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Photograph of the Week Plate
10 - Mobile - Week of March 6, 2000
In his Mardi Gras costume, Geoff Miller reaches across an ancient wall at the Mobile cemetery containing the grave of Old Joe Cain to toss this strand of beads on Cain's grave Sunday. In doing so, Miller carries on a unique tradition that blends with the other revelry associated with Mardi Gras every year in this South Alabama city. Cain is recognized as the man responsible for the Mardi Gras celebration's rebirth in the years immediately following the Civil War and "Joe Cain Day" is celebrated the Sunday preceeding "Fat Tuesday" each year in Mobile with a variety of events. Just before this photograph was taken, about a dozen figures in black dresses and veils known as the "Merry Widows" had visited the grave, complete with motorcycle police escort. After placing trinkets and flowers on the grave, they rewarded the crowd on hand to view their annual visit with gifts of black roses, doubloons and strands of black beads. Several long-time regulars at the cemetery located off Government Street fondly reminisced about past years when revelers were allowed in the cemetery all day on Joe Cain Day to dance on his grave, drink, picnic and generally "Raise Cain." They explained the Joe Cain's is "the people's parade" among the 30-odd processions held during Mardi Gras season every year here, and for years was an inpromptu party for all day and most of the night. The city has seen fit to rein in the merryment, however, and has put some restrictions and organization into Joe Cain Day events in recent years. The photograph above, like all those to be made for this project, was taken by David Haynes using a 50-year-old 8x10-inch view camera and black and white film. His aim is to create a collection of 52 images that will convey what life is like, or at least looks like, here in the year 2000. In each of the 51 images which will follow on this page -- one each week throughout the year -- Haynes will use the medium of photography to document the people and places that are Alabama on the cusp of the new millennium. Some images will be of people and their lifestyles, others will document various places in Alabama. Bookmark this page and return to view a new image of someone or somewhere in the state every week throughout the year. If you have any comments or suggestions for possible images to be included in this project, they will certainly be appreciated.
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