Island CULT: Heritage

I've recently hopped on board a new project headed by Georgina Callender of D.L. Smith Productions. With the intention of educating the Barbadian population as well as visiting tourists about our heritage and rich history, we set off for the island's capital of Bridgetown to put on a show. Calista dressed as Lady Gilbert-Carter, myself as Miss Caroline Lee and our stroller, Zanika, as Miss Rachel Pringle headed to town with our team (Georgina Callender, Karlos Yearwood and photographer, Michael Trotman) to peak the interest of passers-by.
Miss Rachel Pringle, Miss Caroline Lee and Lady Gilbert-Carter (Photo by Michael Trotman)


Calista as Lady Gilbert-Carter (Photo by Michael Trotman)

Lady Gilbert-Carter was the American wife of Sir Gilbert-Carer, a former Governor of Barbados. He had served as Governor of Ilaro in Nigeria prior to his arrival. She had great interest in the Arts and Architecture and with this she designed Ilaro Court, a building that would eventually become home to the island's Prime Minister while in office. She also designed the Empire theatre, undertook the layout of the grounds of Queen's Park and designed smaller projects such as the birdbath on the Esplanade.



Myself as Caroline Lee (Photo by Michael Trotman)
Caroline Lee was a diminutive beauty of mixed race and olive skin whose name was given to the yellow sweet potato, the Caroline Lee potato. The site of her hotel is now known as Number 1, Broad Street and is home to Harrisons. She was known for her beauty and sweet disposition, said to be one of the most beautiful mulatto women of the time; which earned her the name "Venus of the Antilles."

(Photo by Michael Trotman)

(Photo by Michael Trotman)

(Photo by Michael Trotman)
My job was to basically become a living statue, a piece of living history, adorned in an interpretation of 1800's attire. This was no easy job! Imagine two layers of clothing in the tropical heat and trying to keep a straight face as a "parrowman" dances and makes silly faces at you! Luckily, I managed to pull it off and the experience was amazing! The responses received left a great feeling of pride inside of myself. "Interesting!" "I've never seen this in Barbados" "I thought she was a mannequin!" "Mummy, she real?" Entertaining the public while having educated the public is something I'm proud to have been a part of.

(Photo by Michael Trotman)
I urge you to take part in the activity. The living mannequins will be in Bridgetown on Wednesdays and Thursdays (from around 10 A.M. and 1:00 P.M.) and with hopefully increasing popularity, we can make this a standard thing to see in the capitol.

7 comments:

  1. This is fantastic and you look amazing too! I can imagine you must have been melting in that costume though. I had a little chuckle too at the "Mummy, she real" I read it in a caribbean accent! Really loved reading this post x

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    Replies
    1. LOL thanks doll! It was VERY hot but so worth it!

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