An accident on Main Street Que Que, Rhodesia, 1972
A Pictured Memory
The extraordinary reach of the web, the devotion to truth of a true artist and the tenacity of memory combined to give me a lovely surprise. Providentially, on my one hundredth blog, the charm of this picture has been conjured:
A Pictured Memory
“[It’s] exactly forty years on, but I remember it well. At the time I was much involved with the tennis section of Que Que Sports Club, and we were staging an exhibition match between Hank Irvine and Andrew Pattison that evening. As can happen, with so much to organise, I developed a migraine and self-medicated with meprobamate tranquiliser. So it was, driving from Fitchlea to the Sports Club, I entered the roundabout and quite failed to see the African Constable riding there. We collided, and I am forever amazed that he was able to come off his bike, on his feet, running. I ran over his front wheel , and apart from (happily) paying for the repairs, was not charged at all – those were simpler times.
“Now from this account, one may understand that the constable is offering his damaged bike for inspection to the driver; as regards shape and color the car is also accurately shown”, writes Paul Goss from Australia.
“The detail is so exact that the artist must have been working there when the incident occurred.” I suspect Paul is mistaken. I think it’s more likely the story was retailed, to considerable merriment, to lots of people in the township, who subsequently enjoyed the picture.
“I would love to know what became of the artist and the constable.”
(The original blog was http://www.oncecalledhome.com/2010/10/a-memorable-picture/)
Thanks to Barbara Goss and Arthur Chapman, the owner of The Memorable Picture.
3 Comments
betty
April 14, 2012Unbelievable coincidence…..Diana, are you the one who had the wreck and hurt the policeman’s bicycle, or was it Barbara? What a cool thing to be part of a famous and well known painting of the incident!
Diana
April 14, 2012No Paul Goss, Barbara’s husband recognized the incident when he stumbled across the blog. (I originally published the picture in Oct 2010!) Six degrees of separation. Diana
Diana
April 15, 2012Arthur Chapman writes: “Hi Barbara
Sadly at the time of events we don’t think of the pleasant and meaningful nostalgia as my association with the artist who’s many works have since left me. My daughter Alexandra now has the painting whenever I look at it it reminds me of the incredible memories I’ve of Kwekwe– what a community! Looking at the pic again, Barbara, it could well be your accident.”
Regards.
Arthur Chapman.
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