yellow fever

As I wore my KN95 mask imaging this scene, I was unaware the brick building with the yellow mural painted on the side was in honor of a man coming to prominence during an epidemic. In 1878 Memphis and the Mississippi River Valley suffered a yellow fever outbreak recording 120,000 cases and between 13,000 and 20,000 deaths. This building, The Dr. D.T. Porter Building, was purchased by Dr. Porter’s family as a memorial to him. Dr. Porter is credited with helping to implement public health and sanitation practices to prevent other outbreaks. J.M. Keating, author of A History of Memphis, Tennessee wrote, “The people of Memphis were so well-acquainted with Porter as a successful merchant, a man of great character and incorruptible integrity, as well as of rare benevolence, that they at once selected him for the very responsible position of president of the taxing district, the equivalent of mayor, president of the board of works, and recorder.” The Porter family chose a great memorial. This building has been described as one of the city’s most astonishing architectural creations. It caught my attention. (Lost to history is who painted the mural and why it was painted yellow.)

A beautiful work of art accompanied by a very interesting note , ciao Giangiorgio

Amazing picture and story, Wayne! Well done! Bravo! Sincerely, Tatiana

Many thanks, Giangiorgio.

Thanks, Tatiana, I really appreciate your thinking enough of this image to add to your favorites.

Beautiful image, wonderful composition

Many thanks, Albert. I thought I was packing too much into this image but the elements seemed to arrange themselves.