[lit-ideas] The Docks: A Literary Guide
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 20:45:36 EDT
We are comparing Cardiff and Buenos Aires:
J. Evans writes:
>Buenos Aires is simply so very much bigger than Cardiff.
>I've been investigating Buenos Aires but, because it's so much larger than
>Cardiff,
Well, writings on the development of the 'harbour area', for what it's
worth, seem scarce. My favourite is by James R. Scobie, the book called,
"Buenos Aires: Plaza to Suburb"
and covers only the years 1870-1910.
There is a chapter on 'locational forces', and 1/3 of it dedicated to the
harbour. Some passages follow.
Cheers,
JL.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
"Construction of a port at Buenos Aires did not prove easy. There were no
sheltered bays or protecting hills. ..."
"Eduardo Madero, whose import-export business was directly affeted by the
costly and dangerous loading and unloading procedures at Buenos Aires, in 1861
made a proposal that would have required financial assistance from Baring
Brothers of London."
"Out of these negotiations emerged a formal proposal, prepared by two
British engineers and submitted to the national government by the especially
constituted firm of Madero, Proudfoot and Company to bring British capital and
expertise to bear on the problem".
"In the following year, the national governments collaborated in making a
contract with John F. Bateman, engineer for the London sewer works".
"Scandals and rumours notwithstanding, the first section of the new port,
the southern harbour, was inagurated on January 28, 1889, in a colourful ceremy
presided over by Vice President Pelegrini."
Two of the highlights of the coastline area -- in the southern district --
are, in my opinion:
-- the nature reserve -- this is quite rich in avian fauna, and was visited
when Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was in the city. He is officially
involved in WildLifeFoundation and seemed interested at looking at the local
birds -- I mean grebes, storks, gulls, terns, and such, that breed just minutes
away from the Sheraton Hotel in downtown.
-- the sculpture of Lola Flores. She was educated in Rome, and her
'sculptoric group' -- a fountain alla Romana, was meant to be placed downtown,
but
found 'too erotic' (or pornographic) and displaced to the harbour area
instead.
It is in the baroque style, full of 'nereids' and 'tritons' -- and quite
pleasing to the eye.
As for the 'harbour' stories of J. L. Borges, I can quote from "Emma Zunz":
"Emma lived in Almagro, ... we are certain that in the afternoon she WENT
DOWN TO THE WATERFROND ('nos consta que esa tarde fue al puerto'). Perhaps on
the infamous Paseo de Julio she saw herself multiplied in mirrors, ... she
entered two or three bars... Finally she came across men from the
Nordstjaernan.
One of them, very young, she feared might inspire some tenderness in her and
she chose instead another, perhaps shorter than she and coarse... The man, a
Swede or Finn, did not speak Spanish".
Not much of a literary jewel. We read from "A Dictionary of Borges"
"Paseo de Julio: the former name of the northern section of today's Avenida
L. N. Alem, a street in Buenos Aires running parallel with the river. It used
to be crowded with conventillos (slum dwellings) and houses of ill-repute."
This incidentally reminds me of Isherwood, who used to say he survived in
Hamsburg, although his German was pretty rudimentary ("The only thing I knew
how
to say in German was, "Hi, Sailor"). I recently heard that expression on
television, so apparently it is a cliche and was when Isherwood was writing.
Another literary figure quite related to the docks of Buenos Aires is Eugene
O'Neill. There is a two-volume biography of the man. The first volume deals
extensively with the very many bars he frequented in the area, and how he
would quote from Keats to the local sailors. Delightful.
Perhaps Geary can expand on the Docks.
Cheers,
JL
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