LANDMARKS OF BUXTON
ABOUT BUXTON
The village Buxton, named after Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, an English philanthropist and abolitionist, has been widely acknowledged as the "premier village" among the villages of Guyana. With a population of approximately 10,000 people, this village is located 12 miles from the capital, Georgetown, on the east coast of Demerara.
Buxton has had a great tradition. As a community that placed high value on family, citizenship and cultural pride, and education, it was one of the first villages to be bought by freed slaves after Emancipation in 1834. Since then, it has not only played an important role in the politics of Guyana, but also has produced a relatively large number of the country's educators and leaders in various fields of endeavor. The name Buxton has been associated with a variety of items such as:
The artist's inspiration for the Buxton Landmark Series came to him while on a return visit to Guyana after several years of absence, where he found that many of the once familiar landmarks of his hometown, had either disappeared or were on the verge of disappearing. The "The Buxton Railway Station" was a good example. This was a place that once buzzed with activity - with trains taking school children to and from school and workers to and from their jobs. Also, it was a place for villagers to socialize, greet or send off visitors from other parts of the country. The trains were also used by revellers for holiday excursions and pleasure trips. This station had long been dismantled since the abandonment of the railroad in the mid 1970's. Fortunately, the artist had previously captured this and other landmarks while still a youth in Guyana. The "Railway Station, Buxton", incidentally, was an award winning entry in a countrywide art contest.
Drawing landmarks such as the "Railway Station,..." and the like, while still a youth, was something the artist did without any thought as to their importance in later years. Moved by his observations, he was urged to continue the work he unwittingly started as a youth, in hope that it would provide for some people some insight into the past or invoke in others a feeling of nostalgia.