Photograph

Analyze a Photograph of David Hamilton Jackson

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David Hamilton Jackson was born on September 28, 1884, on St. Croix, Danish West Indies. He was a teacher, the owner and editor of a newspaper, and a judge. During his life he spoke publicly about wanting better living and working conditions for the Black working-class people in the…
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Young Masqueraders, Christiansted, St. Croix

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An African tradition, street masquerading on holidays has been a popular cultural tradition in St. Thomas and St. Croix since the eighteenth century. Initially confined to adults, children have been practitioners since the early twentieth century as demonstrated by this photograph. The early holiday masquerades influenced what would later…
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Photograph of a Person Driving a Horse Drawn Cart

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Horse-draw carts have existed for a long time, they were an important form of transportation throughout the world, including in the US Virgin Islands. Among their popular uses, they were a primary means that merchants used to bring their wares to towns and markets. In terms of technology, the…
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Analyze a Photograph of Children Playing Marbles in French Village, St. Thomas

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Games played with marbles have been around for a long time. Early marbles, made of rounded pebbles and clay, have been found in ancient sites in different areas of the world. Modern marbles, like those sold in stores today, are largely made of glass. In the Virgin Islands, games…
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Analyze a Photograph of a Public Well on St. Thomas

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Fresh water is required for human survival. Freshwater is scarce in the Virgin Islands. In 1941, when this photograph was taken people collected water for their personal household use from rainfall and from ground water. We can access ground water by using a well. Ground water comes from rain…
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A look at transportation in Christiansted, St. Croix in 1941

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The way people get around the US Virgin Islands, and the world, has changed a lot over the last 100 years. Horse-drawn carts, horse drawn covered carriages and people on foot, would later be joined by bicycles, then early automobiles. Horse-drawn vehicles would eventually be completely replaced by automobiles….
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