Everyone talks about the ‘good old days’ when times were simpler. Take a look at these prints from yesteryear and see if you can spot places, people and scenes you recognise.
Cayman scenes (1969)
My father was going through lots of old documents, photos and other memorabilia (as one does from time to time), and he came across this set of prints by artist Patrick Quin.
Dad recalled buying them from the old Hobbies & Books store many years ago, and had never got around to framing them.
According to the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands website: “Patrick Quin was an American artist who visited Grand Cayman frequently in the mid to late 1960s, creating prints over the course of his visits to sell to tourists and locals. The full series of Patrick Quin’s prints were generously donated to the National Gallery in 2018 by Kenneth Eckhardt and family, and featured in the exhibition Tropical Visions in 2019.”
As can be seen from the works, which were created in 1969, it was a much simpler time in Cayman back then. I posted the images on the Old Cayman Facebook page, and many visitors wrote in about their memories associated with the landscapes depicted.
Many of us who have lived in the islands for decades will remember this view of Seven Mile Beach, almost completely devoid of any development. This particular image was recognised by Richard Nathan Parson, who exclaimed, “The Twin Pines! Ask any old timer… ”
This stunning edifice prompted Betty Whittaker to share information she had about it.
“This building housed the government doctors and dentists (Shaw, Virtue, Magnus, Pink, and others) from the 1950s,” Whittaker said. “It was right in front of the Godfrey’s store. The police barracks were next door to Mr. Ormond Panton’s home. The local phone was run by a Jamaican lady, named Agatha in that building. There was a house in front of the first hospital in Cayman, where some nurses lived (anyone remember Nurse Elliott?) that later became the home of the Archer family and later, the Glass House.”
Several posters on Facebook talked about The Administrator’s Office, with recollections of working there until it burned down.
Daphne Orrett said, “I have many fond memories of the Old Government House… ! I very much enjoyed working as secretary to Sir John A. Cumber, together with a great team, including Mr. Ernest Panton, Ms. Sybil McLaughlin, Ms. Hope Glidden-Borden, Louise Johnson, Beverly Panton (Henning), Marilee Ebanks (Parsons), Lina Dell Ebanks (Jackson) Jeannie Martinez (DaCosta)… and our messenger boy, Halsey Andrews.
“It was such a sad day, when that lovely building burnt down… ”
Denny Ebanks said he got his first full-time job in that office, when Harry McCoy was in charge, while Florence Margreta Parsons said she “worked there for many years as secretary to Mr. Harry McCoy”. She also worked with “Mr. Cumber, Mr. Desmond and Mr. Dennis Foster”.
The Cayman Catboat is an iconic vessel, and instantly recognisable on the water. Daphne Orrett spoke of her times as a child, sailing with her father on the family catboat named The Echo.
“That catboat was fast… and won a number of trophies in the annual regatta,” Orrett said. “It was later sold to Dr. Polson’s son, who had it shipped to the UK. So many lovely memories… ”
Luckily, views of North Side similar to this one can still be found, even today. Long stretches of undeveloped land allow those driving the road to truly appreciate the natural beauty of the island.
Carlos Whittaker pinpointed this particular shot as being of Daniel Rankin’s dock and boat shed in Old Man Bay.
The mangroves, as pictured here, are incredibly important to the ecology of the Cayman Islands. Terry Brykczynski also appreciated how they kept the fish plentiful for his excursions with a local captain.
“Capt. Ertis took me to Barkers for bonefishing and the mosquito canals near there were full of tarpon,” Brykczynski said. “Snook, too. No mangroves = no fish nursery.”
If you have some old photos that you’d like to submit, we’d love to see them to consider them for publication. Be sure to include the credit for the image and any information you have about it. Email to [email protected].
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