In light of a sexual personae - Michelle Isava

The orifice, the phallus, and the local school girl

In a small converted room, a young artist is feverishly putting the final touches to her exhibition. In a back room, performers are preparing themselves to a waiting gathering of friends and artists who have come in support. This is an installation and a performance by Michelle Isava entitled, "The temple of local sexuality".

Ms. Isava directs her guests to pass through an orifice fondly labeled " Mother Cunt". This brings you into a space that encloses the installation and to the porta of her inner world of the stigmas of sex, religion and gender related to her environment and Trinidad and Tobago. Earlier last month, she had a fairly successfully exhibition of paintings at More Vino of which two paintings are placed here again. It is unclear if the male erotic works were also displayed. One details a man sexually aroused. But Ms. Isava is speaking not of the pleasures from sex but rather the brutality. The broken cast of a female body is an example of the force of it.

Exploring sex in art as a subject is not a common practiced made by local artists. Ms. Isava seems to have a raw enthusiasm to discover the notions of it in a culture that debates the morals of it. Through this installation, she is attempting to bring to the surface what really exists.

What is interesting is the makeshift studio where she paints, and the energy she has to find herself. There is a shrine which represents her Catholicism and her truest beliefs as a piece of art. Michelle Isava is supported by her family on the subject that most Trinidadians may feel uncomfortable with. This is refreshing. She is energetic and eager to explore what it truly means to be an artist, and the commitment it will take. The exhibition runs for one day. See thebookmann header as her work

Self Promotion at UWI
The cast you see strapped to the tree is part of an public installation by Michelle Isava. They are the backdrop stage set from a performance of students voicing their concerns about being female. The cast is one of a few to make students aware Ms. Isave stresses, a spot known for lovers and incidents of rapes. The broken limbs may suggest a discarded live yet, they are more along the lines of a broken relationship.

Although this artist has much to learn, she manages to create a buzz surrounding her work, and the possibilities of where it can go will be in her persistence. Lower photograph: Michelle Isava's cast limbs at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago. (Outdoor installation) Read the debate on female narcissism.

Cinderella’s fairytale - Trinidad Vogue

Utopia: Here is a simple man dreaming to what could be.

From the look of things, this is a man’s castle or a four metal panel gate to the front of his home. Either he is in a delusional state, or it is a mirage on the Eastern main road, Trinidad and Tobago.

Behind the fortress of red brick from who ever, whatever references that compelled the Knights of the Round Table to be in session and declared by creed, a commissioned replica of their castle to the owner’s at the address above.

A Robin Hood act of kindness

The artist "K. Frietune" has painted a mural from the tip of his sword and produced a work filled with dungeons, dragons and all hidden in the moot. And from behind this buttress, a vista of splendid gardens with not too well manicured shaped trees bloom. A tower with the national flag of his birth is raised and his home is beatified by a flock of egrets returning to the Caroni swamp. On closer examination of this gate painting, the chateau’s left side is installed with a wooden drawbridge built much higher than the main lower entrance doors. This indiscretion may cause the king to be awaken by flooding.

Who knows what goes on behind this gate in Cinderella’s fairytale and where the rainbow ends in a pot of brass, yet a man is free to dream to his heart's content. - thebookmann

Minimalist - A true meaning - Dolino

The National Museum of Trinidad and Tobago is presently featuring the work of a Brazilian artist, Dolino with the support of the Brazilian Embassy. The Annex takes on an air of sophistication in its clean simplicity, perfectly suited to these highly crafted minimalist colour blocked paintings. It is important for students of painting to see this show. At first some may think that the work may look easy to create because the artist is working with pure colour. However, if the student can get past first impression, there is a lot to learn from this artists' technical know how. The colour palette is very strong and the brush strokes are honed down to a nearly perfect sheen. On closer inspection some textures lay on the smooth surface like fingerprints on plastic. The undercolours coming through the blocked areas of high relief pigment is very pleasurable to observe, but moreso, they give a sense of depth of field and visual interest. The high contrast between smooth and rough, positioned for maximum impact demands a slow walk through the space. The show is well curated and after so much figurative work in the museum, it is wonderful to be presented with such a clean, colour field show. The University of the West Indies just completed a show in the same space and students of the university should make a point at stopping by and looking at the work of this artist. There is a lot to take in and to learn from here. - Adele

One land - One people - Trinidad and Tobago

Where did all the thinkers go? - Clinton Anthony Commings

This is a sketchy pencil drawing of Trinidad and Tobago's first Prime Minister, Eric Williams which is located opposite the headquarters of the Party in power. More ironically Mr. Williams formed it. Yet a graffiti artist thinks otherwise of the present leadership, and the faint outline of the "Father of the Nation" is the ghost in its shadow.

