By Jackie Garbarino
Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager

Nalthia, Melanie & Tiffany our very own Beautiful Geeks!

So I thought the evening was lost when the DVD refused to play. Luckily we started to hook up the system at 6 for a 7:30 showing. Tiffany started the effort soon to be joined by Nalthia and then Melanie. I was a bundle of nerves but Nalthia maintained calm and a positive attitude.

Movie, drinks and snacks.  All on Grand Turk…does it get any better than this!  Yes, because it supports our National Museum. .

At 7:15 victory was won, the room filled up with wonderful movie lovers, the bar was hopping and all was well on the Isle of Grand Turk. Thanks as always for supporting the museum!

Number One Bartender Captain Mitchell with Number One Savory Snack Maker Miss Stephanie and Number One Fee Collector Mister Neil.

By Jackie Garbarino
Museum Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager

This bench is so beautiful, we may have to put it in an exhibit case

Thank you, Seamus for this beautiful bench.  You are receiving praise from one and all.  And well deserved praise. They say we have many careers in our lives and I think you have found your best so far. I checked out the signature…very nice touch.  So in addition to looking wonderful it is keeping people alert to the change in the floor height and giving the folks somewhere to rest and contemplate history.

by Jessica Brody

This Friday’s event with Betsy Carlson, author of Talking Taino, was a great success. Betsy signed copies of her book and she and her team of archeologists revealed the artifacts uncovered at this week’s dig on GT-4, the 4th Lucayan site discovered off Cork Tree Beach, Grand Turk. We learned how the island people used small conch shells to break the foot off of larger conch shells releasing the meat. Talk about using what nature gave you!

Also on the site were bits of 1800 and 1900 pottery which may be evidence of Cork Tree Plantation. Rory told stories about how much easier it was to distinguish the familar china patterns from the tiny Lucayan beads. People were astounded by how very careful you had to be not to mistake the pre-historic artifacts with rocks!

The night wrapped up with some acoustic music accompaniment from Allesio. Thanks to all who attended and helped make the night a success!

So today was the first cruise ship tour to the Botanical Garden. The Museum was asked to be the tour guides for these first few tours, which was fantastic because Malcolm was interested in learning the tour. Also because I love giving this tour, I love the garden–wish I could do this for a living instead of crunching numbers.

It was all going great, and then the heavy rain came. Great for the garden, bad for the tours. So to add insult to injury, no museum tours, and no botanical garden tours could be conducted in the afternoon. Oh well, we did have fun in spite of the weather and no electricity!

By Rory McEathron

We (the Museum Director, two American professionals, and I) continued with the excavation of archaeological site GT-4 today. The project, which I code-named Operation Queen Conch, is starting to move along more rapidly. Over 30 holes have been dug and innumerable conch fragments and bone pieces discovered. Neal and I worked together again today, which I really enjoyed. As we worked, our topics of conversation changed again and again — from TV shows to baseball (my favorite sport) to snorkeling — and I think that we both learned a lot about each other today.

At the same time, the dig became much more exciting as we began finding Lucayan artifacts. The artifacts—which range from shell beads to fish vertebrae—date to around 800 A.D. and are usually buried around 40 centimeters deep. We started using a finer screen to catch more artifacts and it quickly paid off, as we found several bead fragments and a few complete beads. It was the beginning of what would turn out to be a day of many holes and even more artifacts. I’m learning a lot and am definitely enjoying this experience!

By Pat Saxton
Museum Administrator

On Sunday February 13^th some very lucky early birds got a chance to “walk with the pros” on a trial run of the bird trail. Dr. Mike Pienkowski, the leading ornithologist for the UK Overseas Territories and his lovely wife Ann, led a small group of “birders” at 6:30AM from the Osprey Beach Hotel around the Salinas.

Novice bird watcher learn the techniques.

The light at that time of the morning was truly spectacular to see and photograph some of Grand Turks wonderful birds. Dr. Mike pointed out Ruddy Turnstones (so called because they turn over stones to look for food), and different types of Plovers. Of course the flamingos were all out strutting their stuff for us to see! Ducks, and Herons and Gulls oh my!

Not only was this an informative morning, it was really a fun time.I learned so very much about this very fragile ecosystem we call “salinas”. It seems in “developed” countries, they are trying to duplicate what we have naturally right here in Grand Turk. Wet lands.

Eyeing up the Snowy Plover

Unfortunately, all of us on the walk could see the damage being done to the Salinas because of dumping. Some Salinas had an incredible amount of birds feeding, while others were abandoned. Mike explained that due to filling in the Salinas, the silt gets too thick for the birds to hunt for food, so they leave. Luckily some of the Salinas have been protected.

