LAURIE BETH ZUCKERMAN PHOTOGRAPHS OLD LAPEYROUSE CEMETERY IN TRINIDAD

Laurie Beth Zuckerman photographed the historic Lapeyrouse Cemetery in Trinidad's capital city of Port of Spain this May. Lapeyrouse is one of the most corroded cemeteries I have ever visited. It has huge architectural monuments and streets, much like the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France. Transients seek shelter in cardboard boxes inside dilapidated tombs, while drug dealers with Bluetooths in their ears scurry around on bikes, arranging their deals. Only the occasional car enters the high-walled graveyard to traverse its acres of inner streets, likely looking for loved ones. I felt scared and cautious at every turn, even with my husband close by. Finally my mounting fear and the debilitating heat of the tropical afternoon sun drove me away before I could complete my photography documentation. I needed days there, not hours. 

Below are my photos from the older section of Lapeyrouse Cemetery showing the diverse architectural styles of its once grand monuments. The first one is a monument styled after Port of Spain's characteristic Gingerbread Houses.

LAURIE BETH ZUCKERMAN PHOTOGRAPHS JESUS CRUCIFIXES IN SANTA ROSA CEMETERY, ARIMA, TRINIDAD, BWI

Below I have added wide shot photos of Arima's old Catholic cemetery surrounded by bits of urban jungle and small colorful buildings. The stark black and white of the cemetery monuments against the verdant colors of the foliage and the Caribbean colors of the houses conveys a mood I feel is unique to Trinidad's graveyards.

Laurie Zuckerman traveled to Trinidad in the British West Indies in May. These crucifixes were photographed in the Arima Cemetery in Trinidad on a gray, rainy day. Arima sits at the base of the Northern Range of coastal rain forest. This cemetery had a moldering quality that I have tried to capture with closeup digital photography. These encrusted crucifixes have been repainted and peeled over the years in this hot, decaying climate.

Arima is the third largest city in Trinidad. It is also home to the largest population of Amerindians in the country and in most of the Caribbean. Christopher Columbus "discovered" Trinidad. These Amerindians are the descendants of the indigenous peoples of Trinidad at the time that Columbus arrived and the Spanish came to rule the country for the next couple of hundred years. The remarkable thing about these images is that they look just like images I have taken in the Hispanic Southwest. The crucifixes are the same style and the way they are mounted to the crosses is also similar. Note that some of the crosses sit within nichos in the crosses. A world away, a different culture from the Southwest entirely, as most people in this cemetery were either Black, East Indian, or Amerindian. Catholic symbols, such as the cross look pretty much the same anywhere, although the style and color of the grave monuments and overall cemetery layout is extremely unique to Trinidad.

LAURIE BETH ZUCKERMAN PHOTOGRAPHS HEART ICON IN ARIMA CEMETERY, TRINIDAD

Icon heART. Laurie Zuckerman photographed this Sacred Heart in the old Catholic cemetery in Arima, Trinidad, British West Indies. IconARTe is the name of my art business. The word ART is also an intergral part of HEART. The ART of the HEART is always fascinating for me to photograph, but I don't find them that often in the Catholic cemeteries I haunt. This simple heart decorating a plain white cross has grown more iconic over the years. Weathering, patina, and lack of color add to the poignancy of this classic symbol.