Eric Williams had envisioned the small nation as an united peoples brought to here by the circumstances of the times, and having the great potential to move forward as a new Independent Republic.

The graffiti artist, Clinton Anthony Commings asks since his death twenty six years ago, "Where did all the thinkers go?" And he is reflecting on the precarious antics that seem to plague the people that represent Trinidad and Tobago at its present time in history. -thebookmann

Mystical Landscapes - Sara Beckett

If you have an interest in riotous colour drenched controlled canvases that talk about jazz, then the show presently on at Vidalia, a restaurant at The Normandy, is the thing to see. With the demise of Art Creators, artists are showing all over, and these pieces are well placed in that semi-casual atmosphere. - Adele

Where I return so shall I die - David Hockney

Leaving with a big bang

This is the British painter David Hockney in front of the largest work he has ever produced. Entitled Bigger Trees Near Water, the painting is a composite of 50 smaller canvases which is a panoramic landscape of East Yorkshire, England, the place where the the artist was born.

In the past, Mr. Hockney had experimented with photography and produced a photomontage by using a series of photos detailing a larger composition by overlapping them. Bigger Tree Near Water is similar because it requires some sort of grid to map the entire piece. The artist must have been assisted with a mechanical obscura to project and reproduce the entire picture so that it drawn seamlessly altogether. The painting is 40 feet by 15 feet and part of the Royal Academy's exhibition in June, 2007. -thebookmann

Here in Trinidad and Tobago the replica of 'The inherent Nobility of Man' painted by Glenn Roopchand was constructed by the method of large panels assembled together. This made it possible for the large work to travel.

For one to be happy for - Embah

It is always wonderful to see a dark horse win or better yet, to be appreciated and supported by people who see a genuineness in ones work without the presence. The detail of the painting shown here is from one such individual and an eccentric one at that.

The artist Embah paints it as he sees it, be it whimsically, decorative or better yet as an underlying element of his intelligence that is distinctly his. And what more to hit the jackpot of the art world by receiving the support and guidance by two known figures, the British painters, Chris Ofili and Peter Doig. All three artists reside in Trinidad.

An exhibition of his works will be on display at the White Columns gallery in New York in June 2007. So for an artist who had been ignored in the past by many in the local art community in Trinidad and Tobago, Embah's your time has come, but fame is as fickle as the motives behind it, don't let it consume the best of you. -thebookmann

Read more on Embah

Sprangalang - Oh gorm dat roti melting in me mout

This is a lovely air brushed wall painting of a young lady all dressed in her Sunday outfit. With her rolling pin at hand, light blue plaid apron and black clogs to give her a little more height, to the layman, she makes the art of preparing Roti look quite easy, but it is hard and laborious work.

Miss lady seems very composed in this portrait as she is preparing one of the staple dishes in Trinidad and Tobago. The filling Roti. Big Red is optional. There are no beads of sweat rolling under her lovely brim to ruin her blush, no fatigued look from rolling all that flour, she is just delighted to serve you.

There are several types of roti such as Dosti, Sadda, Dhalpuri Soohari and Paratha. Paratha is a Oh gorm dat roti melting in me mout particularly because it does, and it is more heavenly when served with curry duck or goat. The bread should saturate and melt with the stock. The Roti goes by the local name "buss up shot" because the bread looks like a ripped shirt. So all respect to the roti makers who slave over a tawa (a large iron plateen), rolling pin, pucharaa, (a large brush with strips of cloth at the end to apply and distribute the oil on the dough and platter) and dabbler (two large paddles used to break the roti so that it flakes). The texture of the Paratha roti depends on how the flour is kneaded and rolled. If it is not rolled correctly, the roti skin will not break nor flake.

