By Jackie Garbarino
Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager

Our outgoing Chief Justice Gordon Ward and his wife Meg have donated a Royal Albert Bone China Tea Set to the Turks & Caicos National Museum.  This exquisite set belonged to his mother Ellinor Ward.

The Chief Justice said the set must be at least 80 years old as he remembers his mother using it from when he was very young.

Of course we will not divulge the age of the Chief Justice just to satisfy our curiosity!  Suffice to say, he was born in Kut Ching in Borneo (now Malaysia) and was the third generation of his English family to be born there, so he came of age in the Colonial Era.

The tea set for 4 is in perfect condition.  We are hoping to display it in the planned exhibit of a colonial administrator’s office.  On behalf of the Museum, I thank the Wonderful Wards for leaving this family heirloom in our care.  The memory of Ellinor Ward, her son and daughter-in-law will live on in Grand Turk.

By Jackie Garbarino
Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager

In an effort to promote the sister islands, Air T&C is offering an excursion fare from Providenciales to our nation’s capital. As part of the “Grand Turk Discovery Day Tour,”  the lucky passengers receive round trip air travel, a taxi tour of Grand Turk, a leisurely visit to the National Museum and lunch at a local restaurant.

Recently the staff responsible for selling this fabulous tour was given the chance to experience it first hand.  I arranged to meet the group at the museum before opening hours so they would have a chance to truly savor the museum without distractions.  What a charming and enthusiastic staff they are.  I am sure they will convince many tourists and residents of Provo to visit Grand Turk and most importantly the museum.  An institution that has preserved and promoted the history, culture and heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands for twenty years.

We are so privileged to be able to offer our visitors a journey from the Ice Age to the Space Age with an extraordinary stop in the Age of Discovery.  We never disappoint and we almost always amaze!  So thank you all at Air Turks & Caicos for including our wonderful old house on your excursion to Grand Turk. We look forward to offering your passengers a memorable experience.

Air Turks & Caicos staff from left to right:  Andre Kerr, photographer; Maria Garth, Director of Customer Services; Guerline Jeune, Lead Reservation Agent; Dina Awad & Alexandra Missick, Reservation Agents.

For more information contact Reservations at Air T&C or call 649-946-4999.

By Pat Saxton
Museum Administrator

Bird week was a great success for the Turks and Caicos National Museum and their partner, the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (UKOTCF). After almost nine years in the planning stages, these Trails have become a reality due to a grant from the Carnival/TCInvest/TCIGovernment Infrastructure Fund.

This little Grey Kingbird was ready for the tour!

There is now a “Walking Bird” and a “Driving Bird” tour on Grand Turk with clearly marked trail signs, placed on downed telephone poles which were donated and installed by Turks and Caicos Utilities.

This week long event, commencing on July 11, had an “early bird” walk with students and teachers from HJ Robinson High School and Dr. Mike Pienkowski and Ann Pienkowski showed the students the wonderful birds found along the Salina’s.  After the bird walk the students went to through the Botanical Garden, next to the Museum. The DECR loaned five pairs of binoculars for this event.

The Bird Drive Tour on Thursday evening, July 14, was a sold-out event. Twenty-two adults and two children rode on a bus donated by Caribbean Tours International, who also supplied 22 pairs of binoculars. What an event, even the birds cooperated! With Dr. Mike Pienkowski leading the group, even the novice birder was fascinated by the amount of different birds seen so very close.

Dr Mike Pienkowskit leads the first Bird Bus Tour

Flamingo’s took off from Town Salina just as the bus was approaching, giving the group a firsthand look at these beautiful birds in flight. An Osprey sat on the remnants of a windmill, posing for the group to take photos. We saw Black Necked Stilt five day old chicks wading in the Great Salina while their Mother watched carefully. There were ducks aplenty at South Wells, and Egrets, Pelicans and Herons at North Creek. One very brave Cattle Egret even walked in front of the bus over 100 yards as if to say “follow me for the best birding ever”.

Flamingos on the student bird walk

After this wonderful Bird Tour the group went to Jack’s Shack to have a tasty meal. Jack donated some of the proceeds of the evening back to the Museum.

Friday morning, July 15, we had the Official Opening of the Bird Trails. Ms. Lillian Swann Misick cut the ribbon with many guests watching. The guests then proceeded into the Osprey Beach Hotel where Dr. Mike had a short presentation about the importance of these Bird Trails. All participants received a lovely Osprey Commemorative Lapel Pin.

