Manuel Sobrinho Simões, Manel and the False Araucaria

Pathologist Manuel Sobrinho Simões recalls the first photograph of himself carrying his son Manel on his shoulders.

Manuel Sobrinho Simões and the first photograph with Manel

“It was the first time I was photographed with Manel on my shoulders, following a lengthy framing exercise by my father-in-law. I was about 27 at the time, while our first child was just over a year old. The setting was the garden of our house in Vila Praia de Âncora, and the real subjects of the picture are the boy’s frightened expression and the little tree behind us.

I would draw your attention to the plant, which was the crucial feature of the composition. Father Areias had bought it after being told that it was a species of araucaria, and that choice was not accidental. In front of us stood the majestic araucaria at Dr Morais Cabral’s house, planted in 1886 and designated as being of public interest in 1995. Without any thought of comparison - which would in any case have been impossible - we always felt we were helping another species of araucaria to grow, one that would match Dr João Adelino [Morais Cabral]’s ‘crown jewel’ and symbolically strengthen the friendship between the two tribes across generations.”

The araucaria tree and a family tradition

“At first, everything went well. When our first granddaughter was born, around 30 years later, we recreated the pose, with Mariana on my shoulders and the araucaria now fully grown. Sadly, around that time the tree became infested. We called on Mr Rocha, a specialist from Serralves Park, and his verdict was unequivocal: the tree had an incurable disease and there was no remedy.

I have always been very fond of plants generally, and trees in particular, while Manel had become an expert in trees and forests. For that reason, we were wholly unprepared for Mr Rocha’s further revelation: the tree was not an araucaria (sic). Our world collapsed. We have continued to care for the tree as well as we can, and about three years ago we even managed to photograph me with Manuelzinho, the youngest grandson, on my shoulders. I was 75 then, and the contest is now between me and the false araucaria in terms of survival.”

Manuel Sobrinho Simões
Doctor, professor, researcher
78 years old