Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Echoes of an ancient downtown storefront

Behind the curvy glass
St. Marys, ON
July 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram


Once upon a time, a jeweller did business in an architectural gem on a downtown street of this Hallmark-esque small town, its ornate display windows filled with not only beautiful goods, but aspiration and dreams for those who stood on the outside looking in.

The jeweller is long gone, the building and its front display now empty. But one look through the green-glazed windows reveals the almost tangible echoes of what once was.

As convenient as buying from a smartphone has become, it will never feel the same as this - assuming it can ever feel anything at all, Apps can’t cast historic shadows on historic streetscapes, or prompt poignant reflection in those who happen to linger just outside the dirty panes of glass.

Indeed, I doubt tomorrow’s storytellers will look back with the same sense of reverence and loss when e-commerce, too, is eclipsed by something supposedly better.

These window displays told stories. And we lost a piece of ourselves when they were emptied for the last time.

#stmarys #ontario #canada #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #abstract #downtown #retail #history #anstett #glass #mirror #geometry #selfie #stilllife #photography

Related:
Deli meat under glass, January 2024
Literary, November 2008

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