Tag

st. kilda

Josee Pedneault

Day 13 – Mailboat / Bateau-postal

Being isolated, the St. Kildan islanders developed a unique way to get messages to the mainland. They would craft a small boat-shape device inside which they could place a letter. The boat was sealed using lead-based paste, and attached to a buoy made out of a sheep stomach or other floating device. They would launch the apparatus into the sea,…
August 25, 2017
Josee Pedneault

Day 12 – Bird Culture

From "St. Kilda - The Lonely Islands", Christopher Mylne, 1967 St. Kildans were very much dependent on birds for survival. They developed specialized techniques and skills to go up the cliffs to collect eggs and hunt birds. The cliffs where birds would nest were divided among the different families so that everyone would get a fair share of the natural resources.…
August 24, 2017
Josee Pedneault

Day 8 – Rare Archival Film

EVACUATION OF ST. KILDA, 1930, John P. Ritchie As I was searching in the Moving Image Archive of the National Library of Scotland, I stubble upon a rare film by John P. Ritchie showing life on St. Kilda, the collect of eggs on rocky cliffs, and images of the evacuation of the island. The evacuation was kept secret until 1979,…
August 20, 2017