Ms. Lillian Swann Misick Officially Opening the Trails

The Turks and Caicos National Museum would like to thank the following supporters that made these events so successful.

Carnival/TCInvest/TCIGovernment Infrastructure Fund
Caribbean Tours International
DECR
Jack’s Shack
Misick’s Bakery
Osprey Beach Hotel
Turks and Caicos Utilities
UKOTCF

For more information about the tours and to purchase copies of the guides,  Contact us at the Museum.

Bird Trail Card for the Driving Tour

By Jackie Garbarino
Museum Shop and Volunteer Manager

Museum with its red roof, October 2010

In an effort to cut fuel costs and decrease our carbon “Big Foot” print, we have painted the Museum’s roof white. There are some environmentalists who think that we could greatly reduce the earth’s temperature and reduce carbon emissions if we all had white roofs.  Something to think about.

We will let you know if this effort decreases the power bills for air conditioning our exhibits and artifacts and, of course, we humans as a side benefit. We are also hoping this white elastomeric coating will eliminate the mysterious leak that has plagued the “buzzer” room for years, if not centuries. We need a good rain to assess that, so start your rain dancing now!

Museum with its new environmentally friendly roof, July 2011.

By Pat Saxton
Museum Administrator

The last two weeks have been crazy busy and exciting. For a small Museum, we sure do have a lot going on!!

First we had to say goodbye to Nikki Miller Jennings our “tour guide extraordinaire” and Children’s Club Manager.   Nikki is going to Munich, Germany for awhile.  We are all hoping that Grand Turk will call her back at some point and she will once again become part of our team at the Turks and Caicos National Museum. 

Here is a photo of our effervescent Nikki!

On Thursday June 9, the Museum hosted a party for Georgia Dunn Belk and Bill Belk and a few friends to tour the Museum and Botanical Garden. Also in attendance was, HE Governor and Mrs. Wetherell who were the first to see some of our new acquisitions from Mr. Hugh Hutchings.  Mr. Hutchings has generously donated a ceremonial sword that was used by his Grandfather, Hugh Houston Hutchings in the late 1800’s along with some medals.

Also gifted were other medals from his father, Mr. Charles Hutchings. Look for an article in the Fall Issue of Times of the Islands to read more about this important collection.

Pictured are HE Governor and Mrs. Wetherell looking at some of the new acquisitions.

Some of the other guests learning about the New Botanical and Cultural Garden

On Saturday June 10 the Turks and Caicos National Museum hosted the students from the Spirit of Bermuda, see the June 12 blog.

Then on Sunday June 11 we hosted a film crew in to do a commercial for the One Caribbean Weather Channel with none other than Joey Stevens complete with Bob the parrot. See link

http://onecaribbeanweather.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/thank-you-turks-caicos/

And if that was not enough, TCU (Turks and Caicos Utilities) has generously donated both manpower and their auger to install the poles to hold the Bird Drive and Walk signs around Grand Turk. This is a monumental undertaking and the Turks and Caicos National Museum cannot thank TCU enough for this wonderful gift.

The Bird Trails will officially open the week of July 11, 2011. Turks and Caicos is proud to the first country in the Caribbean to have a sanctioned bird trail. Bird Trail cards will be on sale at the Museum for all you birders.  Having the Salt Ponds named as protected areas will ensure that our lovely birds will have a place to call home for years to come. Be sure and follow the blog to see all the news about “Bird Week” to be held July 11-15. Also thank you to the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum for partnering with the Museum to bring this important tour to the Turks and Caicos. The Carnival Corporation/TCInvest Government Infrastructure Fund awarded a grant earlier this year to the Museum and UKOTCF so that a Bird Walking and Driving Tour could be established.

And last but certainly not least, you will be seeing a change come over Guinep House.  AND Construction is currently painting our roof with a bonding agent to prevent leaks. Color will also change from red to white to help with energy costs.  If you have not been to the Museum lately, you are really missing out. Come in and browse our wonderful Guinep House Gift Shoppe that has many locally hand-made gifts. A variety of books and sea glass items along with handmade baskets are only a few of the items available. Our friendly staff will show you around the Museum and the gift shop!

