It’s difficult to know where to start. March is a big month for Caroline, Margaret and new discoveries.  How about starting with Caroline’s birthday, March 6, 1897? She knew little of her family history until she began communicating with her Aunt Caroline in 1918. As a young woman, Caroline modeled for prestigious illustrators and portrait painters. One in particular was Walter Biggs, whose painting, including her, was used as the cover for Ladies Home Journal in 1920.

As beautiful as she was, Caroline did not have much confidence in herself and in a letter to her aunt wrote:

“As for myself – well, as much as I would love to talk about myself, I’m not in the position to speak. Dear Dad mentioned that I was a sweet little girl, bless him.  Nobody ever accuses me of that nowadays. However, I have a redeeming characteristic – the inclination to work like a trench digger (thank goodness).

When being seen by persons other than myself, I am tall and thin and tall.  I appear to have large feet and orange tresses, which hang around most of the time and make me look like a beastly flamboyant poodle. My eyes are slightly crooked, one being up and the other down.  The profile passes sans violent consternation. That is all I look like – tall, noticeable feet and untraceable eyes and hair.”

Thanks to Mark Hancock, who helped with massive research prior to the film’s release, and brought me his binder full of content. Extremely grateful and even found an item I did not remember. It was a press release by Macmillan Company, which published Caroline’s first book, Headhunting in the Solomon Islands, in 1942.

“Miss Mytinger’s interest in Man as a subject began in her art school days. As a result she flunked all but the life class, and “got kicked out into the lovely world of human models” in her third year at the Cleveland School of Art.”

Caroline was a complicated young woman and did not fit the “norms” of the early 20th Century.

Caroline taking courses in anatomy at Stanford. She did not become a doctor but used this education to learn about the body to improve on her portraits. An interesting way to improve her art??? She WAS unconventional.

Although most of my creative side comes from photography, focused on marine life and culture, I know many of you understand my passion for Melanesia. This has been a difficult time and the first year I have not been able to travel to these magnificent places. The good news is that a live chat with Ocean Geographic Magazine was recently online and recorded. It’s Caroline and Margaret, who taught me the value of engaging with people and understanding their lives depend on the health of the ocean. Today’s contemporary Melanesian artists will be a feature story in April. If you wish to watch the live talk with Michael Aw and Alex Rose, just follow this link:

https://www.facebook.com/OceanGeographic/videos/423782505577390

Celebrating International Women’s Day, I salute Jayne Zanglein, author of The Girl Explorers. The book has just been published and is available on Amazon. It’s “The Untold Story of the Globetrotting Women Who Trekked, Flew, and Fought Their Way Around the World.”

I had the pleasure of meeting Jayne on a Zoom call for The Society of Woman Geographers last October. Link to purchase: https://amzn.to/38eHH44

Jayne also has an amazing website that includes stories of many more “Girl Explorers,” including Caroline and Margaret. Follow this link to learn more.  www.thegirlexplorers.com

Usually, a newsletter is only produced once a month since we all receive so many these days. All are valuable. But keep a watch for another very soon! It will truly be another time for celebration.

The project still has legs as new information comes in. It’s amazing to watch the “ebb and flow” to Caroline’s story. As you may know, I have been so fortunate to receive original letters written by her and sent to me by the Pillsbury Family!

All of the pages have been photographed and made into PDFs so that I can sit and read them without going back to the originals and putting white gloves on. So much for that idea on several very significant letters from the expedition! Now I’m taking those difficult and delicate pages and transcribing them but it’s a painful process. Just to give you an idea, the image below is just one of about 30 pages. They were done by Caroline with her ragtag typewriter towards the end of her journey when the ribbons were weak and the paper a challenge for her to type on.

I’ve had some wonderful suggestions on how to transcribe these difficult pages. Anymore suggestions?

