A Story Behind a Story - Anguish

by Lexa Harpell

Title

A Story Behind a Story - Anguish

Artist

Lexa Harpell

Medium

Photograph - Photographs

Description

There is a story behind this story....

Dublin's Famine Statues 'walk' along the quay toward the boats for a promise of a better life - a memorial of the famine years depicting migrating sufferers of Ireland's Great Famine from 1845 to 1852.
More than 1 million people died during the famine and another 1 million emigrated during this period and many died on the 'death ships' over the Atlantic.

The statues are compelling individuals, tall, lean, made from bronze.
I saw them more as ghostly figures of Ireland's tragic past.

While I was shooting images, I noticed a young homeless man was placing flowers in their hands. My curiosity sparked and stopped to talk to him, I asked if I could help.

We chatted about the city, where he 'lived' - rather slept - under a nearby bridge - and he told me he comes here almost every day to 'talk' to the statues, they were his friends.
He then began telling me detailed stories about each statue's (person's) plight as if he knew them personally and deeply.

When we finished placing flowers in their hands, I asked 'Why the flowers?'
He turned and said,
"Because it gives them HOPE"

A huge golf ball rolled in my throat, my tears welled...all was silent.


People's stories and plights continue through time...

"A man carrying his dead son to the boats to take them to a new life across the Atlantic."

Uploaded

March 1st, 2021

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