A photo essay by Joseph M. Calisi,
The International Transportation Photojournalist
Friday, December 13, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
at the Italian American
Museum in Little Italy (NYC)
On December 13, 2013, at 6:30 p.m.,
the Italian American Museum at 155
Mulberry Street (corner of Grand and Mulberry Streets) in Manhattan will host “Postcards
of the Mezzogiorno: A Photographic Essay of Southern Italy in the Bari Area.”
Joseph M. Calisi, The International
Transportation Photojournalist, retraced places visited in his youth to
capture the sun-splashed beauty of a region rarely seen by tourists. This
photographic essay of Puglia, features the
beauty of Southern Italy that extends beyond the cathedrals of Rome
and the gondolas of Venice.
Commentary will accompany the presentation as he explores how the subtle
overlay of technology has been interwoven with the classic architecture that
endures.
“Mezzogiorno” translated literally means ‘mid-day
or noon’, and it is also used as to reference the Southern Italian region.
Photographs of Bari, Mola di Bari, Alberobello, Cozze, Conversano, San Vito and
Polignano in this presentation captures the magic of the towns including the
traditional of the feast of St. Nicholas, held close in the hearts of the
Baresi. In surrounding towns, century old homes and streets intermingle with
modern palazzi, offering an insider’s perspective of the region. Traditional ways of life such as area farms,
old buildings and open markets are juxtaposed with modern electrical equipment
such as solar cells. Historical landmarks meet modern amenities in a curious
mix where the populous absorbs the benefits of modern lifestyle but retains
older values.
“Visiting Italy,
retracing the steps of my youth, I still marvel at the architecture of the
region, how many of the buildings and stores remained the same, yet technology
appeared where I least expected it. A visit to the fish market for example
showed one vendor using a scale with counterweights and another using an
electronic scale. I looked to reconcile the memories I had of the streets,
towns and markets and marveled at although much had changed; so much had stayed
the same. I also enjoyed hearing the old dialect as I walked through the town.
It was music to my ears,” says Joseph M. Calisi.
Joseph M. Calisi has been an
International Transportation Photojournalist since 1993. He has contributed to the information
world in print magazines and newspapers and electronic media TV reporter, radio
broadcaster and as an expert in transportation systems around the world.
To sample
additional works you may visit his website at www.josephmcalisiphotography.com.
“Postcards
of the Mezzogiorno: A Photographic Essay of Southern Italy in the Bari Area”
will be presented on
December 13, 2013 at the Italian
American Museum, corner of Grand and Mulberry Streets in Manhattan. The
suggested donation is $10. To RSVP for this event, please call (212) 695-9000
or email the ItalianAmericanMuseum@gmail.com.
