The Barbados Government Information Service???s (BGIS) photographic exhibition, which showcases expertly reproduced black and white photographs of various aspects of Barbadian life from a bygone era, has been given a nod of approval from Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart.
The Prime Minister toured the exhibition today and was accompanied by Permanent Secretary in Defence and Security, Gabrielle Springer, and Acting Chief Information Officer, Sharon Lynch.
Ms. Lynch walked the Prime Minister through the pictorial display. It consists of an assortment of photographs of official visits by dignitaries, Historic Bridgetown during the 1930???s and 1960???s which showcased the horse drawn buggy, and the lighters (a vessel used to transport merchandise to bigger ships), and the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus at its then Harbour site. There are also photographs of the Campus during its construction phase at its present site.
Mr. Stuart said he was impressed by the photographs he had seen on display and quipped that the exhibition had ???revived some very distant memories of mine???.
???I recognise quite a few of them because obviously a lot of the photographs here were also [carried] in the local newspaper, especially the Barbados Advocate. As a result of these photographs, one can get a sense of how Barbadian history has evolved, particularly from the 1950???s to the present ??? during the life of the Barbados Government Information Service.
???I think that it is a great effort that you were able to retrieve all of this and put it on display is a credit to the Government Information Service and you deserve the highest commendation for that. I hope that our young people have been coming around to view the exhibit to see that things were not always as they are now; we have travelled a long road to this present state of being,??? he said.
The Prime Minister lauded the exhibition as a great effort and said he was particularly pleased to see the recreation of Barbados??? Independence in 1966.
???The resurrection of the Independence memories???I was very much a part of that. I see a photograph of Errol Barrow and Forbes Burnham and I remember very distinctly a speech delivered by Forbes Burnham in Independence Square in 1966 and I remember the night on which the Union Jack was lowered and our [Barbados] flag was raised and I remember the visit of the Duke of Kent and the Supremes performing in Independence Square. So, yes those things stand out and there are refreshing memories of a time that I treasure,??? Mr. Stuart said.
The photographic exhibition, which is one of the activities to mark the BGIS??? 55th Anniversary, ends on Friday, November 15.
julie.carrington@barbados.gov.bb