After the tour, we came back to the Science Building for a question and answer session with Mike and Ann. I know I learned a lot, and although I continue to refer the Yellow Crowned Night Heron as Big Bird, I think Mike forgives me!

By Jackie Garbarino
Museum Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager

The work to free the donkey cart started in November and ended in the New Year. It took weeks of work to remove the overgrowth of mother- in-law tongues along the front and side of the museum building. Each plant has a deep thick root resembling a large carrot and it must all be removed to prevent these mothers from sprouting again.

The donkey cart waits patiently

As you can see in the picture at left, they had grown to the edge of the narrow walkway so there was no way the cart could pass.

We hope we have defeated these mothers but time will tell.  Joseph remains vigilant.

Joseph is also cultivating a small kitchen garden. The neighbor behind the museum has donated a papaya seedling and gave us each a papaya from the mother plant. It was the sweetest treat and we both hope our plant bears similar delicious treats.

Cleaned up and ready to go.

By Jackie Garbarino
Museum Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager

Queen Victoria waiting to be restored.

When I began working at the Museum the condition of the Queens’ portraits distressed me. It was sad to see these elegant ladies in such an inelegant state: the frames had worm damage, the matting was water-marked, and the portraits were deteriorating as they were not under glass. Finbar Dempsey remembers these portraits hanging in an administrator’s office and thinks they may have been damaged by one of the many hurricanes we have had over the 47 years he has lived on Grand Turk. Time to do some fixing up, I thought.

I contacted Ian Worth at Greensleeves Frame Shop in Provo for advice and an estimate for putting things right. After sending him a photo and measurements, he gave me a price for restoring the three Queens currently hanging in the museum: Victoria, Mary and the Queen Mum. All are coronation portraits. Then Melanie Clifton-Harvey, our visiting archivist, found Elizabeth hiding in the archival room of the science building. We were very happy to have the current queen to add to the group, and her portrait was in much better condition being the youngest and protected from the elements.

That's me trying to squeeze into the car with Queen Victoria

So now Pat Saxton and I set about finding sponsors to pay the piper. I spoke with my husband and we decided to sponsor Queen Victoria and dedicate it to his father, the great Italian actor Massimo Girotti. We thought he would be pleased to be remembered in this way on an island in the Caribbean. When I told Catherine and Mitchell of our plans, they immediately took the plunge and chose to sponsor Elizabeth, followed by Pat and Neil Saxton who came up with the funding for their favorite Queen!

The next hurdle was getting the portraits to Provo; Mitchell to the rescue again. He volunteered to fly the ladies first class in his plane if I went along for the final land delivery to Greensleeves. It was a tight squeeze as the portraits measure 42 x 30 inches.

Mitchell volunteered to fly the Queens to Providenciales for restoration. They got first class treatment.

When I delivered two of the portraits to Ian at Greensleeves, I could see by the way his eyes lit up with the challenge that the Queens would be well cared for and lovingly restored. We should have the two ladies back sometime in February via the Mitchell Express. Hopefully we will soon have sponsorship for the last remaining Queen, and can then take Queen Mary and Queen Mum to have them restored together. Anyone interested? Contact me: Jackie Garbarino at (649) 247-2160 or email garbarino.jackie@gmail.com.

Your support of our wonderful museum is always very much appreciated.

Our new intern Rory arrived this week. Rory has deferred admission from Davidson College for a year and lives in Vermont with his parents and four younger siblings. He has been shadowing our tour guides for the last few days, as well as learning about the famed Molasses Reef Wreck. Today he successfully led the last two tours off the Carnival Glory. He proceeded to jokingly declare himself “The #1 Tour Guide on the island,” to heated debate from the museum’s other guides. Rory will be with the Museum for the next two months. If you happen to be by, please request his #1 tour!

By Pat Saxton
Museum Administrator

The Hutt family carefully cataloged grave sites at St Thomas Church on Grand Turk.

The Turks & Caicos National Museum has been very fortunate to have a lot of wonderful volunteers doing some very interesting jobs! Among the most interesting is cataloging the grave sites at St. Thomas’ church in Grand Turk. Many of the grave markers have been weathered beyond recognition, so the Hutt Family has been recording the headstones which are still readable, so that there will be a record for the future.

Duncan, Sally and their son Fraser have spent many long hours in the sun so that this bit of history will be saved. They came up with a schematic of the graveyard, and were able to record most of the site, using death records to help identify the graves. These records are now housed within the Museum and should one day find a home in a National Archival Building. The Hutts were in Turks & Caicos doing volunteer work on Middle Caicos for the National Trust, and for their Christmas break, decided to come to Grand Turk to volunteer for the Museum.