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Collected Item: “Boarded up Bars in the Byward Market: Chateau Lafayette ("The Laff")”

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Boarded up Bars in the Byward Market: Chateau Lafayette ("The Laff")

What sort of object is this: text story, photograph, video, audio interview, screenshot, drawing, meme, etc.?

photograph, mural

Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you.

Many establishments in the popular shopping, dining, and bar area of the Byward Market have boarded up their front windows with plywood to reduce the chance of robbery while they remain closed due to the pandemic and resulting restrictions of gatherings.
While some remain plain, or are painted black, other establishments chose to hire muralists to liven up the natural wood with images related to vibe of each bar.
The boards on the windows of the Chateau Lafayette, often called simply "the Laff" by locals, read "It's going to be OK./ We'll be back." A sentiment which at the beginning of the pandemic, in late March, was comforting but now seems overly optimist and distant.

Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your story. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?

art, economy

Who originally created this object? (If you created this object, such as photo, then put "self" here.)

photograph: Hope Gresser, mural: Marc Adornato

Give this story a date.

2020-05-27
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