Astrolabe
- The Name Behind a Name December 29, 2022 The Frith family of Palm Grove, Grand Turk. Story and Illustrations By Jeff Dodge Today, the name Palm Grove designates a neighborhood on Grand Turk that’s just south of Cockburn Town. How many residents of this neighborhood know where the name Palm Grove originated or the history behind the name? Palm Grove was the name that the Benjamin ... Read more about this post
- A Short Life October 1, 2022 Captain Edward Lightbourn Story & Images Courtesy Antoinette Lightbourn Butz Captain Edward Lightbourn was my great-great-great uncle. I researched this article through many documents found on Bermuda and the Turks & Caicos Islands, particularly from a letterbook in my possession and a set purchased by the Bermuda Archives in 2018. Background Edward Lightbourn was born in the Heron Bay ... Read more about this post
- Investigating the Clues October 1, 2022 The origins of Junkanoo — Part 2 By Christopher Davis, Alex Kwofie, Angelique McKay and Michael P. Pateman In the Summer 2022 issue of the Astrolabe, the authors detailed various legends of the origins of Junkanoo from European influences and mimicry to the Ahanta General, Jan Kwaw from Pokesu (today’s Princess Town) in Southwestern Ghana. However, the ... Read more about this post
- Shaking It Out June 24, 2022 The history of salt production in the Turks & Caicos Islands (Part II). Story & Postcard Images Courtesy Jeff Dodge Salt was the most important industry on the Turks & Caicos Islands for almost 300 years. Salt was of critical importance, not only for culinary purposes, but to preserve meat and fish. Since salt production involved so ... Read more about this post
- Clothed in Mystery June 24, 2022 The origins of Junkanoo – Part 1 By Christopher Davis, Alex Kwofie, Angelique McKay, and Michael P. Pateman Junkanoo is the premier national cultural celebration in The Bahamas. It is primarily celebrated on Christmas/Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, with smaller celebrations on Labour Day, Independence Day, and Emancipation Day. Junkanoo is also used for the opening ... Read more about this post
- Raking Up the Past March 26, 2022 Salt production on the Turks & Caicos Islands (Part 1) Story & Postcard Images Courtesy Jeff Dodge Salt was the most important industry on the Turks & Caicos Islands for almost 300 years. Salt was of critical importance, not only for culinary purposes, but to preserve meat and fish. Since salt production involved so many people and ... Read more about this post
- Kings of Bonefishing March 26, 2022 Remembering the Jennings brothers. Story & Photos Courtesy Dr. Carlton Mills In the early 1960s, the only fishing plant in the Turks & Caicos was in South Caicos. This attracted fishermen from throughout the Islands who came over to improve their livelihood. Many of them stayed on the fishing bank for several days diving or hooking conch ... Read more about this post
- Island Visionary January 4, 2022 The late “Fritz” Ludington helped initiate development on Providenciales. By Dr. Carlton Mills ~ Images Courtesy Turks & Caicos National Museum Over the last fifty years, what was once known only as Blue Hills (now Providenciales), has witnessed a remarkable transformation. One of the key players in this process was the late Frederick Ludington (affectionately known as ... Read more about this post
- Small Island, Big History September 14, 2021 Grand Turk is an island of historical importance. By Dr. Carlton Mills It has been commonly taught that Christopher Columbus’ first landfall in the “New World” was San Salvador in the Bahamas. In recent years, this theory has been challenged by two Turks & Caicos Islands historians, the late H.E. Sadler and Josiah Marvel. These historians promoted ... Read more about this post
- What’s Hiding in Your Closet? June 24, 2021 Donations are the lifeblood of the Turks & Caicos National Museum. Story & Photo Collages By Lisa Turnbow-Talbot Everyone knows that non-profit organizations rely on monetary donations, but for the Turks & Caicos National Museum that is not the only donation that matters. Gifts-in-kind of photographs, videotapes, books, pamphlets, manuscripts, maps, historical objects, business records, organization records, ... Read more about this post
- If Maps Could Talk . . . June 24, 2021 Visualizing the Grand Turk of yesteryear. Story and Images Courtesy Marjorie Sadler In the final pages of H.E. Sadler’s book, Turks Islands Landfall, the author (my father) gives some history of North Creek in Grand Turk which President Forth (served 1848–1854) believed was a huge asset to the island simply awaiting development. Forth was the Turks & ... Read more about this post
- Selective Packing March 24, 2021 The nitty-gritty of filming the East Caicos Expedition documentary. By Matthew Matlack ~ Photos by Matthew Matlack and John Galleymore Filming the East Caicos Expedition documentary was a thrilling endeavor. I had not been camping in years, I had just one experience under my belt filming in caves (which had a gift shop with snacks at the ... Read more about this post
- People of the Islands March 24, 2021 Telling “A Caicos Sloop Story.” Story and Photos By Michael P. Pateman, Ph.D. and Vanessa A. Forbes-Pateman In the Summer 2019 Astrolabe, we introduced “People of the Islands.” This project seeks to tell the story of “Islanders” through a first-person narrative. The various interview topics include boat building, food/cooking, bush medicine, island migration, cultural traditions, music, dance, ... Read more about this post
- TCI in World War II January 3, 2021 The Fauna, Part II 1942 By Captain Eric Wiberg In the Summer 2020 issue of the Astrolabe, the author detailed the first part of the tale of the Fauna, a 1,272-ton Dutch steamship. The Fauna left New York on May 6, 1942 destined for Grand Turk with a crew of 29 men and a load of cargo, ... Read more about this post
- Modern Crusoes January 3, 2021 The rest of the story. By Jeffrey Dodge In 2017, the Astrolabe published a story I wrote about 19 Californians who went to East Caicos in 1940 with the intention of establishing a utopian colony there. (See: https://www.timespub.tc/2018/01/modern-crusoes/). Since that article was published, I have been contacted by descendants of the group’s leader, Richard Irvine. They’ve shared ... Read more about this post
What's Inside The Latest Edition?
On the Cover
Gary James at Provo Picture (www.provopictures.com) made several visits to the award-winning Provo Golf course to shoot this intriguing overhead cover shot.
Our Sponsors