Types of Roti: The Dhalpuri skin has ground split peas. The Sadda is cooked without oil and Dosti are two thin layers which can be separated after it is cooked. The art is rolling two balls of flour together with butter at the centre. Big Red a soft drink associated with eating Roti. Sprangalang is the Trinidadian comedian Dennis Hall. - thebookmann

The Millennium series - Four

Plato came to his surprising philosophy of two worlds; the world of ideas, strong and perfect as the world of geometry, and the world of things. Before a man is born, his soul lives in a world of ideas and afterwards doing mathematics he simply remembers what his soul has learned in a world of ideas.

Greek ethics were embodied in four virtues: Courage, meaning physical and moral bravery;
Temperance, in the sense of nothing too much, or as Pericles put it, "Our love of what is beautiful does not lead us to extravagance" Justice, which meant rendering to each person what was due; and Wisdom, the pursuit of truth.

The philosopher Hsun Tzu from the Chou dynasty believed that Rites rest on three bases: Heaven, earth, and ancestors. Rites are at their best when men's emotions and sense of beauty are fully expressed.

A series of 12 layouts from a project called the Millennium Diary deigned, written and published in 1998. It consisted of illustrations and quotes to describe our brief existence, that is from the time-tine on this planet. -thebookmann & Adele

The Millennium series - Three

Thought about the universe in the centuries before Copernicus was dominated by the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. According to Aristotle, the Earth was the centre of the universe. The four elements, earth, water, air and fire were naturally disposed in concentric spheres, earth at the centre. Outside these were the crystal spheres on which the heavenly bodies rotated. Heavy objects fell because they sought their natural place. These were natural motions. All other kinds of motion were violent motions.

The search for Life
In 1965 Physicist Robert Dicke determined a certain frequency of radio waves that come from all directions in Space simultaneously.Like radio listeners pulling out of the night the signal of a faraway station, they had heard the voice of creation.

Astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson were using an antenna to listen to radio waves from the Milky Way. They were puzzled by a faint background noise that seemed to be coming evenly from all parts of the sky. When they heard about Dicke's work, and compared the frequency and intensity of the radiation, the mystery faded. the phenomenon, called "Background Radiation" was thought to be echoes of the Big Bang.

After all
Astronauts viewing the Earth from the outer stratosphere feel homesickness, a longing for the Earth as home. From where they are, one finger could block the planet from view, thus reinforcing how insignificant we really are.

A series of 12 layouts from a project called the Millennium Diary deigned, written and published in 1998. It consisted of illustrations and quotes to describe our brief existence, that is from the time-tine on this planet. -thebookmann & Adele

The Millennium series - Two

Central to Buddhist thought is the doctrine of Four Truths:
1. That existence is suffering (dukkha)
2. That this suffering has a purpose (samudaya)
3. That it can be suppressed (nirodha)
4. That there is a way (magga) to accomplish the noble path

François Fourier, b.1772
The French philosopher believed in a universal principle of harmony, manifested by four factors: The material universe, organic life, animal life, and human society. This harmony, Fourier says, can flourish only when the restraints of conventional social behaviour placed upon the gratification of desire have been abolished, allowing people to live free and complete lives.

Discours sur l'homme / Discourse on Man.
The French writer Voltaire, the first historian of civilisation, urged readers to consult only reason and their own sense in understanding the dogmas of church and state.

A series of 12 layouts from a project called the Millennium Diary deigned, written and published in 1998. It consisted of illustrations and quotes to describe our brief existence, that is from the time-tine on this planet. -thebookmann & Adele

The Millennium series - One

Genesis
Our earth, the Soul of the living, and the Sun, the God of life, are built from ashes of dead stars, and human beings and all forms of life are a collection of atoms forged in stellar furnaces. All chemistry and therefore all of life have been formed by stars. We are literally children of their conception.

A time to live, a time to die - Our Sun
The Aztecs of the Americas believed the sun was the source of all life; they called it Ipalnemohuani,"He by whom the people live." Since the heart is the symbol and vessel of life, the hearts of the living people and animals were sacrificed to the Sun god.


Life is established
The English scientist Charles Darwin imagined a plausible theory for life's emergence. In a letter he wrote in 1871, Darwin suggested that life arose in a "warm pond" where a rich brew of organic chemicals over eons may have been the catalyst to the formation of the first simple organisms.