This part of Caroline and Margaret’s journey was the Fly River Territory. Only a few white men had ever been in this part of Papua New Guinea prior to the 1920s. Can you imagine what it would be like for these two young women? As I try to compare these letters with her book, New Guinea Headhunt, there are so many pieces and parts to the story that could never be included in the 441 page publication. As Caroline expressed in one of the letters, this journal and letters could be a book of its own!

It took me more than two decades of travel to Papua New Guinea before I was able to experience the Fly River and Lake Murray. It is amazing and so is the culture.

Please watch for more news as I absorb what Caroline wrote in these extremely important letters.

I’m also preparing for some online presentations with prestigious organisations. Keep a watch for upcoming announcements – and more clips from Caroline’s letters.

Incredibly proud to have a positive review by a member from Oslo University.

“…….Through the pedagogical approach
of revivifying Caroline Mytinger’s works, Michele
Westmorland materializes lives lived before.
Looking back through the lens of filmmaking may
excite biographical insights through its retrieval
of half-forgotten narratives. A portrait maker,
with her palette, brings biography to life. As an
educational asset, the film may stimulate questions
about how the once scientifically endorsed notion
of a ‘type’ – ‘physique’ or ‘character’ – made
its way into both popular and artistic portrayal.”
ARNE RØKKUM Oslo University

Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (N.S.) 26, 872-918
© Royal Anthropological Institute 2020
Book and film reviews 903

It is planned to have the entire review placed on the HHR website in the near future

We all try to look at positive announcements and news. It it extremely challenging with COVID and political issues and it’s not just the United States.This year has proven hard for many friends around the world. Just when I started to feel sorry for myself, I received a copy of a letter Caroline wrote to her aunt over 100 years ago.

As you all may know, my expedition and project would have never happened without the support of dear friends at https://walindiresort.com/ We lost an amazing man to cancer on July 15th. MAX BENJAMIN, along with his wife, Cecilie, discovered and built one of the most beautiful resorts in the world. A special place in my heart, Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea, is  Mission Blue Hope Spot. It has been recognized as one of the most diverse marine life destinations in the world. We salute Max Benjamin and all that has been done in research and education for ocean environments. Mahonia na Dari (Guardians of the Sea) was established in 1997 and operates from the Walindi Nature Centre. More than 150,000 students, teachers and local community members have established initiates. In addition to MND, Max Benjamin Elementary School was named and established for the local children several years ago. You can read more about the accomplishments of this gentle soul in A Tribute by Dive Magazine UK and written by Editor, Douglas Seifert.

My last newsletter addressed the needs for small villages surrounding Tufi in another part of Papua New Guinea. Linda Honey, of Tufi Resort and Max Benjamin have been tireless owners and representatives at all the scuba diving trade shows and supporting the local village communities. The Tufi Go Fund Me raised $3000 during these difficult times of COVID and I’m thrilled to have photos of my wantoks and delivery of items through the local trade store. Thank you to all who have been so generous. There are a lot of needs all over the world, but this amount has gone a long way when converted to the PNG currency called Kina. THANK YOU and I will leave the Go Fund Me running for the next couple of weeks.

On a celebratory note, I’d like to acknowledge Dr. Joshua Bell of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. He graciously appeared in Headhunt Revisited: With Brush, Canvas and Camera, done years of cultural anthropology field work in Papua New Guinea, of which many of his projects and research have resulted in acknowledgement to indigenous communities to help document and revitalize their languages and traditions. You can read his latest article in Smithsonian Magazine by following this link: How Cellphones Change Societies

Currently, I am working on a story. A bit of a secret right now but it makes me smile. Like this project, it will celebrate art and the ocean. Although the completion is taking longer than expected due to COVID, I’m so excited to be communicating with some extremely talented artists who have powerful voices and creativity. Sneak peek for you!

If you saw my last newsletter, I announced the discovery of a descendant of one of Caroline’s paintings titled “Kai-Kai”. A magnificent man from the Torres Strait named Robin. We just recently received a photo of Robin in his older years. Provided by the granddaughter, Gwen and her husband, Tom. This is such a gift to continue a story that is still relevant today!

