My Top Photographs of 2018 - Guyana Chronicle

My Top Photographs of 2018

Tourists at the Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra, Ghana. This West African country is very serious about Tourism, having declared 2019 as, "The Year of Return". Here at this Memorial Park, is the body of Ghana's first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who was overthrown in a bloody coup d'etat, and died abroad in Guinea. However, his body was returned and reburied at this park, which was established to his honour and memory. It is one of Ghana's top tourist attractions. I took this photo on September 29, while on a visit to Ghana.

By Francis Quamina Farrier

DURING the year 2018, I was fortunate to be able to take scores of photographs across three continents – Africa, North America and South America. Here are some photos which I have selected from the many which I really love.

It is my hope that you have had the same pleasure viewing those photographs of mine, and the stories accompanying them, as I have. Best wishes to you and yours for a prosperous 2019.

This photograph was taken on November 29, 2018, at the Smithsonian American Postal Museum in Washington, DC. Guyana’s Ambassador to the USA, Dr. Riyad Insanally and his teenage son, Jamie, were at the time looking up at replicas of early airplanes which are suspended above – early airplanes which took airmail letters across the USA. However, they could have also been looking up to heaven to their mother and wife, Sarah, who died in September. The Ambassador and his son also viewed the world-famous British Guiana One-Cent Magenta Postage Stamp which is on exhibition at the museum.

Steelpan ecstasy. USA-based, Trinidadian pan player, Lennard Jack, Jr., is caught up in the crescendo of the piece he was playing on his tenor pan at a concert in Washington, DC, at which he was the lead performer. Lennard is a long-standing member of the prize-winning Washington DC-based Pan Masters Steel Orchestra which has members with roots in many Caribbean countries, including Guyana.

Romancing their iPhones. At the top is an evening sky over Manhattan, New York City. Below it, the eastern side of Manhattan, with the United Nations Headquarters at the centre. Below that is the East River. In the foreground is a young couple romancing, but not each other, just their iPhones. I took this photo from Long Island City in Queens, while looking at the world’s most wealthy island city borough – Manhattan. This photo was taken on June 15.

I took this photograph at the Smithsonian Castle Commons in Washington, DC, on the occasion of Guyana’s 48th Republic Anniversary, on February 23, 2018. At left is Deputy Under Secretary for Collections and Interdisciplinary Support of the Smithsonian Institute, Dr. Scott Miller, who did a visual presentation on Guyana’s Biodiversity. The Professor had already made 25 visits to Guyana, mainly to the Rupununi District, Region 9, over a 31-year period. His audience was made up of USA-based Guyanese.

At the 11th hour, of the 11th month, November 11, 2018, Volunteers of World War II began laying wreaths with 100 poppies each, at the Cenotaph at Main and Church Streets in Georgetown, in commemoration of the signing of the Armistice Document, which was done exactly 100 years ago and which brought that war to an end. At left in the photo is a section of the gate of the Cenotaph and at the right are the current Guyanese Veterans of World War II. The oldest is 100-year-old Benjamin Durant. Many Guyanese also served in World War I, the last surviving was Gershon Browne of Bagotville, West Bank Demerara, who marched off into Eternity at age 102.

The Minister and the Professor. Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Nicolette Henry, MP and Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, engage each other in a rapt discussion. This was at the end of a forum on the Literary Arts, which was held at the Theatre Guild Playhouse in Kingston, Georgetown, on November 5, 2018. I was about to interrupt the two to say, “hello”, but felt it more prudent to take this photograph instead, as a light beamed down on them.

Airline pilot and fashion connoisseur, Beverley Drake, who is among the very few living Guyanese whose image is on a postage stamp, was photographed viewing the British Guiana One-Cent Magenta Postage Stamp, which is on display at the Smithsonian American Postal Museum in Washington, DC., next to the Union Station. This photograph was taken on October 26, 2018.

President and CEO of Federal Management Systems, Inc., Mr. Aubrey Stephenson, AA, of Guyana, and Bishop Seth Abbey of Ghana have a special relationship. Aubrey Stephenson, whose middle name “Aggrey”, is of Ghana, has been making financial contributions to the Calvary Apostolic Ministry, Inc., of which Bishop Abbey is the Spiritual Leader, from its founding 40 years ago. Stephenson has also been making contributions to many Guyanese, especially with scholarships to young people. The headquarters of Federal Management Systems, Inc. is located in Washington, DC. in the USA. Stephenson is a native of Buxton on the East Coast Demerara.

Travelling back to their village after attending and winning trophies at the 2018 Diwali Celebrations, this Group from Golden Fleece on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two, while travelling on the Essequibo ferry, graciously posed for this photograph on November 6, 2018. Diwali is a national holiday in beautiful Guyana.

This young couple and their infant child were just about to board a taxi when they allowed me to take their photograph. This was at Santa Rosa, Moruca, Region One, where the community was celebrating their 200th Anniversary. Santa Rosa was established by Spanish Arawaks in 1818 who had fled from Venezuela due to religious persecution. Two hundred years later, there is another fleeing of persona from Venezuelans to Guyana; persona who are fleeing from another persecution.

Travelling back to their village after attending and winning trophies at the 2018 Diwali Celebrations, this Group from Golden Fleece on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two, while travelling on the Essequibo ferry, graciously posed for this photograph on November 6, 2018. Diwali is a national holiday in beautiful Guyana.

It would be somewhat of a ‘guesstimate’ as to how many millions this humble Guyanese is contributing to the national coffers, just by being a law-abiding citizen and not causing the kind of expenditure like that of the arson destruction of the Lot 12 Camp Street Prison. I took this photo on Brickdam in Georgetown one evening as man and animal, with a simple cart, were wending their way peacefully back home, after a hard day’s work. This vehicle has never been involved in a traffic crash resulting in injury or death of any other road-user. A simple law-abiding citizen and his faithful donkey making unrecognised indirect contributions to the national coffers.

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