Mykonos: Portrait of a Vanished Era

This gorgeously photographed compilation offers a window into how the Greek island of Mykonos looked before it became a popular tourist destinations. In more than 80 photos taken between 1955 and 1957, National Geographic photographer McCabe shows villagers riding donkeys rather than the now ubiquitous motorbikes and towns with nary a power line. There are several enchanting photos capturing daily life on the island’s people, among them a woman hanging her laundry to dry at Saint Anna’s beach, a man selling fresh figs, and children fishing at the Old Port. McCabe also includes photographs illustrating the island’s festival culture, depicting children lighting candles in a monastery on a saint’s feast day, a group of people dancing the kalamatianos folk dance, and a man playing the tsambourina, the Mykonos version of bagpipes. McCabe’s captions provide fascinating facts about Mykonos (“The man in the black hat looking down is... the town crier. Before loudspeakers, telephones and email, he would go through Chora announcing important news”) and encourage viewers to look closely at the details (“They are eating from aluminum plates on a tablecloth of newspapers”). This is a wonderful visual tribute to a bygone era in Greek culture. [em](Mar.) [/em]