A series of 12 layouts from a project called the Millennium Diary deigned, written and published in 1998. It consisted of illustrations and quotes to describe our brief existence, that is from the time-tine on this planet. -thebookmann & Adele

The enemy is ourselves - Heroes

Self-preservation, nature's first great law, all the creatures, except man, doth awe. - Andrew Marvell

If you believe in your destiny or the power of art to predict the future, you should take a closer look at sculpture Tar Baby vs. St. Sebastian.(left) It is a self cast of a New York–based artist Michael Richards who depicted himself as a martyr pierced by the props of World War 2 fighters. That eventful morning, Mr. Richards was in his studio on the 92th floor.

It makes you wonder when fiction merges with reality, and how violated America still feels from the 2001 attacks in New York. This is brought forth by a popular science fiction television show called Heroes, with all the trapping of a mutant, Hiro Hakamura who is on his mission to save New York city from its apocalypse "Boom". His vision of the city's pending future can be changed, he believes, if he eliminates a part of himself by killing his all encompassing powerful and zealous foe, Sylar. This is a blissful thoughts of ifs, only if a Hero such as he existed on the morning, Tuesday, September 11th, 2001 to stop the apocalypse, and order of the world as we see it today, 2007, for better or for worst, If only.

One can never be careful enough when dealing with the lives of other people. Once, as a boy, I saw a spider about to kill a wasp which was caught in its web. I said to my self the spider is going to hurt that wasp. so I took a large stone...and then to my horror, I had killed them both. - Pablo Picasso

So the age old story continues about the innate gene that makes all of us do the things we do. Self - preservation and the powerful instinct to protect our survival at all costs and follow the order of things though war and genocide. And if we stop and think what our emeries are thinking, it is basically the same. If you have watched most of the episodes, one striking factor is that many of the scenes mirror the attacks and its aftermath to guard itself for those trying to destroy it. America as a country and peoples are suspicious as to who they are, and who they should all be.

The final Heroes episode which will be aired on NBC, 05.20.007 will seek its fate.
You can't predict the future because it already exists - thebookmann

What makes Art good?

Between sex and temptation, self-destruction and compassion for his subjects, a man records his existence and purpose.

If you do not know this image, take a guess as to when it was made. 2006, 1960’s, 1990’s ? How about 1886. This is the work of Henri Toulouse Lautrec, a truly prolific painter and graphic designer, immortalized in the film Moulin Rouge a few years ago, starring Nichole Kidman. This painting of his looks as though he is still alive and painted it yesterday, and that, above all else is one of the ingredients to making Art not only good, but GREAT!

This work single handedly says to artists to follow your passion for what you do. Try not to get too steeped in all of the hype and technology, unless it really can propel your work forward, This work tells us about honesty with media and material, about unselfconsciousness, about working for yourself because you want to. Lautrec did not live a sanitized life, and this, his “Red” may have contributed to his early death by a sexually transmitted disease. However, of his many, many masterful works, this is a gem.

I first saw it in black and white in an art history book and my heart raced as though I had been running. The atmosphere or sfumato, invented by Leonardo Da Vinci is very present in the piece. It looked like a photograph and not a painting at first. Then it looked so contemporary that I had to study it further. I practically found myself nodding and smiling like someone who discovers some hidden money in a coat pocket. I was so jolted by its delightful simplicity, directness and beauty. He has captured her in turning, the gesture as intimate as if she were unclothed. The proportion of the body in regard to its space and the colours used, so controlled, yet seemingly effortless brushstroking, the dark of the glass behind her back, the light looking forward on the other side…such poetry, such artifice and in a word, sublime. - Adele

Poscards - Japan series 4

Poscards - Japan series 3

Poscards - Japan series 2

Poscards - Japan series 1

The Kodak Virtual Moment - Flickr

People strive for fame or the urge for sex, but above all, they want to voice their ideas without intrusive censorship, the internet allows a truer history of who we are from those who have filtered it in the past.


Bones, " Computer bring up the Flickr data from the turn of the twentieth century"

If you were asked to explain what Flickr is, it could be described as being the operator of a film developing machine, where snap shots of the lives of people are constantly in motion. Yet, with the popularity of Blogger and Youtube, the internet conglomerates are cashing in on the future by storing all of the information that are passed onto them. If you read the Terms and Agreement it says that Flickr collects personal information when you register with Flickr to use Flickr services or to post content on Flickr. People are less concerned with the policy, and more eager to share their work or kept it as a record on the internet. Nothing more or less is expected but rather it is following in the footsteps of Google by organizing and making information universally accessible. And in time, it would accurately portray the world by recording mankind through his own words through stills and moving images - The truest possible democracy ever conceived.