It took a very long time for Caroline to finish the painting and she wrote about her experience searching for the ocean colors where Robin stood for the portrait. Caroline had to wait to find the sparkling turquoise and reef colors in Java. Out on the reef, a large wave struck her and the painting and although retrieved and finished with such beauty, she expressed she was tired from her journey and did not feel like painting anymore. It truly was not the end of her work and she remained a portrait artist for the rest of her life.

Caroline Mytinger painting Kai-Kai. Expedition scrapbook at PHMA

Caroline Mytinger painting Kai-Kai. Expedition scrapbook at PHMA

During this pandemic, every country on our beautiful planet and humanity is being severely impacted. I realize we all have various fundraising asks to help marginalized communities. It’s difficult to think “why should I worry or can I even afford to donate to people I don’t even know?”

I have an annual budget for charities and I have many I personally choose to donate. Instead of feeling guilty, I feel good about donating even $10 and spread my budget around to my chosen causes. That is why I am continuing to run the Go Fund Me – Vital Help for Tufi Villagers. 

There have been many supplies delivered to the villages and the needs grow. I recently heard from my friends, Linda and Tony Honey, that after visiting several villages to check on the people, it broke my heart to hear that two young women gave birth around the same time. Sadly, one young mother did not survive.The maternal mortality rate in Papua New Guinea is very high. The other mother is now breastfeeding both babies. We’ve decided that baby supplies were now high on the list of vital items and will strive to purchase them.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have an amazing life and experience much of PNG. I will be celebrating my 71st birthday this month, so please think about supporting my campaign. That would be the best gift of all.

There are so many wonderful webinars and online lectures to choose from. Recently, I was asked and gave a talk through ADEX – Asia Dive Expo. Titled “Decades of Discovery – Melanesia” you may just understand why I am so passionate about this part of the world. I hope you choose to enjoy spending an hour of your time to watch the recorded session. Thank you to the entire team at ADEX for the honor!  Watch the recorded session by clicking on this link:                ADEX PIXEL VIRTURAL EXPO

I continue to work with many talented Melanesian contemporary artists and hope to bring a story in the near future. If you have NOT seen the full documentary –
    Order Film Here

Art That Spans Oceans and Decades

The title of this newsletter is a tagline I use frequently. It says it all, and Headhunt Revisited: With Brush, Canvas and Camera has some extremely exciting news! As you may know, we discovered descendants to four of Caroline’s portrait subjects while on expedition fifteen years ago. I continue to receive the most wonderful comments on how powerful it was to share prints of the paintings directly to family members. We have now discovered a FIFTH !

Dr. Garrick Hitchcock, an anthropologist with Melbourne University, contacted me after coming across a story that was produced in Origin Magazine published in 2015. In the story, a particular image of Caroline’s portrait of Robin from the Torres Strait titled “Kai-Kai”, which means “food” or “meal” in pidgin. The painting was created sometime in 1929. Caroline wrote of her regard for Robin in her book “New Guinea Headhunt”. Garrick’s specialty area is in the Torres Strait!!!

Last September I received a message from Garrick saying that he was getting closer to finding the family. He was as excited as I was that it was possible he actually knows a descendent. Garrick sent photographs of a gravestone and death certificate that began the quest to confirm that Robin was one and the same of this handsome man in the painting. In a message from last September, he said that Robin was from Darnley Island (Erub) and he actually located the family tree. Robin was descended from a chief or headman. I was as excited as ever, knowing that this project continues to “span oceans and decades”.

More research and more time passed and I sent a file for Garrick to print and have laminated as a gift to the granddaughter of Robin. Garrick was back in the Torres Strait at the end of 2019. In early February, 2020 Garrick was planning a trip to Mua Island, next to Badu where Robin’s granddaughter, Gwen Baira, lives.

