Astrolabe

Digitizing TCI’s archival heritage collections. By Dr. Kelley Scudder-Temple, Dr. Michael P. Pateman and Vanessa Forbes-Pateman Although occupied for more than 300 years, the Turks & Caicos Islands have been historically governed from afar. This absence of direct governance has resulted in limited archival conservation measures, leaving tens of thousands of rare documents in peril. While the Turks ...

The Loyalists’ impact on the Turks & Caicos Islands. By Dr. Charlene Kozy Casualties of war usually are counted as members of the military. In the War for American Independence, the casualty count included civilians that did not agree with the Revolution. The Revolution was a minority movement. One-third of the population at the time were neutral, more ...

Herbert “Bertie” Sadler made TCI history his life’s work. By Marjorie Sadler ~ Images Courtesy Marjorie Sadler Herbert “Bertie” Sadler, the Turks & Caicos Islands’ own “History Man,” died in 1992 at his home on Grand Turk. He had spent most of his adult life in the Turks Islands and wouldn’t dream of living anywhere else. He ...

Recollections of growing up on South Caicos. By Emily Malcolm ~ Photos Courtesy Sailrock South Caicos Archival Collection As I took a stroll through my community of South Caicos, I reminisced on my childhood and teenage years. I saw buildings or parts thereof that reminded me of some of the most exciting and joyous experiences in ...

The legacy of Emily Kersteiner. By Emily Malcolm ~ Photos Courtesy Heidi Hertler The Turks & Caicos Islands are literally “Beautiful by Nature” with crystalline waters, white sandy beaches and stunning shoreside terrain. An archipelago of astonishing and well-preserved ecosystems, it is also home to well-preserved historical buildings of Bermudian-styled architecture found on the Salt Islands of ...

“Streamlined Pioneers” seek utopia on East Caicos. By Jeffrey Dodge Newspapers all over America called them “Utopians,” “Streamlined Pioneers,” “Modern Crusoes,” “New Life Seekers” and “Colonists.” These were just a few of the monikers given to a group of 19 Californians seeking “to get away from civilization as it now operates for the lesser-privileged.” Group leader Richard ...

How I became an Islander. By Dr. Charlene Kozy Editor’s note: Dr. Charlene Kozy has been contributing articles to Times of the Islands for nearly a decade. They range from a survey of the various flags and emblems used by the country, to detailed histories of the life and times of the Caicos Islands’ Loyalist plantation ...

Harriott sisters participated in the 1900s “craze.” By Jeffrey Dodge Old picture postcards from the dawn of the postcard-collecting “craze” are often under-appreciated but valuable historical documents. Those that bear personal messages in addition to period photos are doubly important. The following story by deltiologist (one who collects and studies postcards) Jeffrey Dodge is a case in point. ...

There is nothing like a library for making memories. By Pat Saxton, Director, Turks & Caicos National Museum My earliest memory of the neighborhood library was from grade school. Founded in 1875, Bayne Park Library was one of the oldest, scariest buildings in the borough of Belleview, Pennsylvania. Getting a library card was a rite of passage ...

This beloved “Grandfather” is restored to new life. Story & Photos By Séamus Day, Chairman, Turks & Caicos National Museum Director Patricia Saxton asked me whether I would be able to build a new wooden long case for the Robert Crawford “Grandfather Clock” mechanism generously donated to the Museum by Mr. Hugh Hutchings (featured in the Spring ...

A “Grandfather” of Provo remembers the island’s first vehicle. By Candianne Williams ~ Historical photos courtesy Bengt Soderqvist Today, there are approximately 25,000 vehicles zipping along the network of roads and highways on the island of Providenciales, including personal, rented, corporate and utility vehicles. This stands in stark contrast to November 22, 1966 when there was only ...

The ill-fated Coquette Expedition. By John de Bry, Center for Historical Archaeology They say histories are usually about wars and always written by the victorious. It is refreshing to be able to look at a well-known conflict through the eyes of a participant on the losing side. Following a (very) minor engagement on Grand Turk in 1783, ...

Remembering Sherlin Williams Story & Photos By Dr. Donald H. Keith The first time I met Sherlin Williams was in the Museum Science Building’s workshop. He was just putting the finishing touches on the 150 year-old clockwork mechanism that made the light turn in Grand Turk’s lighthouse. I was amazed because it was an intricate piece of ...

A look at the National Museum’s epic voyage through history. By Dr. Donald H. Keith, President, Turks & Caicos National Museum Foundation It’s hard to say exactly when and where some journeys begin. More often than not we wake up one day and it dawns on us that we’re going somewhere. Maybe it isn’t even clear where, ...

Saving the Ghost Fleet of the Caicos Islands. By Dr. Donald H. Keith, President, Turks & Caicos National Museum Foundation Unbeknownst to most residents of these islands, a fleet of ancient ships has sailed the Caicos for more than 200 years. A ghost fleet of sorts, almost invisible. Hundreds of people have looked right at them—and seen ...