Notes At The End: Cuba On The Verge

by Stephen Osborne, Rosamond Norbury (Photographer)

Once a playground to the American elite, Cuba has for years been caught in an eddy of time and circumstance. It's as if the country never let go of the pristine glamour that was imported from the United States in the 1950s, and now, 50 years later, the sheen has faded, the facade crumbled. Yet since that time, Cuba has persevered through revolution, insurgency, blockade and embargo, all under the paternal gaze of a single leader, Fidel Castro. Life hasn't always been easy for Cubans-lineups for the most basic supplies are common-but they seem to take it all in stride.

In photographs and a personalized text, photographer Rosamond Norbury lifts the veil off Cuba to reveal a surreal, intriguing world, from the strange and compelling Santeria religion to the fascinating underground gay scene, from the classic American autos of the 1950s to the black market in gasoline, from illegal rooms to the availability of matches. She creates portraits of the various underground economies and subcultures that exist in the supposedly classless society.

As Cuba moves toward the inevitable change that will come with Castro's death, Norbury captures the heart and spirit of a country that clings to the rich vestiges of its past while keeping a hesitant eye on what is to come.

With an introduction by Stephen Osborne.

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005