Storing your ideas for future deeds

The images that are inset with this post are from via The Library of Congress and Pingnews hosted on Flickr. It is a sample of the power of internet and accessibility of information. This is a glimpse into the past and present though historic photography which has shaped our world. In fifty years or so, the world as we see it will come to understand that all the possibilities we strived for will be in reach through a wearable wireless module. -thebookmann

Microscopic Art - Darling where is the Matchbox ?

Oh how sweet the mind of the absurd, and the ills of intellectual distraction

In a 1995 BBC interview Willard Wigan explains: "Being a child I used to start making houses for ants because I thought they needed somewhere to live."

Many years ago, thebookmann had seen a report on Willard Wigan, a British artist with a learning disability but who had an unique yet bizarre gift. A deep fascination for miniature sculptures which he could craft from a grain of rice.

Mr. Wigan's sculptures are simple and literal. He has replicated Evis, the Statue of Liberty and the Titanic among other kitsch memorabilia. Two days ago, his 70 item collection was purchased for 11 million British pounds or 112 million TT dollars. This proves that if you have a genuine passion for what you love, and there are people who appreciate what you do, the rewards for your efforts may astonish you. It is determined that the entire collection can fit into a matchbox. - thebookmann

Grandstand - The end of the Big Yard

A new bed may not rock as sweet
The history of the Queen's Park Savannah and its
Grandstand goes as far back as 1947. The horse racing stand has a earlier history from 1897, but the 1947 structure has been the venue for Trinidad and Tobago's major ceremonial events and the centre stage of its Carnival.

The photograph to your left depicts the demise of the Grandstand, and beyond the steel rafters, the mounted wooden stage once was erected. The stage itself trots memories which cannot be transcribed, yet every living Trinidadian and Tobagoian knowns that crossing it was a rite of passage. -thebookmann

Prehmnath's Hillman Hunter Minx

Hot boy and his Benz

Prehmnath Dookhoo stands proudly next to his Hillman Hunter Minx. The 1967 model has passed hands from five previous owners, and Mr. Dookhoo the last, has owned the light green car for over twenty years.

Under the hood, the modified Minx operates with a Nassan 180b engine with a chain belt. And knowing the ins and out of his baby, Prehmnath has machine shop parts for it and he says with great confidence, if the car stalled on the highway it would most lightly be the points, or gas. A problem he can solved and be quickly on his way. Other newer cars use computers, you can't fix it.

The hunter does not have the perks of an modern vehicle, and inside it has taken a beating. But the owner loves it anyway, just bounce him and you'll see why. You may have to replace your entire car while Mr. Dookhoo may polish his bumper with a bit of Slivo. And with a few taillight spares at home, he can fit one in just in case a mishap occurs. -thebookmann

Chairs - the Trinidad Aesthetic

These are the variations of the Moris chair which represented Trinidad and Tobago in better times. In many older homes, Trinidadians still keep the traditions of inviting friends over to enjoy a drink as they recline on a Moris chair and take in the view. The drawing room set shown here where built by prisoners from the royal jail in Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies.

Selling your soul to the devil - Oil and money do mix

A note to architects or draftsmen, when did the state of Florida have jurisdiction over you?

This structure with its lovely filigree wood trim and shingled roof once occupied the lot at the corner of St. Vincent and Prince Street, Port of Spain. It was the home to lawyers and doctors or some sort of bureaucratic agency. Quaint as it seemed, the conditions inside appeared unfit to live in. Then suddenly, the building was condemned and remained abandon for some time until the eventful day it imploded onto the pavement.

If you walk along the streets of our Capital, be mindful of the gapping holes which are filled with tyres or sticks to alert you so you don't fall in. The piles of litter or pools of dried urine left by the homeless and the disappearance of old buildings that gave the city its charm.

Aiming to capture the title of the financial hub of the Caribbean, common landmarks in the city are being sold for the almighty dollar, and are being replaced by conglomerates who have seized the opportunity for prized locations with no incentive of the aesthetics of our island. And slowly, what we thought was ours, is gently been pulled beneath us. -thebookmann

Red House - Trinidad and Tobago

Double Exposures and a less eventful day in our history

This is the Red House, rebuilt in 1907 after a fire destroyed it 1903. Red House is the centre of Trinidad and Tobago's Parliament and it is a building which has been neglected for sometime.

