Driving on West Commercial, my eye is quite often pulled to these extended group of buildings. I guess there is just something about the juxtaposition of these beautiful pastel structures of the old Portland Star Match Corp., a now defunct match company that was founded in 1866, and the city's rugged working waterfront that intrigues me. In 1890, it was the second largest match company in New England. Does this happen to anyone else? Got buildings, sights or benchmarks on your daily routines that just beg for a glance? Why is this, I wonder?
Driving on West Commercial, my eye is quite often pulled to these extended group of buildings. I guess there is just something about the juxtaposition of these beautiful pastel structures of the old Portland Star Match Corp., a now defunct match company that was founded in 1866, and the city's rugged working waterfront that intrigues me. In 1890, it was the second largest match company in New England. Does this happen to anyone else? Got buildings, sights or benchmarks on your daily routines that just beg for a glance? Why is this, I wonder?
Well, my guess is that whenever I see row houses colored in pastels and to differentiate between one building and the next, it brings me back to Ireland, specifically a small town called Cobh (pronounced like cobe, the "h" is silent and long "o"). The "bh" replaces the "v" which in English is a cove located near a body of water. This town is the most picturesque in all of Ireland and has been photographed more because of the many row houses painted in pastels and other colors with one of the most beautiful churches as the backdrop, located high on a hill with it's tall spire. Cobh, a deep water port on the South Western part of Ireland has the distinction of being the last Port of Call for the Titanic, prior to it's demise. Many of the Irish fled Ireland due to starvation and settled in Portland, ME.
ReplyDeleteThe composition of varying heights, colors, textures, the many windows offering glimpses of interiors, all these combine in an accidental state of grace that enchants our eye, I think.
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