Earlier this fall a woman traveled to Saint Louis University to learn about her home halfway across the world. Kerrie Schreier, a woman from the island of Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic, was able to learn things about her home with her husband, Daniel, right here at SLU.
The exhibit they came to see, housed in the Saint. Louis Room of the Rare Book Department, features the history and culture of Tristan da Cunha as well as the “reciprocal interplay between culture and personality.”
The tiny island community was a significant point of focus in the remarkable work of sociological researcher and author Peter A Munch. After his death in 1984 his wife, Helene, passed the collection to SLU’s Dr. Charles Marske, whom Munch had mentored.
Daniel Schreier, who spent six months on Tristan da Cunha doing research on “real time changes of Tristan English,” was interested in going through recordings and documents. He and his wife, a native of the island, spent numerous hours going though letters, articles and various other written documents. Daniel Schreier said that he thought this was probably the most extensive collection of Tristan island materials in the world, rivaling even the materials held by island administration.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the Tristan collection in your archives. I have done extensive research but have never found such an extensive and unique collection,” said Daniel Schreier.
Since several of Kerrie Schreir’s relatives were among those recorded in the collection both were excited to actually be able to hear their voices. Kerrie Schreier was also able to see pictures of her grand parents generation.
“The whole thing was a delight for her, as she came halfway around the world only to find personal remnants of her family that she had no idea anyone else had seen,” said Randy McGuire, an archivist at Pius XII Memorial Library.
“They have unique insights into the life of the islanders, being from both within and without the community,” said McGuire.
McGuire enjoyed his time with the Schreiers. “It was fun for me to introduce them to these things and watch their delight,” he said said.
McGuire was also excited to see the hard work of the archivist here at SLU does indeed pay off. “As an archivist, a lot of times we work for months and years on something that never gets looked at. The object is always to pass things on in a way that will be meaningful and useful. To see a work have value to someone is deeply satisfying, both personally and professionally,” he said.
