The Eclectic Town of Jerome, Arizona

It is never enough to visit Jerome once. The winding roads climb the Mingus Mountain range and pass by Jerome, elevation 5000 feet, give and take a few. A historic town where once copper was mined abundantly. Now a place one finds high class modern galleries, Arizona wine tasting, bikers’ bars, eateries everywhere, and a sense of anachronism.  Most importantly, one is reminded that miners had two “outlets” after hard days of work: bars and bordellos.

Indeed, everything somehow seems to remind the visitors that bordellos were serious business on this mountain! There are 1890’s original certificates of license for prostitution for sale, given to ladies whose pictures are on the license. Some pictures are amazingly artistic – slightly blurred but making the point. There are restaurants, bars, hotels, souvenir shops all in one way or another celebrating the days of easy love.

How creative is this menu!

Jerome is also eclectic both in its offerings and architecture. There seems to exist no grand plan for the way streets, houses and public places were built – one has the feeling that the town grew up the hill, in capricious ways. And then it stopped growing when the mine at the bottom of the mountain went dry. Just like a wild flower when deprived of water.

Here are a few of its eclectic views:

I was there on the first Sunday of Fall. A sunny day and Jerome was bustling with visitors. But other times it has a spooky quietness, giving it the name of “Ghost Town”. Yet, even in those quiet days one gets the feeling of unpretentious down-to-earthiness.  Here is an example:

Perhaps the proud character of Jerome is in this composition. I found the angle and light just right to describe how the inhabitants of this town have and continue to feel. I do not know if the bell still rings, but the message is clear:

I was looking for a representation of an easy Sunday in Jerome when I saw this young woman scratching the ear of her cat while the dogs seem to await their turn. The patio, the sun, the scratch of the cat’s ear: it makes one desire to become a miner in Jerome!

September 28, 2015

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2015