Vincentian to launch AIA pictorial booklet

A pictorial booklet, entitled ‘I saw it through my lens,’ which depicts the 2007-2017 construction of the Argyle International Airport (AIA), is almost ready for publication.

In an interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Tuesday, author of the booklet Deirdre Millington-Myers, a trained architect and holder of a Master’s degree in Building Conservation said she will publish the book to commemorate the airport that officially opened last Tuesday, February 14.

Millington-Myers disclosed that she had the distinct privilege of being part of a delegation that went to Havana, Cuba in 2005, to hold discussions about the airport’s construction with the late Fidel Castro Ruiz, and when work on the project began in 2007, with the construction of the Argyle bypass road, she began taking photographs.

She said she and her friend Carlita Daniel would walk along the bypass road on Saturday mornings and observe as the project unfolded.

“I started seriously documenting all that was happening, using my eye, as a person who spent the last 30 plus years in construction, so that the photographs would depict construction type views, as opposed to anything else really,” she noted.

“In addition to that, the history of Argyle unfolded before us in a major way and there again was my interest and I thought well this site was definitely tailor-made for me, because I have construction, which is my main field, I have archeology which is one of my hobbies, then photography; so I was in my element for the past 10 years.”

As the project progressed, Millington-Myers said she got more and more excited, to the point where she did not want to leave the site.

The author told SEARCHLIGHT that when she last checked her collection, she had close to 5,000 pictures, “so it was serious exercise to determine which ones I should put in the book.”

In addition to her Saturday walks, Millington-Myers would visit the site during the week, depending on what was happening to ensure that that she had photographs of all aspects of the construction over the past 10 years.

Last Monday, February 13, Millington-Myers presented an unfinished version of the booklet to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, along with a bottle which contained samples of different types of rocks collected on the construction site.

However, before publishing her booklet, Millington-Myers must add the final chapter, which would depict the events that unfolded on February 13 and 14 — the closing of the ET Joshua aiport and the official opening ceremonies of the AIA.

Although Millington-Myers has not yet decided on a price, she confirmed that the book, once published would be sold and would be produced in various sizes.

“I hope that people would enjoy my collection and I think I would have covered quite a bit of what actually took place at Argyle.”

The booklet would be sold at bookshops and various other establishments around the country. (AS)