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![]() Moveable Heritage, Likiep Village Historic Site, Republic of the Marshall Islands. A Photo Essay by Jon G. O'Neill ![]() |
As new nations emerged from the American Trust Territories of the Pacific, the Likiep Village Historic Site on Likiep Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands became the first Micronesian site to be listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Sites. The photographs included in this essay were taken by the author in 1999 during research for a Post-graduate Honours degree in Heritage Preservation from Charles Sturt University, Australia. Parts of Micronesia had been controlled by colonial authorities from the late 1500s. In the northern Pacific Spain was first, followed by Germany, Japan and the United States of America. Although claimed by Spain, the Marshall Islands remained self-governing until the brief and rapid expansion of German trading and colonial interests in the Pacific. In the mid 1800s, José de Brum (born in the Açores and therefore Portuguese) and Adolph Capelle (a German born in the Hanseatic city of Hanover) became business partners in the historically significant Marshallese company, A. Capelle and Co. Both men married Marshallese women and produced large and influential families. Their social, political and commercial legacies remain highly significant in the Marshall Islands of today. During the time of German hegemony, the Capelle and de Brum partnership continued, although not without its difficulties. However, Germany's colonial expansion was followed by an even more rapid contraction when Japan entered the First World War as an ally of Great Britain. All of Germany's Pacific colonies were lost within a few months, most being annexed by Japan, but some also being taken by Australia and New Zealand. When Japan took control of the Marshall Islands, the Capelle/de Brum partnership was able to continue trading because it was owned and operated by their Marshallese descendents and was thus a legitimate Marshallese operation. By this time Likiep Atoll had become central to this commercial empire and much tangible historic property directly associated with it remains today. Joachim de Brum was José's eldest son and has been aptly described as a "renaissance man", a description that acknowledges his breadth of knowledge, scientific interests, business acumen and artistry. He ran a major business, managed plantations, designed, built and repaired ships, designed and built houses, built his own gas lighting system, studied so he could provide emergency medical and dental services, and became a superb photographer. Even today, nearly seventy years after his death in 1937, Marshallese people still say of him... "that man Joachim, he know everything." The timber frame house he built in 1905 is an outstanding example of his skills and Pacific trader architecture. It consists of three large rooms surrounded by an extensive verandah some 3 metres wide that provided excellent facilities for entertaining visitors. Many items of exquisite, hand-carved, teak furniture are displayed in the house, including a heavy revolving table, heavy arm chairs, small tables, screens, smaller chairs, shelves and stands were imported by Joachim de Brum. Some of these are presently stored in the house but are suffering natural decay from the tropical conditions. Glues used in the manufacture of this furniture are failing and joints are loosening and separating. A clockwork gramophone with approximately 500 music cylinders (both wax and bakelite), many items of cutlery and crockery, lanterns and many tools also remain. Joachim de Brum loved to entertain and the officers and crews of visiting ships were always welcome guests. According to Leonard de Brum, Joachim's youngest son and chairman of a not-for-profit organisation established to preserve these examples of historic property, he would often hold parties to which all the inhabitants of Likiep Island were invited. They would sing and dance to the music from the hand-wound gramophone under gas lights fueled by an acetylene gas generator built and installed by Joachim. When the wax cylinders became too worn, Leonard reported that they would be dipped in kerosene and recordings of local singers made. In some ways the most significant of all the moveable heritage that remains from this remarkable man is his enormous collection of superb photographs detailing many aspects of Pacific life in the late 1800s and early 1900s. His subjects include tradional Marshallese customs, clothing and crafts, social events, people, places, medical conditions, etc. He became fascinated by the emerging art and science of photography. He purchased several texts on photography (some of which are still stored in his library) and taught himself the then requisite science. He imported the necessary chemicals and equipment (including several cameras which were very advanced for the time), built his own photographic darkrooms on Likiep, and proceeded to shoot, develop and print all of his own photographs. Using his inate artistic skills, Joachim de Brum emerged as one of the most significant photographers of his age. His unique collection of Oceanic photographs have immense historic, cultural, medical, scientific and artistic significance.
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![]() Bibliographic citation for this documentO'Neill, Jon G. (2002). Moveable Heritage, Likiep Village Historic Site, Republic of the Marshall Islands-- A Photo Essay. URL: http:/marshall.csu.edu.au/Marshalls/html/ONeill_Essays\JDB_Furn.htm
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Digital Micronesia-An
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