Times of the Islands Summer 2016

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Museum matters
Story & Photos By Museum Director Pat Saxton
We need a National Archive
Not a week goes by without a request for information
at our info@tcmuseum.org email. Sometimes folks are
just asking for opening hours or bird tour information.
But other requests ask us to identify a place, a
residence seen on an old postcard, or provide general
information about all the Islands. New developments
like Sailrock on South Caicos enlist the Museum’s help
so they can provide historically and scientifically correct
information for their walking tours. Then there
are the unique requests, like the US Department of
Defense asking us about a missing plane and servicemen
supposedly buried in North Caicos in 1943 (see
next page). The Museum is pleased to help those looking
for answers to their questions, but it all takes time,
resources, and money.
Once again, with no National Archives in the Turks
& Caicos, the Museum is the only “go to” place for
this kind of information. But with our tiny staff it is
impossible to accommodate a lot of these requests.
Most civilized countries recognize the need to have a
National Archive, funded and operated by the government
and accessible to the public, where important
documents are securely stored and organized. Such a
National Archive is not a frivolous luxury. As the written
memory of a nation, it is an essential requirement.
Without it, a country has no identity.
It is not just “ancient” history we are concerned
about. In fact, we probably know more about what happened
in these Islands in the 19th century than we do
about what happened in the 20th century! Where and
how are government records from the 20th and 21st
century being kept? The very few “modern” records we
have are not in good condition—not because we have
not preserved them, but because they were already
deteriorating when we acquired them.
The Turks & Caicos National Museum is not funded
in any way by the TCI Government, yet we continue to
function as a national archive housing and caring for
records that would otherwise be destroyed.
National Archives do not just happen. It takes recognition
of the importance of a national archive and the
political will to support its funding and staff. Citizens
and residents should make their elected officials aware
of this dereliction of duty and lobby for the creation of
the Turks & Caicos National Archive. a
New acquistions
Because the National Museum is the only trusted repository
for Turks & Caicos Islands history, artifacts are
frequently donated or placed on permanent loan with
us. Sometimes their provenance (origin and identity) is
well known, but other times they are mysterious. The
two recent acquisitions below are typical examples.
Governor’s seal press:
HE Governor Beckingham’s office donated this large,
heavy press for the Great Seal of the Turks & Caicos
Islands. Used to authenticate official documents, the
weighted handles were swung around to screw the seal
down and press it into a paper wafer (and sometimes
ribbons) glued to a document, then reversed to release
it. Once we build a case for the seal, it will have a permanent
home in the Governor and Government exhibit.
This (probably) 19th or early 20th century seal press would have
been used to authenticate certain important documents. Such
presses are still used for that purpose all over the world.
Rolling pin:
Volunteers John and Debra Hayes are avid beach combers.
After one of Grand Turk’s infamous Westerlies,
the Hayes found an old, handmade rolling pin on the
beach. It could be from one of the wrecks off Pillory
Beach or . . . who knows? But it will now have a place of
honor in our 19th century kitchen. a
Times of the Islands Summer 2016 61