A Portrait of Michael Anthony at Knolley's Tunnel
These are two of the portraits I took at Knolley's Tunnel in Trinidad of the celebrated author and historian Michael Anthony who, within his career, had more than 30 titles published.
On this occasion, we were on a drive with the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago to look at different railway artifacts and the places the railway system ran through in the Rio Claro area. One of the places we stopped was Knolley’s Tunnel, which was opened in 1898. It is 660 feet long and is the largest man-made tunnel in Trinidad and Tobago. It provided a much-needed link to transport not just passengers but goods, such as cocoa, to assist in the growing cocoa industry in the Tabaquite area. Nowadays, it serves as a spot for sightseers to learn more about the country’s railway system and to drive or walk through.
This was my first time visiting the tunnel, and we drove through it and stopped on the other side. I wanted to experience the tunnel up close, so I eagerly walked halfway in until it got completely dark. Suddenly, I thought about the creepy crawlies that people in the group had been repeatedly speaking about. Those people didn’t dare venture in, and while I put on a brave face, thinking it couldn’t be that bad, I started to envision the creatures moving in the darkness. That visualization was all it took to suddenly feel satisfied with the distance I had traversed and quickly turn around, walking back towards the car.
Standing in the full light, no critters crawling on my clothes, I looked back toward the tunnel to see Mr. Anthony next to the entrance. Before this outing, I knew of Mr. Anthony and his work. Two books of his have sat prominently on the shelves at home for some time. The first, ‘Green Days by the River’, I have never read, but I saw the movie that director Michael Mooledhar adapted into an acclaimed feature-length film. The second is ‘Towns and Villages of Trinidad and Tobago’, a non-fiction book that provides brief historical pieces about different communities across T&T. Adjusting my camera settings, I looked at this historian standing in front of this historic site. I knew it was a special moment, and I asked him if I could take his portrait. I am happy he obliged.
Have you visited Knolley’s Tunnel? If so, have you walked through the entire thing? I think I will walk (run) through next time.
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