As I have mentioned before on this blog (and will, undoubtedly, mention again), the Quadricentennial/400th Celebration in 1965 was a big deal for St. Augustine. Many of the projects that happened between then and the Bicentennial celebration in 1976 helped to define and shape St. Augustine into the "Ancient City" that we recognize today. There were big projects, like the restoration and reconstruction of colonial-era buildings and the construction of the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, but there were also a number or smaller projects and events that easily slip through the cracks of public memory. A lot of these smaller projects are still peppered around the city, and it can be pretty exciting to stumble across one. Ray wrote and illustrated the St. Augustine book in the 1960's, in anticipation of the aforementioned 400th Celebration. The drawing in the book that really stands out to me is the one that depicts the slaughter of French troops by the Spanish in the dunes south of St. Augustine in 1565 - the Matanzas Inlet gained its name from this event - "matanzas" is the Spanish word for "slaughters." To me, the most compelling thing about this image is the pose that Ray chose to give Pedro Menéndez, the founder of St. Augustine, as he stands on a dune overlooking the massacre. This is the only illustration in the book where someone is striking the classic Superman pose: legs astride and one fist on the hip with arm akimbo. The bunched flag behind him gives the illusion of a billowing cape. Heck, with that armor Menéndez is literally a man of steel - the top half, at least. While the reference to Superman is very clear, it is less clear to me why Ray chose this particular scene to make it. I doubt Superman would approve.
2 Comments
nicolette nordan
10/4/2016 07:29:09 am
General Oglethorpes siege was in 1740. General Moore's was in 1702.
Reply
Matt
10/4/2016 08:35:26 am
Good catch Nicolette! Changed
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorA small group dedicated to exploring the history of the Ancient City. Archives
May 2017
Categories |