Vintage Stories from the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands History and Culture in Photographs
Rare Pissarro Drawing from St. Thomas on Exhibit in London by Dr. Dante Beretta
Rare Pissarro Exhibition Stern Pissarro Gallery in London is hosting an incredible exhibition, “Camille Pissarro: Works from the Gallery Collection”, from November 17 through December 4, 2021. The collection, which includes 45 pieces of his artwork, spans Pissarro’s entire career! Born on the island of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies, Pissarro (1830-1903) is one of […]
My Emancipated Ancestors by Dr. Dante Beretta
My Emancipated Ancestors By Dr. Dante Beretta On Sunday evening, the 2nd of July 1848, the tutu sounded over western St. Croix. The tutu was a conch shell fashioned into a horn, which gave a clear loud sound that carried over long distances. Historically in the Danish West Indies, the tutu was used […]
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 […]
Early St. Thomas Panoramas ~ 1850s
An Early St. Thomas Panorama By Dr. Dante Beretta There are two old Danish West Indian photographs available at the Danish Maritime Museum that are some of the oldest photographs extant from St. Thomas. Taken at the same time, these daguerreotypes were meant as a panorama featuring the town of Charlotte Amalia and the harbor […]
How a Family Historian Discovered Where Hugo Larsen Painted One of His Masterpieces ~ 1905
By Dr. Dante Beretta A little over 100 years ago, a talented young Danish artist named Hugo Larsen, visited the Danish West Indies. During his three year sojourn in the West Indies, he spent the majority of his time on the island of St. Thomas, creating many drawings and paintings. My favorite Hugo Larsen is […]
Taking the Last Danish Census ~ 1911
By Dr. Dante Beretta Census Day The 1st of February 1911, Census Day, was an important day for the town of Charlotte Amalie in the Danish West Indies and a busy day for at least two of my ancestors. Choosing the Census Takers The Danish Police Magistrate appointed two respectable inhabitants for each street who were the census takers for […]
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