By Pat Saxton
Museum Administrator

On Saturday morning  we had a visit from the Captain and crew of the Spirit of Bermuda, a sail training ship designed and built to provide students an authentic learning experience on board a replica  Bermudian-type schooner built between 1810 and 1840.

Spirit of Bermuda Captain and crew arrive at the Museum

Captain Simon Colley and his crew learned about the Molasses Reef Wreck, and how Bermuda and Turks and Caicos were very much intertwined in the early 18th century. Many of the residents of the Turks and Caicos are decedents of Bermudian families. Some of the teachers came upstairs to view the new Hutchings collection (see other blog) as the Hutchings name is a popular name in Bermuda.

On Saturday evening we were invited by Captain Colley to a reception at the Cruise Center, where plaques were exchanged between Governor Wetherell and the Captain. Students took anyone on the ship that wanted to tour the Spirit of Bermuda. A slab of Bermudian limestone was also presented to Salt Cay’s “White House”. We watched on Sunday as the Spirit of Bermuda, under full sail made its way to Salt Cay for a day, then onto Dominican Republic to help construct homes as part of the students learning experience.to learn about the islands history and the many differences between Bermuda and the TCI.

An impromptu portrait of a donkey and tales of life on a Caribbean island captured the attention of students at Newmarket Elementary School, Maryland on Friday, April 15, as they learned about the process of publishing. Our very own Donna Seim and illustrator Sue Spellman spent the day talking with students about their work, specifically two books they collaborated on: Where is Simon, Sandy? and Hurricane Mia — A Caribbean Adventure.

Donna Seim (left) and Sue Spellman (right) at Newmarket School

“We’ve done two books together (and) we’re working on a third,” Spellman said. “We were friendly first, we knew of each other and each other’s work. She’s just been great; it’s wonderful to work together.”

Students loved both books and asked many questions. “(Spellman) is really good at drawing,” said kindergarten student Lexi Catalone. “I really liked the book a lot, especially the donkey.”

Seim spoke to students first, explaining her inspiration for the book and showing photographs that she used to help her tell the story. Then Spellman talked to students about how a book is created.

“After she wrote her words for the story, it was my job to make the illustrations,” Spellman said. “I usually read the story first, using my imagination to make pictures in my head. … I would think about what I wanted on each page, how many pages I have to work with. Scribbling is the first part, then a rough sketch, then using color on good paper.”

Sue Spellman with a sketch of Sandy the donkey.

One student said he was surprised how much work goes into creating the artwork for a book. “I thought it was pretty cool that she starts with scribbles before she does her final art,” said second-grade student Owen Tower. “I love to draw too, especially chibi manga characters.”

“I liked how she did the dark drawings after the light ones,” said Emily Hoover, a second-grade student. “My favorite things to draw are chibis, bunnies and cats.”

For both, visiting with the students is an especially rewarding part of their jobs.  “It helps kids to understand more about the process,” Spellman said. “A book is a labor of love, it’s not instantaneous. It develops over time for both the author and the illustrator.”

Proceeds of Where is Simon, Sandy? help students in the Caribbean by going to the children’s club at the Turks and Caicos National Museum.

By Melanie Clifton-Harvey
Museum Archivist

In early January 2010 a group of passengers from the Holland America cruise ship found their way to the museum.  After being told to look for Melanie by the ladies in the Gift Shop they came around to the Science building and the gentleman came upstairs. “My wife is a Tatem,” he said, “and we are trying to find out more about the family before we have to go back to the ship, they told us to ask for you!”

Now usually I try to get people to make an appointment to give me time to find something about the family, or at the very least find out that we have no information and provide ideas for other places to look. On this occasion I already knew that I had nothing about the Tatem family that would help this couple and as the lady had been in a car accident I thought it best to go down to her to discuss the options. Mr. and Mrs. Grether from South Carolina were looking for birth or marriage certificates from their family because some of their relatives had been born on Grand Turk, but sadly we didn’t have anything from the right time period for them in the TCNM.

I walked the couple down to see Ms. Sigrid Lightbourne and her staff at the Registry of Births, Marriages and Deaths on Front Street. I explained the system to apply for a certificate, if there were any records in existence, and after doing my bit as tour guide along Front Street, we got to the Registry. The Head Registrar, Ms. Sigrid Lightbourne, very kindly said that she would make copies of any records they found in time for the couple to get back onto their cruise ship that afternoon!

