Claggagh Pub as a Cultural Landscape: Paper 2 Proposal

Description:

The space that I have chosen for my cultural landscape analysis is Claddagh Pub in Canton, which is an area in Baltimore, Maryland. Claddagh Pub is an Irish pub located in Canton Square, where there are approximately ten other bars right in the area. The name Claddagh comes from an Irish symbol of love, friendship, and loyalty. I decided to choose a bar in the Canton area because Canton has a great deal of history, as it was once a railroad town and famous for its canning industry. In addition to the intense history of the surrounding area, there is a significant amount of relationship between artifacts and this landscape, as well as humans and this landscape.

On the corner of a strip of restaurants and bars, Claddagh pub sits on O’Donnell Street. The brick building stands two stories tall and on each level, there is a large window, where bar goers can look out onto the square. Painted dark blue, the window on the first floor is a multi-pained window, with two sides, so the window can be pushed open on days with nicer weather. The upstairs window shows off a multi-pained design, but cannot be opened. To enter the bar, one must walk up three steps to get inside the blue door and matching doorframe. In large, white, and all capital letters, read the words Claddagh Pub. Generally posted on the window include a variety of advertisements for different beer, liquor, or food specials, depending on which day of the week a person walks by the Pub.

Upon entering the pub, the first thing that a person notices is the dark and dimmed lighting. Anyone who enters will walk across a dark and scuffed hardwood floor and to their left they would see the downstairs bar, complete with hundred of bottles of liquors, draft beer taps, and approximately twenty bar stools lining the bar, beginning when you first walk in, and stretching to the back of the bar. On the left, one who enters Claddagh pub will find six high top tables, beginning in the front of the bar and running towards the back, parallel to the bar stools. Continuing to walk to the back of the bar and up one single step lays a small dance floor. On the right side of the dance floor are four tables, not high bar tables as in the front of the bar area, but lower, typical dining tables. Past the hardwood dance floor, servers and bar backs run in and out the swinging kitchen doors, and to the right of these kitchen doors, one can find two single-stall bathrooms, one male and one female.

Walking up the steep and windy stairs, there are two options, go straight towards a larger dance floor and yet another large bar, or go left around a corner to find a smaller, more intimate bar. This more intimate bar is much smaller then the bar downstairs, with about half of the stools. Running parallel to this bar sits three tiny tables, which are very low to the ground with short, little stools. On either end of these tables sits a leather couch, where one may find couples sitting close together, drinking their drinks and chatting, or sometimes just sitting extremely close together. Upon choosing to go to the dance floor area, on Thursday through Saturday nights, one would find a DJ playing music and yet another bar that is about the size of the large one downstairs, with about twenty or so bar stools running along the sides. Equipped with all of the liquor bottles, kegs, and glasses that a bartender would need, this bar always proves to be the busiest, as most people seem to congregate towards this large hard wood dance floor. Within this area flashes brightly colored lights, perfect for a crowd who wants to dance.

Claddagh Pub does contain a great deal of artifacts. Since the pub carries an Irish name and theme, signs of Irish culture, such as Celtic symbols, can be found all over the bar. In addition, Claddagh Pub used to be a cigar bar, so if one goes upstairs to the smaller, cozier bar, remnants of old cigar cases and signs that read Claddagh Cigar Pub can be found. Other artifacts that can be seen that are of great importance to this landscape are the constant advertisements and signs for different types of alcohol. These signs point to the idea that alcohol and drinking play a very important role in the culture of Claddagh Pub.

On a busy night, Claddagh pub revolves around the human aspect of its landscape to keep in business. Canton squares proves to be a very busy place and on a weekend night, Claddagh Pub seems to be the bar of choice for bar goers in the Canton area, with longer lines to get inside then any other bars in the area. There are always an array of people inside and outside the bar, whether they are those working there, such as the bartenders, the bar backs, the owners, or the cooks, those coming to Claddagh Pub for one purpose, to down a significant amount of alcohol, or those outside the bar, congregating and smoking cigarettes, as cigarette smoking is no longer allowed inside any Maryland establishments.

Because the bar has been around for a while and is located in a highly populated area, it does not include a great deal of non-human natural components. Canton square proves to be a very busy area where people in their mid-twenties go out every night of the week. Because of the excessive amounts of human interaction with this landscape, the natural component is lost within the high numbers of cars, buildings, trash, and other proof of human existence in the area surrounding the pub.

