The Photographic Past, Part VI

Lyndon B. Johnson's program of civil rights reform, which resulted in the passage of landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, relied heavily upon a collaborative relationship with Martin Luther King, Jr. According to Pullitzer Prize-winning reporter Nick Kotz, "They were people who knew how to take advantage of an opportunity and Kennedy's assassination created a chance." (ca. 1966)

A grocery storefront in Lincoln, Nebraska advertising oranges for one cent. One cent. Fruit by the penny: Oh, how a serial snacker could dream. But grapefruits sure were steep back then… (ca. 1942)

A classic Volkswagen advertisement campaign featuring then-Philadelphia 76ers' Center Wilt Chamberlain.  Though I'm not so sure about the "enormous infant" bit (note: knowing Wilt, he probably had a lot of those), it is refreshing to see an automobile ad that actually focuses on the car being advertised. (ca. 1966)

Two young protestors at Tiananmen Square link arms in solidarity with then-ongoing popular demonstrations for social and political reform in the People's Republic of China. The protests were forcibly suppressed after seven weeks in an event commonly known as the "Tiananmen Square Massacre," at least outside of China. The Chinese government has since prohibited any discussion of the events, and many details of the tragedy remain unknown or unconfirmed. (ca. 1989)

Pep: a black labrador retriever accused and sentenced to life in prison for killing the Pennsylvania governor's cat.  As it was, the account of the event was entirely fabricated by a newspaper reporter. Pep, who was guilty of no more than an insatiable desire to chew the governor's couch cushions, went on to spend the rest of his life as a therapy dog for Pennsylvania prison inmates. (ca. 1924)

An Iranian soldier looks out upon a cloud of burning oil produced by Iraqi attacks on oil refineries in the area. An ominous sight and an even more troubling sign for the future; oil-related conflicts have continued to plague the region for decades, with no end in sight. (ca. 1980)

A photochrom print of Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. The iconic structure was commissioned by the "Mad King," Ludwig II of Bavaria, and served as the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle. The castle was intended as a private retreat for the king, but the site became open to the public soon after Ludwig's death in 1886. (ca. 1892)

President Abraham Lincoln meets with Union General George McClellan, with whom he had a tumultuous relationship, following the Battle of Antietam. "The Battle of Sharpsburg," as it was known in the South, still remains the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. This colorized photograph, in some ways, helps to humanize these two historical figures at odds under the immensely stressful conditions of the time.  (ca. 1862)

Hephaisteion

The Temple of Hephaestus, or Hephaisteion, is the most perfectly preserved temple remaining from the ancient Greek world. Built over the course of 34 years (449-415 BC), it is fitting that such a masterfully constructed Doric temple would be raised in honor of the patron god of craftsmanship. The temple is perched atop Agoraios Kolonos hill, in the shadow of the ancient Agora and Acropolis of Athens; its structure, forged from Pentelic and Parian marble, remains a sight to behold thousands of years on. Since words—it seems—can do no justice, I will allow my photographs to tell the rest of the story.

The Western Pediment, the Doric Colonnade, and the Ionic Frieze.

Another look at the temple's Western Pediment.

Looking Northwest to the Hephaisteion from the Acropolis.

Looking Southeast to the Acropolis from the Hephaisteion.

Hephaisteion: Ancient Greece's gift to the curious historian's imagination.

The Acropolis

Looking towards The Acropolis of Athens.

While ascending the smooth, weathered stone pathways of the Acropolis, the weight of time looms heavily in the air. People from all corners of the earth have come to see one of the wonders of the ancient world for themselves; to witness a testament to the paradoxical continuity and transience of man.

When Samantha & I emerged from the metro station near Athens' Acropolis, six years had passed since I last visited. And as we climbed high above Greece's sprawling, historic metropolis, more than 2400 years had passed since the structures that we were about to see had been built.

The Acropolis of Athens- the epicenter of Classical Greece's most successful polis ("city state")- is a destination that naturally captures the imagination of it's modern visitors. Overlooking the Ancient Agora ("meeting place") of Athens, it features archaeological remains dating to a time long before man landed on the moon, before the "New World" was known to the Old World, and preceding the days when a man named Jesus resided in Nazareth.

The Propylaea.

Like all of the Acropolis' visitors, Samantha & I passed through the Propylaea: a remnant of the Periclean Building Program of the 5th Century BC. The construction of the monumental gate began in 437 BC, only to be terminated five years later due to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Though the Propylaea was never completed, the resultant structure was spectacular enough to have inspired later architectural achievements such as the Brandenburg Gate of Berlin.

However magnificent, the Propylaea cannot adequately prepare its visitors for their next encounter: the Parthenon. Dedicated to Athena, the goddess of Wisdom and patron of Athens, the temple is the most important surviving building from Ancient Greece. 

The Northeast corner of The Parthenon.

Survival has not come easily, though: The Parthenon has stood witness to the harsh passage of time, people, and regimes. It was built in nine years, from 446-438 BC, and became renowned as one of the great cultural monuments of the world. The Doric colonnade, the metopes, the frieze, and Phidias' Athena Parthenos represented the highest achievements of Athenian art & architecture. Later, though, a fire would destroy the roof & much of the temple's interior in the 3rd Century. The Parthenon was then rebuilt and remained intact- first as a Church, and then as a mosque under the control of the Ottoman Turks. The building survived as such until September 26, 1687, when it was struck by a Venetian mortar round, igniting an Ottoman ammunition dump within the temple's confines. The damage was catastrophic and accounts for the half-ruined state of today's Parthenon, which has been in various stages of restoration since 1975.

The wondrous beauty of the Parthenon is paralleled yet by the grace of the Erechtheion. Built between 421-406 BC, the temple was dedicated to Athena & Poseidon and is best known for "The Porch of the Caryatids," in which six female figures act as supporting columns. The Erechtheion was built precisely to fit the uneven terrain of the Acropolis Hill; it is the crown made to fit the head of Ancient Athens' sacred rock. 

The Erechtheion, Parthenon, and their admirers.

And so it is no wonder why so many citizens of the world flock to see what has been seen, photographed, and written about to no end. The Acropolis constitutes a very tangible connection to the ancient peoples who made such crucial contributions to the world of art, scholarship, and politics. It stands as a very weathered- and very beautiful- lens through which we may view a society that inspired countless others.