The older gentleman in the picture is named "Professor" Glidden. I put 'professor' in quotes because many doubt his self proclaimed education. He was a hired anthropologist on the island, where he worked from 1922-1950. During that time he dug up countless artifacts, left from the indigenous Tongva that lived on the island for 9,000 years. He displayed their remains like they were trophies and ribbons, with total disregard to their meaning (besides his own accolades). What a despicable man.
It is actually just a small aspect of the museum (which is located in the Casino); it mainly focuses on the celebrities who frequented the island. Including Norma Jean Baker (Marilyn Monroe) who lived on the island for a year, before she was famous.
Catalina is fascinating.
While we were waiting for our boat ride back to Newport we hitched a ride to the cemetery. Cemeteries are a great way to learn history.
This woman, for example, was her husband's wife.
Wow, that is incredible about the 'Professor'. I had to read more. The images, Boraggina soon realized, came from a time 90 years ago that many on Santa Catalina Island had forgotten -- or tried to forget. The photos were of the work of a pseudo-scientist -- some say a huckster -- who made a living unearthing Native American artifacts and human remains for sale and trade. Glidden had ruined much of Catalina's Native American cultural heritage, but in the process he also made discoveries thought lost in the passage of time. Crazy stuff.
ReplyDeleteI, too, love cemeteries. They do hold history. I need to return to Catalina and explore more. You have whet my appetite for that small island of my childhood.