PINE BLUFF -- Not long after two downtown Pine Bluff buildings collapsed onto a Main Street sidewalk earlier this year, Amethyst Schmued sprang to the scene to survey the damage.
She didn't have cleanup equipment or ideas about how to clear the mess. Instead, armed with a camera and visions about how to frame the perfect image, she began documenting the decay that downtown Pine Bluff has suffered from for decades.
Schmued, 24, decided to find historical photos and meld them with current images, showing the past and present in one print. Her brother, Calvert Schmued, 20, a student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, handled the postproduction work, calling it a "labor of love."
After three months of detailed work, about a dozen images are now on display as part of an exhibit at the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Historical Museum.
Amethyst Schmued said she hopes the project will shed light on her hometown's history and spark new hope for its future.
"I just want people to know that there is more to Pine Bluff than a decaying downtown," she said. "This project is very important to me, and I hope that people will look at it and realize what a rich history lives here. It's one that needs to be saved."
Amethyst Schmued and her brother, who both live in Little Rock but often visit their parents in Jefferson County, said they are planning to approach business and political leaders about their project to help preserve downtown's historic buildings.
With the two recent building collapses downtown and another partial collapse last summer, many in the city say morale is at an all-time low.
The city is working with the buildings' owners to try to clear the debris, which still sits in large mounds where the collapses occurred.
Pine Bluff Mayor Debe Hollingsworth has said years of neglect by building owners has been the primary cause of the collapses. A lack of maintenance, especially roof maintenance, can lead to structural failure over time, city engineers said.
Janie Stewart of Pine Bluff said she heard about the Schmued photo exhibit through a friend and is "spreading the word." Stewart said she tears up every time she drives past decaying downtown buildings.
"It's just so heartbreaking because I can remember how things used to be," Stewart said. "And my heart swells with pride thinking that two young people from this community want to do something positive. I think these photos are great. They are absolutely wonderful."
Museum volunteer Ruby Poteet, who has assumed the role of a director while a new one is being sought, said the photos are a perfect fit for the sprawling collection of historical artifacts housed in the historic train depot downtown.
"I just think they are wonderful, and it really does show you a good glimpse of our past and our present," Poteet said. "I would like to see them on permanent display here."
Amethyst Schmued said she and her brother are planning a website dedicated to their project and possibly an expanded version of the exhibit.
She said she is happy to do anything she can to help improve Pine Bluff's image. For now, she's working on that one photo at a time.
"Photos are so powerful," Schmued said, pointing to a print of the historic Hood building, which is across from the Jefferson County Courthouse. The print blends a 2015 view with one taken more than 100 years ago.
"Looking at this old picture ... the building looks virtually the same as it does today. It's so important to show that history because it's a part of who we are. We can't forget that, and people need to know so they can help preserve it. That's why I wanted to do this project."
State Desk on 05/25/2015