictorial Ramble Through Time, Along the Miami River
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
These days, especially, a little diversion just because may be exactly what the Doctor ordered.
In the process of preparing to paint a landscape that has itself been history for over a century now, I’ve gathered a host of images of all kinds, and thought it might be fun to share some of them with you.
The more thought I have given the matter, the clearer has grown my realization about how much affection I carry inside for that troubled but fine little waterway. In a very un-Miami like fashion, the river simply flows along quietly, rarely drawing attention to itself despite its importance to the city, on many levels. And, despite all of the notable abuse we have so constantly heaped upon it for over a century, it continues to gracefully and reliably offer itself up for service, however possible.
And it is still beautiful. As it flows through the very heart of one of the most utterly fragmented urban areas on record, it serves to gently remind us that there is something that ties us all together. (Such is the grace of Nature. Although the river might cross your mind only rarely, just take a moment to imagine how very different a place the City would be without that meandering ribbon of blue or black breaking up the paved sprawl of an ever-widening urban mass. It just wouldn’t be Miami.)
Granted, the occasional inconvenience of its bridges can be annoying, on top of the traffic nightmare already our experience. Even so, isn’t it kind of cool to look at the kind of boats passing through? (I know, I’m reaching…) To wonder what kind of cargo they might be loaded down with, how much of it might actually be legal, and what its destination? I guess that is a cheap thrill I allow myself, at times when I’m not muttering about that **%%##@@2 BRIDGE!!
Dade County, 1859. Interesting to note that the Miami River was then clearly marked, but no settlement of “Miami” merited mention. In fact, Miami as a city would not exist until nearly 40 years later.
The river was ancient long before the white man made his characteristically dramatic and devastating entrance. Since all life in an area, Human and animal alike, is drawn in nature to a river’s banks, we can only imagine the sights it has seen, the real life dramas it has witnessed, the blood spilled into its waters. The always-unfolding pageant of the "true story" undoubtedly far surpasses in color, drama, and kaleidoscopic variety any notion we might be able to conceive.
Without further ado, let’s go on down to the River for a while, and allow some open time for wonder. Feel free to leave your iPhone or Blackberry on your desk, back wherever.
JUST BELOW you will find the album. To get started, just click on the image, and the “scrapbook” will open. Click on any of the thumbnails that might interest you; by moving the mouse around a bit you’ll see arrows to guide you.
There is no place to go, strictly speaking, just avenues of exploration. Please enjoy the trip.
