Bookkeeper, Anders Valstrom, original owner of the collection. Photograph Collection There is a phenomenal photograph collection up for auction this week, closing on November 21, 2017. 📷 It includes photographs of Main Street in St. Thomas, the Police Station, Emancipation Garden, Grand Hotel, Det Beltjen’s Road, Long Bay, the Danish Church, the Danish Export Trading […]
DANISH West Indies
The Royal Three Quarters of The Town of Charlotte Amalie
Learn more on amazon.com Historic Book Available St. Thomas, almost the keystone of the arch formed by the chain of Caribbean islands, for centuries flew the Danish Flag. 🇩🇰 It sits between the Greater Antillian Islands and the Lesser Antilles, between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It has an excellent harbor which in […]
Happy David Hamilton Jackson Day!
David Hamilton Jackson Day In 1915, Jackson declared November 1st a public holiday in honor of the publishing of his first newspaper, The Herald. 🗞 Seven thousand people from all parts of the island gathered on the St. Croix wharf to celebrate with him! His newspaper’s motto was, “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity”. Here’s a link […]
Honoring Hurricane Heroes Past and Present
HMS Valkyrien ~ Crew Hurricane of 1916 Just over 100 years ago, a hurricane in October of 1916 tore through the Virgin Islands with a vengeance—leaving a path of destruction similar to hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. 🌧 The damage was of historic proportions for its time and it left a lasting impression […]
How Crown House Survived the Hurricane of 1916
By Dr. Dante Beretta For every bad, there is a good. West Indian saying When the barometer reading steadily dropped and the weather turned ominous, island residents understood this as a foreboding sign. 💨 Our grandfather, George Beretta fastened the jalousies and shutters and made his last-minute preparations. The Berettas hunkered down in their family home, Crown […]
Two Treasured Paintings Document a Memorable Moment in Virgin Islands History ~ 1801
Battle of West Kay, Courtesy of Bruun-Rassmussen, Auctioneers of Fine Art Two Rare Paintings Incredibly, two paintings depicting the Battle of West Kay off St. Thomas are being offered at auction today at Brunn Rasmussen, Auctioneers of Fine Art. Former Governor, Captain Carl V. Jessen received the golden sword of honor for bravery from King […]
Collecting Postcards From The Past
I love collecting various postcards of the Danish West Indies and the British Virgin Islands. Here is a small sampling from St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. Based on this advertisement from 1913, it’ll take a lifetime to collect all of them. 🙂 Postcards from the Past This Virgin Islands postcard […]
Local Star Gazers Turned out to See a Solar Eclipse ~ 1897
The Solar Eclipse As exciting as it was for many to witness the recent solar eclipse, imagine what it was like for those living one hundred and twenty years ago! 🌖 Days before the event, Danish Astrologer, Carl Frederick Pechule gave an account of what was to be expected on July 29, 1897. Seldom was an […]