A few days ago I headed to Jackson, Mississippi to see some artist friends who are installing their work in the new federal courthouse building. Downtown Jackson, like so many city centers, is a convoluted mix of old and new construction. Rotting wood and torn windows stand next to fresh concrete and shiny new paint. It's an abstraction that is hard to ignore.
While I come here several times a year, I seldom make time to observe and document these surroundings. This time, though, I thought I would change that and left the hotel early in the morning with camera in hand. I turned my attention first to what was new.
And then looked to the past...
The street outside the hotel holds two diners--one, The Mayflower, is still thriving, serving some of Jackson's best home style cooking--collard greens, fried sweet potatoes and the like. The other, the Bon Ton Cafe is only a remnant. It's tile floor entrance still greets passers by, but the walls around it have given up hope. Still, looking at it in the early morning light, its beauty remains.
The Mayflower
The Bon Ton Cafe...
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