I took my leave of the couple, Ken and Diane, knowing that I had left them in capable hands and it wasn’t until I received a letter from South Carolina dated January 21^st that I thought any more about a typical museum day. Mrs. Grether had written a letter to me and another to Dr. Toni Carrell at the friends of the Turks and Caicos Museum in New Mexico to thank me, and say that they had left the island with the birth certificate of her father who had been born here in 1914! Diane was extremely grateful and said that I had “aided her in achieving a special wish”.

It is always nice to be appreciated for helping people, and it was lovely to receive such a nice letter. It came as an even bigger surprise then when in mid-February I was told that I had been mentioned on the local radio station in the government news section. Apparently, Diane had also sent a letter to Ms. Clara Gardiner, Permanent Secretary for Border Control and Immigration, praising both Ms. Lightbourne and the Registry staff for their special treatment and me, and Ms. Gardiner had wanted to share this news across the Turks and Caicos Islands!

Another happy visitor!

The Museum receives many emails on our info@tcmuseum.org, but none as interesting as the one we received in late January, 2011, from a Mr. Lawrence Jack Little. Here is his email:

I am Lawrence Jack Little.  I worked at the tracking station in 1959/60 and I visited Turk in 2004 or there about.  I talked with a Ms Cheryll Paige and promised her I would send photo I had taken while working at the tracking station.  However, I have been very remiss in my promise.  I did find some 8mm movies I had taken of various events and while diving off the end of the Island.  I do wonder if you would be interested having these movies.  If so, I will be glad to ship them to you to include in the museum in anyway./p>

The wife and I had a wonderful stay at the Osprey Hotel and even encountered some old friends there at the Osprey.  It was wonderful to visit back to the island to see how you have expanded the water supply and the electrical service since I had worked there.  Also, I recalled visiting the dentist while working there and his wind powered drill he used to fill a tooth for me.

I answered his email, and told Mr. Little that we would love to have his films. He converted them onto a DVD and sent it to my USA address while I was visiting my son in March. I brought the DVD back and watched it with Melanie. WOW was I ever surprised. For a “home movie” from 1959-1960 it is wonderful. Numerous shots of the island, the Bases, and footage of Front Street with many buildings that are no longer standing. There were also some underwater clips, something we only thought would be done via Hollywood and “Sea Hunt”. (Only real Baby Boomers would remember that one!!).

Since we had “Movie Night” at the Museum scheduled for Tuesday, March 29, we decided it would be great to have this footage precede our feature film. When I emailed Mr. Little and told him, we both agreed that some things never change some 50 years later…entertainment on Grand Turk is self made!

When our movie-goers were assembled, I read the email that Mr. Little had sent, and told everyone they were in for a real treat. Once the movie started, everyone was shouting out “oh where is that” or “oh my how things have changed”. Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey were the best at recognizing some of the places in the film. We are making them a copy so they can sit and go through it at their leisure. This way the Museum has a record of what is on the film.

Although Mr. Little was not in attendance for the “premier” of his film, he did get a standing ovation.

Most folks thought his movie was much better than our feature presentation!

So, dig through those cupboards and storage units and send the Museum your photos or memories.

Here is everyone waving to Mr. Little.

By Melanie Clifton-Harvey
Endangered Archives Project

As part of my work here as the Endangered Archives Project Principal Investigator and Archivist, I was able to coordinate one of a series of workshops and seminars involving government offices and local church leaders. Joining us was Mr. Tim Law from the Familysearch project in Utah, one of the largest online genealogical sites and repositories of family history information in the world.

The morning involved a presentation by Tim on the history and background of how Familysearch works to digitize and preserve family history records around the world and how the process has changed since the early plate cameras of the 1930’s when it was started. With a lively question and answer session throughout, I followed up with a short Powerpoint presentation on the Basics of Archives. Covering Site, Storage, Handling and Cleaning with some interesting pictures taken from her investigations and preservation work in the Turks and Caicos Islands!

Having already visited the TCI Registry Offices, after the workshop finished Tim and and I  visited the Anglican church with Reverend Mark Kendall, where we discovered the early registers from 1865 from Salt Cay with Births and Burials included!

The last trip was to the Baptist Church where there are also some interesting records from this period regarding North and Middle Caicos and Provo (Blue Hills then). With a little follow-up and contract signing to make sure that all privacy laws are upheld we hope to go ahead with copying all the records we have found so far and enable much greater public access, stay tuned for more information…