We were all very excited – then unforeseen circumstances with COVID delayed Garrick’s planned travel. He was able to communicate with Gwen’s husband, Tom, and sent him a small photo of the painting until Garrick can present an actual print as a gift. Tom said that Gwen was “happy to see that photo – then she cry. She last saw her grandfather when she 6 years old.”

The story continues with hopes that Dr. Hitchcock will be able to return to Torres Strait for a face-to-face meeting. I, personally, would like to be there with him. What an extraordinary discovery!

In addition to this exciting news, I’ve been thrilled to discover more talented artists. As you may know, Jeffry Feeger, a Papua New Guinea contemporary artist. also appeared in the film. I’ve been searching for other artists, especially after my assignment to the Solomon Islands last July. It connected me back to John Wayne, also appears in the film. His carving is exemplary.

Now I’m communicating with a young man, Jackson Diosi, whose art resonated with my personal passion of the connection between the Solomon Islanders and the ocean that surrounds their beautiful islands. Jackson is now drafting and sketching ideas utilizing many of my underwater images from the Solomons. As he moves forward, I’ll continue to share his progress on the commissioned piece. I can’t wait to see the finished painting! According to Jackson, “women are the head” in their culture and heritage.

Meet Jackson and his first sketch of ideas.

I was happy to provide the film to Jackson so he and his family could all watch it together. I was so touched by the response and I’m sure you will also be moved to celebrate with me that this journey continues for Caroline’s story.

In a message from Jackson he expressed how he and his family felt about the film:

“Hallo Michele, good evening from the Solomons. We just finished watching that very beautiful documentary. Just wanted to tell you this got to be the most beautiful and well directed documentary of culture I’ve ever seen. I’m so proud knowing you because of what you did. So sad seeing this (my) unique culture disappearing very fast. Margaret and Caroline are such an inspiration. So wonderful you traced their footsteps firstly to Solomon then to Papua New Guinea …those Solomon Islands she did are displayed on large printed paper here at our gallery. I always stared at them everytime and wonder what was the story behind it …now I know it felt so touching and I was emotional when I realised religion has made so many changes in our culture.The way she captured all those portraits are very beautiful and each has their own unique story. So is your voyage. I know there aren’t much due to time of that film but I know it was a great trip for you discovering each traces. I felt sorry about the jellyfish sting though. 🙁

Your video has inspired me so much now on keeping the identity I have …so proud of my brother, Jeffry Feeger, that he is doing a great job in that film. If anyone asks me what’s the story behind those paintings at the gallery, I will proudly tell the story of these two awesome women and you an awesome photographer who tells a history of it…it’s like all these black and white photographs I’ve seen and now they have colors. Well done. I’m so proud working with you creating more awesome work of my country in time to come. Thank you for sharing.”

Even in these difficult times of the pandemic, there is joy to be found. Thank you all for following my journey.

As we all consider the current state of COVID 19, I was drawn back to Caroline’s books. It was almost 100 years ago they ventured to the Pacific Islands in Melanesia and early in their “Winney the Pooh Expotition”, they had their first introduction to communicable disease. In Ruavatu, Solomon Islands, the local plantation owners were their hosts and they had a baby, which Caroline lovingly called “little sausage”.

                      Excerpt from Headhunting in the Solomon Islands:

“A crying baby might not seem worth mentioning on a headhunting (portraits) expedition.  ….the Ruavatu ‘sausage’ was not a howler by nature. ….A child seriously ill could die before a runner with a paper talk-talk could get to Berande, before the Berande launch could get to Ruavatu and take the child to Tulagi.

Yet the runner was sent off, and we waited outside the nursery house feeling more unnecessary than ever as guests. Then came Monday morning. So far our attitude had been that of intensely sympathetic but detached spectators at a crisis, and now, lo and behold, we discovered ourselves principals.   ……….