Kohr’s concept of boundaries is an important one when analyzing the Claddagh Pub as a cultural landscape. The first boundary that everyone must face upon entering is the bouncer at the front door. The bouncer must check everyone’s identification to make sure they are old enough to get in. This first boundary is a political boundary. As far as social boundaries are concern, they definitely exist. Before even entering the pub itself, these boundaries exist in the Canton Square area. People going to bars in this area are generally in their mid-twenties, so while it would not be a huge deal if you are younger or older then this age bracket, it is still the norm and you might get some weird looks from people if you are significantly older. The style of dress of those who enter Claddagh Pub is generally more stylish the other places. If you are not as dressed up as the rest of the clientele, this is a social boundary that also would attract you so stares of disapproval from other bar goers.

Approaches and Methods:

I plan to approach my paper addressing two of the axioms of cultural landscapes. The first is the axiom of landscape as a clue to culture. This axiom is important in regards to the cultural analysis of Claddagh Pub because of the culture relevance of this bar and its location in Canton Square. This area represents a way of life that people who come to Canton Square and in turn to Claddagh Pub because it is a place where they can go to escape their every day lives and to simply have a good time. The culture of Canton Square represents the aspect of nightlife and the cultural aspect that the bar represents is a younger, fun-loving, and partying culture. The other axiom that I plan to address in my paper is the historic axiom. Utilizing the sources that I have found, it appears that Canton, Maryland is a very historic area. It has historic roots as an industrial town, as it was originally a railroad community as well as originally being important because of the prevalence of the canning industry, which is where the name Canton came from.

In regards to Groth’s frameworks, I find his first framework, “ordinary, everyday landscapes are important and worthy of study,” to be the most important for my paper. Although Claddagh Pub is just a bar, it is a space that is located in an area with a great deal of history. In addition, most people may look at a bar and think that it is just a simple and ordinary space, but when you apply Kohr’s model and Lewis’s axioms, it becomes evident that this space is worthy of study.

Annotated Bibliography:

“Canton (Baltimore, Maryland.)” The Baltimore Sun. accessed November 6, 2008. http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/us/maryland/baltimore-county/baltimore/canton-(baltimore-maryland)-PLGEO100100603010600.topic

This is a brief article about Canton that discusses its origins as an industrial town and leads up to what Canton is like today. According to the article it is now a place for “young professionals.” This is relevant to my paper because it discusses how upon arriving in Canton, one can find historic information about the Canton Canning Company, as well as find a great deal of bars, located in Canton Square. This area of Canton Square is where Claddagh Pub is located.

Fischer, Claude S. “The Subcultural Theory of Urbanism.” The American Journal of
Sociology 3 (November 1995): 543-577.

This article is useful for my paper because it looks into the urban way of life as somewhat of a sub culture. This applies to my paper because those who live in and frequent Claddagh Pub fall into this category of urbanism as a subculture. In addition, this study points to the reasons why different people choose to live in these trendy and urban areas, which is something that I plan to look into in my paper, as I want to know what kinds of people are attracted to live in the Canton area, and in turn go to bars such as Claddagh Pub.

Rukert, Norman G. Historic Canton: Baltimore’s Industrial Heartland and It’s People .

Baltimore, Maryland: Bodine and Associates, 1978.

This book is a good source for my paper because it summarizes the history of Canton, the area in which Claddagh Pub is located. It has the potential to help to understand reasons as to why Canton Square is designed in the way that it is and why Claddagh Pub is located where it is. In order to understand a cultural landscape, it is important to understand the history of the area, which is something that this book has a great deal of information about.

Schlerf, Gary W. The History of the Canton Railroad Company: Artery of Baltimore’s

Industrial Heartland. Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing Company, 1996.

This book would also be a good source in order to use for my cultural landscape analysis paper because in addition to its vast information about the history of the Canton area, it goes into detail about the importance of the railroads to Canton. This book is interesting because in order to get to Claddagh Pub, you must cross over two sets of railroad tracks. I think that this book will be relevant to my paper because it can help to understand why Canton is the way it is today, stemming from it’s history as a railroad town.

Woodward, Ian. Understanding Material Culture. Los Angeles, California: SAGE

Publications, 2007.

This course text is relevant to my paper because within it, there is a great deal of information about cultural landscapes and the ways in which people are affected by their surrounding landscapes, as well as how landscapes affect these people. This book also discusses simple and ordinary landscapes and their importance within cultural landscape studies. From this text, I can apply a great deal about cultural landscapes and the importance of studying Claddagh Pub as the important and historic cultural landscape that it is.

Thesis Statement:

There are many reasons why a person may choose to live near, and in turn to frequent Claddagh Pub, but the bar also plays an important role in the culture of the community and the lifestyle of the people in the Canton area.