The heart of the 'Isola' is its people
In 1994, I spent my summer holidays on the 'Isola dei Pescatori' (on Lake Maggiore, near Stresa in Italy). This little book contains the essence of my impressions of these three weeks of island life in a few words and lots of pictures.
The 'Isola dei Pescatori' has many different faces.
Size and shape: Viewed from the 'Isola Bella', the 'Isola dei Pescatori' is just a tiny group of houses huddled round a church bell tower. The 'Isola dei Pescatori' looks like the smallest of the three 'Isole Borromee' But from the lake shore at Stresa or Baveno from the Isola Madre or from the top of the 'Mottarone', the 'Isola Superiore dei Pescatori' to give it its proper name - appears as a narrow, longish island which seems to be the largest of the three.
Character: Day and night give the 'Isola dei Pescatori' its own special character: during the day, scheduled boat services or private motorboat taxis ferry people from all over the world to the island. The narrow streets and beaches are full of tourists, friendly and otherwise. Island life and the 'Isolani' take their lead from these floods of tourists. But at night, it's toads and cats, the rare tourists who stay the night on the island and the 'Isolani' themselves who stroll through the streets, letting the silence and romance of island life wash over them. Between 2 and 3 am there is a brief burst of activity at the jetty as the professional fishermen leave the island to haul in their nets and the 'fruits of their labour'. Their return early in the morning coincides with the first wave of day-trippers.
People: The genuine 'Isolani' are those who were born on the island and live there all year round. They are proud of their roots and never tire of emphasising them in conversation with 'outsiders'. Then there are the familiar faces, 'incomers' and holidaymakers with a house on the island. The island is also a kind of 'factory' The first boats of the day bring people who live on the mainland but work in tourism on the island, and in the evening these people sail back home again with the last boats.
Footwear: As I wandered through the streets and lanes of the 'Isola I was also struck by the islanders' shoes.
There's an old saying that shoes show where we've come from; they also provide information about the age, size, sex and style of their wearers. On the island, everything is that bit different. An 'individual' pair of shoes is unlikely to withstand the rigours of island life. Pebbles, sand or rocks call for 'special', sturdy footwear.
Faces: This book features faces: the faces of people born on the island who live and work there, the faces of people who merely work on the island and the faces of people who just visit it. These faces were chosen at random, at the photographer's whim. Seen in that light, the book doesn't claim to be complete for example in having all 55 genuine 'Isolani' in it.
I should like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the 'Isolani' for their understanding, in every sense of the term, which made it possible for me to bring this project to fruition. While the initial reaction was cool, by the end of my stay I could feel an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. And I came to accept the decision of all those 'Isolani' who did not want to be photographed. I am grateful to those who helped me to get through to certain 'Isolani'
Before, after, and even during, my stay on the island, I was often asked: "Whatever prompted you to spend your holidays on such a tiny island, when you had so many other possibilities?"
I think the pictures speak for themselves...
Wolfgang A. Brülhart