Three white men stood along the deck (this was from a government launch)  “Got any sickness there?” he shouted. “What’s up?” screamed the Missus. “MEASLES!” came the answer.  “Epidemic —brought—by the Ark; we had shaken hands with its passengers …There had been no baths to wash away our sins. And now the baby had a temperature.  ….Measles in this country is not the pleasant holiday from school it is at home. It is a serious disease, as serious as smallpox in a crowded city…… It was an ironic twist of fate that the Ark of God, whose only mission was to save souls, should have been the means of making so many of them immortal.”

Sadly, hundreds of local people died and villages ravaged by having to quarantine only to watch the numbers of their own diminish. During this time of a global pandemic, Westerners have no right to throw stones at other cultures. We too, have brought in our own diseases to unfamiliar territories.

As of this writing, there are few cases in Solomon Islands or Papua New Guinea. My hope is that this remains at low levels. I think of all the friends I’ve met over the years who hold special places in my heart and live in remote areas with little to no health care.

Sending thoughts and love for everyone to get through this difficult time!

There is so much happening the month of March to honor and celebrate! Of course, I’ll start with Caroline. Her birthday is March 6th and she was born in 1897. It’s also time to acknowledge Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on the 8th. So many accomplished women have been left out of our history books. Scientists, writers, artists and more need our attention to help tell their stories.

Caroline and her dear friend from high school, Margaret Warner, did the unthinkable for the 1920s. Two women, with little money in their pockets, ventured to Melanesia. Many times, they had to depend on the plantation owners and government officials to arrange transportation from one location to the other. These “hitchhiking” young women endured many obstacles and health issues. From Caroline’s book, New Guinea Headhunt, is an excerpt describing what they gathered. One vessel they traveled on was a supply vessel they called “Maroma” because of the odors emanating from the cargo hold. They endured the discomfort for the opportunity to travel from Samarai to one of the most remote areas of Papua – Rossel Islands (Yela) and  through the Louisiade Archipelago.

“Then there was the first-aid kit. When we left San Francisco, we had carried no medicine at all, largely I think because we had our health and there is nothing quite so indestructible-feeling as a healthy American. But also because we did not have any extra funds with which to gamble on being sick. Now we had brews for malaria, for dysentery, for a total absence of dysentery, for eye-strain and foot and ear fungus, for island sores and insect bites …. These items luckily did not have to be purchased now all of a lump; they were an accumulation acquired as we had acquired the indispositions they had cured.”

Two significant paintings were produced during this portion of their expedition. Yela Fisherman and Iomai.

Lectures and screenings of the film continue! I would like to thank the Northern California Chapter of Explorers Club for hosting an evening. Sadly, I could not attend but a dear friend, Deborah Kirk, represented the project for the evening.

In Australia, the film was screened at beautiful Retford Park hosted by the National Trust of Australia. Major supporter, Lynne Ainsworth, arranged for the event and I wish to thank her and the gracious hosts. Forty people attended with some travelling from the Blue Mountains and Sydney! The feedback and questions following the film were very positive and strong interest was shown in the prints, shown below, and books of Caroline’s that were on display.

Have a wonderful month celebrating the achievements by women!

The last year of Caroline and Margaret’s great adventure was spent in the Fly River Territory. After all this time of gathering portraits and having to deal with hardships in the tropics, they made do with a palmetto tree turned upside-down and decorated with socks rolled up, flour to sprinkle like snow and a tin star nailed to the stub of the plant. Genius!  What made it more special is that instead of having lights, the palmetto attracted fireflies that glowed during the night. What struck me most in her book, New Guinea Headhunt, are the last sentences.

“This Christmas our thoughts did not wander nostalgically the thousands of miles to home. We had been gone too long; we had learned what every good traveler must, to live our lives where we found ourselves.”    – Caroline Mytinger

From the entire team of the documentary film project, may you hug your loved ones, spend time with family and friends and have joy in your heart!

I’ve had the pleasure of spending time at the home where Caroline lived the last 40 years of her life! Thank you to Jerry Fielder, Daniel Campbell and Rosemary Kennett for allowing me to sit and absorb what it might have been like for my heroine.