Vintage Stories from the Virgin Islands
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Virgin Islands History and Culture in Photographs
How Hotel Italia in St. Thomas Became a Popular Movie Venue During World War I by Dr. Dante Beretta
Opening Night: Lights, Camera, Action! Light from the half moon shimmered on old Charlotte Amalia harbor. Gentle trade winds cooled patrons gathered in the yard facing the sea. After announcements were made, the crowd was hushed as newly installed electric lamps were switched off. The distinctive click-click-click-click of the 35-mm film feeding through the reel […]
8 Christmas Carols Sung in St. Croix ~ 1912
St. Paul’s Episcopal Anglican Church. Courtesy of the Royal Danish library St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Above is a beautiful photograph of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church located in Frederiksted, St. Croix. It was taken the year of her centenary celebrations, 1912. Christmas Carols During the Christmas holidays one year, a new stained glass window was […]
Thorny Catch-and-Keep: The Country Policeman of our Islands’ Past by Dr. Dante Beretta
[Warning: Some of the content, language, and accompanying documents of this article may be uncomfortable to some. Nonetheless, the author chose to include these items to remain as accurate as possible to the story.] Catch-and Keep and the White Police This past February, we were visiting my old childhood homestead in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin […]
Golfing the Year Round in the Virgin Islands ~ 1951
Do you ever wonder when the sport of golf was popularized in the Virgin Islands? Here’s an interesting article written by Leon A. Mawson in 1951. Golfing the Year Round By Leon A. Mawson “Hi, Golfers! Of the many and varied sports which are being promoted in the Virgin Islands for the recreation and enjoyment of visitors, […]
How the People of Frenchtown Honor their Heritage
Frenchtown Descendants Many of the ancestors of the small colony of French descendants that occupy the outskirts of Charlotte Amalie originated from the island of Saint Barthelemy during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Long ago, these residents made an honest livelihood by plaiting straw hats and bags, selling fruit, such as oranges and pineapples, and […]
How Memorial Day was Honored in the Virgin Islands ~ 1935
How Memorial Day was Honored May 30, 1935 Memorial Day was a solemn holiday recognized as a day of remembrance, similar to All Soul’s Day. It was a day to honor those that had passed on, specifically, fallen soldiers who died while serving in the military. Hundreds of Virgin Islanders joined together to participate in the […]
How All Saints Church Celebrated the Crucifiction on Good Friday ~ 1904
Celebrating Good Friday at All Saint’s Church Visit the Shop!
V is for Virgin Islands, A New Children’s Book by Lavelle L. Peters
Congratulations to Lavelle, a beautiful Virgin Islander who has just published her first book! I heard her interview with Petter Ottley today and was so moved by her story, I wanted to share it with you. She’s a young mom with two children living in Georgia. She was inspired to write a children’s book for […]
A Beretta Family Presentation Given at the Caribbean Genealogy Library
A Presentation by Dr. Dante Beretta Dr. Beretta and I share a passion for family history! He has written several articles about his research in the Virgin Islands and throughout the Caribbean regarding his Beretta and Dinzey families and has shared them here on the blog. In this video, he gathered all of his material […]
Mosquito Island and Others for Sale in the British Virgin Islands ~ 1903
The Virgin Islands in 1903 © The Royal Danish Library Mosquito Island for Sale You can learn so much about the history of the islands through the old newspapers. Here’s an advertisement for Mosquito Island and Spring Bay Estate and others with the size of the livestock herds as well as the small cultivations they […]