PRX default Piece image
Step out onto the Barter's Island Bridge as Duane and Dwight Lewis run around in circles opening the bridge for passing boats.
Read the full description.
The Barter?s Island Bridge is the last hand-operated swing bridge in the state of Maine. Twin brothers Duane and Dwight Lewis are two of its operators. The twins are maintaining not just a bridge, but also the memories of a community. Amanda Davis, producer.
To hear the full audio, sign up for a free PRX account or log in.
More from Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Moving Beyond
(07:17)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
"I am a Christian, I am a mom, a wife, a homemaker, a leader, a knitter, a quilter… I’m lots of things. Accepting the label felon was really hard."
Missing Kim
(07:27)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Dick Moreau has hung over 50,000 posters of his daughter around the area of Jay, Maine. This is the story of one family's 26-year quest for answers.
Strategy Not Strength
(05:16)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
You never know who will pin you at an arm wrestling, or pulling, tournament.
The Last Word
(06:49)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Members of the Passamaquoddy tribe are working to prevent the imminent disappearance of their people's ancient language.
356 Years Later
(05:36)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Earlier this year, Kateri Tekakwitha became the first Native American saint. The 356-year-old saint helps American Indians cope with the Catholic Church’s troubling past.
From This Point On
(07:12)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Joanna Foster was worried when her first deaf child was born. When her second baby was born deaf and autistic, she was devastated. Joanna started learning how to sign and ...
Silent Seekers
(06:41)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Most people know Sufism as the religion practiced by the whirling dervishes. But this mystical form of Islam has taken root in America, too.
Moving Closer
(06:24)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Whitley Newman, also known as Nabintu, isn’t who you’d expect to be teaching a Rwandan dance class. She’s a small, blonde woman from the Midwest.
15 Minutes of Shame
(07:35)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
A small town's shocking scandal becomes national news, but no one is really sure why.
Bruised
(06:32)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Brain injuries have been in the news a lot lately - with soldiers and sports heroes suffering from acquired brain injuries, science and the public have started to take ...
Related Pieces
Piece Description
The Barter?s Island Bridge is the last hand-operated swing bridge in the state of Maine. Twin brothers Duane and Dwight Lewis are two of its operators. The twins are maintaining not just a bridge, but also the memories of a community. Amanda Davis, producer.
Related Website
Advertisement
Of 1 purchasers of this piece...
- 1 also bought:
Dead Animal Man (07:49) - 1 also bought:
Life Stories - Memory (59:02) - 1 also bought:
A Trip to the Dentist (15:29) - 1 also bought:
- 1 also bought:Roadway Renaissance Man (06:11)
John Hingsbergen
Posted on January 27, 2007 at 03:40 PM | Permalink
Review of Tending the Barter's Island Bridge
This is a sound-rich piece documenting the duties of twin brothers who operate this unique bridge in Maine. The piece is a good example of first-person narrative by the story's subjects. At no time do we hear the voice of producer Amanda Davis. Aside from being a clever way of producing the piece, I get the feeling Davis is demonstrating her respect for the subject matter. Talk about letting people tell their own story!
It's kind of quirky and fun. I hope that was the intention of the producer, althrough the brothers seem to be quite serious about the importance of the job they do and the need for the bridge to continue operating in its current and historic manner.
I'm having a hard time imaging why anyone would air this beyond the region in the Northeast where it was produced. It might be a good companion piece if your station is near a similar bridge operation and you've produced a more local segment. Another idea, why not use it on Labor Day in the context of a discussion of not-so-common or nearly-extinct jobs?