A few years ago, thebookmann and Adele had the opportunity to tour the chamber. We walked the path of the Leader and Opposition. We saw the ornate wooden chair that sits the Speaker of the House, a gift from Indian in celebration of our independence in 1962, and the physical evidence that has marred our history since our independence.

Not all feels well in the chamber, as if a blessing in needed to cleanse the uneasiness or the superstition ills that seem present. The people who sit, debate and abide by our Constitution are constantly reminded that things could suddenly change in a split second, and were there was calm, there could be chaos. Through the elaborate gesso work that decorates the ceiling and there is an ominous scar that is visible to the eye. There are Bullet holes logged in parts of the ceiling. This was the attempt in 1990, to overthrow the government and where the then Prime Minster was injured and seven people were killed in the attacks. Trinidad and Tobago still suffers from that day, and its aftermath. -thebookmann

A journey to the past – Hamburg part 3

I surrender, I unconditionally surrender for my atrocities against mankind, and for a society that accepted it.


This day marks the victory of Europe over Germany in 1945. It is an ominous reminder that the intoxicating drug to have supreme power is short lived with its consequences outlasting the annals of time. The animosity against Germans still exists, not matter how apologetic and remorse they have been.

In the city of Hamburg, the Ohlsdorf cemetery is Europe's largest . Established in 1877, the grounds are also known as the Garden cemetery. These photographs were taken on a bleak day in 1994. the park is so large that you need a car to commute to end to end. - thebookmann

A journey to the past – Berlin part 2

In time of penance, the devil raises his head

This is the inner ceiling of the Emperor Wilhelm's Memorial Church in Berlin photographed in 1994. The Mosaics recall the life of Emperor Wilhelm I, and it is restored at best to give you a sense of the detailed beauty and workmanship in the tiles, amidst the physical scaring. In 1943, the church was destroyed by the British bombing campaign on Berlin. At Breitscheidplatz, only the tower and fragments of the church remain. - thebookmann

A journey to the past – Berlin part 1

If I knew my future to be so grim, I would have acted my life with compassion

If you look closely at the wall behind the heaps of dilapidated cars and trucks, you will notice some graffiti spray painted onto the concrete slabs. The wall in question is the west side of the Berlin Wall.

It is strange when you lack a history of a place or its customs how insignificant things appear to be. If your were able to see the other side, there is a clear pathway or the death strip between the fence and concrete wall where once Germans were shot trying to escape by the blood of their very own kind.

These are photographs taken in 1994 and at a time the united cities of East and West were in a feverish hast to reform a New Berlin to somehow erase their troubled past. The marking that once controlled and divided both cities are lines seamlessly drawn. - thebookmann

A journey to the past – Ontario part 6

Necropolis - city of the dead in Cabbagetown



This is the chapel of the Necropolis cemetery, Toronto’s oldest graveyard. The grounds are located near the Beaches, East Queen Street, and the place is considered one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the city, but a little disturbing. There are rumored that many young souls linger there. These photographs are one of the earliest taken by thebookmann in 1988. The church window rosette and stain glass windows depict the Christian symbol of Christ and an angelic angel as a child. -thebookmann

A journey to the past – Ontario part 5

From the ground up, classical to post modern

The city of Toronto has a few impressive architectural landmarks. There is the Canadian National tower, the world's tallest freestanding structure next to the Sky Dome with its integrated retractable roof. If you are at King Street, you can venture into the pedestrian walkway designed by Santiago Calatrava located in the banking district of the city.

The overlapping steel beams gently loop from one side to the other, and the archway is fused by a complex matrix of geometrical joints that encloses the open street passageway. The light which penetrates through the glass roof gives one a sense of tranquility and visual beauty. Called the Allen Lambert Galleria, the city's oldest surviving stone building, the former Commercial Bank of Midland is part of a space that has been the backdrop for commercial ads, films and television productions. It is also the home, if thebookmann recalls, of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

When construction began in 1915, Union Station at Front Street was Canada's largest enclosed space at the time it was officially opened in 1927. The train station was built by both Canadian Pacific and Grand Trunk Railways and architects kept with the classical architectural style developed by the École des Beaux-Arts.

Union Station uses a series of large windows to illuminate the space. The facade are engraved with the names of the provinces that make up the Great North. -thebookmann