The Studio @ Blount Springs. All rights reserved.
In his Mardi Gras costume, Geoff Miller reaches across an ancient
wall at Mobile's Church Street Cemetery containing the
grave of Old
Joe Cain to toss this strand of beads on Cain's grave.
In doing so,
Miller carries on a unique tradition that blends with the other
revelry
associated with Mardi Gras every year in this South Alabama
city.
Cain is recognized as the man responsible for the Mardi Gras
celebration's rebirth during the Civil War, during a period
when the city
was under seige by Union troops and young revelers donned
masks and
paraded in the streets in a much-needed release of tension.
Each year
in Mobile "Joe Cain Day" is celebrated the Sunday preceeding
"Fat Tuesday"
with a variety of events.
Just before this photograph was taken, about a dozen figures
in
black dresses and veils, known as the "Merry Widows," had made
their annual visit to the grave, complete with motorcycle police
escort.
After placing trinkets and flowers on the grave, they rewarded
the spectators
on hand with gifts of black roses, doubloons and strands of
black beads.
Several long-time regulars at the cemetery located just off Government
Street fondly reminisced about past years when revelers were
allowed in the cemetery all day on Joe Cain Day to dance on
his
grave, drink, picnic and generally "Raise Cain."
They explained that Joe Cain's is "the people's parade" among
the
30-odd processions held during Mardi Gras season every year
here,
and for years was an inpromptu party lasting all day and most
of the
night. Recently the city has seen fit to rein in the merriment,
however,
and has set some restrictions and put a little more organization
into
Joe Cain Day events in recent years.
The photograph above, like all those to be made for this project,
was
taken by David Haynes using a 50-year-old 8x10-inch view camera
and black and white film. His aim is to create a collection
of 52
images that will convey what life is like, or at least looks
like, here in
the year 2000. In each of the 51 images which will follow --
one each
week throughout the year -- Haynes will use the medium of
photography to document the people and places that are
Alabama on the cusp of the new millennium.
Some images will be of people and their lifestyles, others will
document various places in Alabama.
© Copyright 2000, David Haynes Photography, http://www.studioblountsprings.com.
All rights reserved.