Humberstone – Michael Stephen Wills Photography

Atacama School Days

Dive In

November 27, 2020November 14, 2020 MichaelStephenWillsLeave a comment

A photographic essay

Children are our hope and the future. The yellow sign reads “UNESCO Contribution. the restoration of five classrooms of School number 35.”

From their web site: UNESCO encourages international peace and universal respect for human rights by promoting collaboration among nations. Its mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue.

Click any photograph for a larger view and use Ctrl-x to zoom in closer.

Click me for the first post of this series.

References

Websites

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works World Heritage page

The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works site (Chile), removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger/

Blue Way

Thursday Door

October 22, 2020October 14, 2020 MichaelStephenWills10 Comments

A photographic essay

Click any photograph for a larger view and use Ctrl-x to zoom in closer.

Click me for the first post of this series.

References

Websites

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works World Heritage page

The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works site (Chile), removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger/

Atacama Swim Time

Dive In

October 18, 2020October 14, 2020 MichaelStephenWills

A photographic essay

Click any photograph for a larger view and use Ctrl-x to zoom in closer.

Click me for the first post of this series.

References

Websites

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works World Heritage page

The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works site (Chile), removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger/

Lost World

worn, defiled

October 16, 2020October 14, 2020 MichaelStephenWills

A photographic essay

Click any photograph for a larger view and use Ctrl-x to zoom in closer.

Click me for the first post of this series.

References

Websites

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works World Heritage page

The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works site (Chile), removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger/

Dance Hall

Ghosts from when time stood still

October 14, 2020October 14, 2020 MichaelStephenWills

A photographic essay

Click any photograph for a larger view and use Ctrl-x to zoom in closer.

Click me for the first post of this series.

References

Websites

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works World Heritage page

The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works site (Chile), removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger/

Main Square Humberstone

Tower and Architectural Details

October 12, 2020September 28, 2020 MichaelStephenWills

United States of America has its own closed mining towns. Read about Empire, Nevada in Chapter Three of Jessica Bruder’s 2017, “Nomadland.” Empire thrived on gypsum mining until economic changes forced it to close. December 2, 2010 the entire town was informed June 20, 2011 was the deadline for all to leave the company provided housing. 100% of housing was owned by United States Gypsum. In Humberstone, as in Empire, Nevada, housing stands empty. Here, wo stopped clocks of the wooden tower overlooking the main Humberstone square emblemize the situation.

Click any photograph for a larger view and use Ctrl-x to zoom in closer.

An hexagonal bandstand, area lighting on the electric poles.

Ramada with table and benches.

View from the main square.

Water, the source of life pumped from where? We saw here and there hoses for watering plants. I did some research and there are three methods for supplying water (1) tankers (2) pipe hundreds of miles long and (3) harvesting fog. Yes, fog. It never, never rains but some locations are swept by fog. There plants there harvest the fog on branches and people are now doing the same. Follow the above link to learn more.

A few details from the main square.

Click me for the first post of this series.

References

Websites

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works World Heritage page

The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works site (Chile), removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger/

Humberstone People

In a bubble

October 10, 2020October 14, 2020 MichaelStephenWills3 Comments

Pam and I, not fluent in the Spanish language, depended upon our guides and bus drivers for negotiating our on land exploration of South American. Here is our guide for this trip, providing insights as we stand in the main square of the village.

Click any photograph for a larger view and use Ctrl-x to zoom in closer.

A guide for another Oceania group.

Children accompanied…

the men and women who kept open air sales kiosks providing….

…refreshments and souvenirs. I purchased a handmade collection of minerals from the region.

We never learned why these people were dressed in period costumes. Most certainly descendants of the people who worked here.

Click me for the first post of this series.

References

Websites

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works World Heritage page

The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works site (Chile), removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger/

Marian Devotion

Prison Break

October 7, 2020October 14, 2020 MichaelStephenWills1 Comment

Mullioned windows along the nave provide brilliant illumination, into the side aisles where we see, in the following photograph, a chapel devoted to a Marian Apparition.

Click any photograph for a larger view and use Ctrl-x to zoom in closer.

The framed image is the appearance of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, appearing to six native children. The event, called a Marian Apparition, does not correspond to any such event I am aware of. Nor did one come up in my researches. The most famous appearance of Mary in the Americas if the Virgin of Guadalupe who appeared to a man, a recent convert to Catholicism from the Aztec religion, Saint Juan Diego, and is Uncle, Juan Bernardino, in the year 1531, Mexico. I provided a list of Marian Apparations under references.

The left aisle hosts another Marian chapel, a Madonna.

The most accessible Marian Devotion is the rosary, here in the form of crystal beads.

Instead of an arch, the central aisle is a flat roof with some additional support from wood beams. We will explore the side aisles in later posts.

Click me for the first post of this series.

References

Websites

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works World Heritage page

List of Marian Apparitions

Iglesia

Prison Break

October 6, 2020September 16, 2020 MichaelStephenWills9 Comments

Iglesia, from the Ancient Greek ἐκκλησία (ekklēsía, “assembly”) by way of Latin, is the Spanish language word for church, announced on this charming hand lettered sign. This church served the needs of up to the 5,000 souls of Humberstone.

Click any photograph for a larger view and use Ctrl-x to zoom in closer.

Unlike other places, this church was build for the mine owners to serve the needs of workers, to make it unnecessary to leave the settlement to attend services.

Made from the simplest materials, this cross of the church facade is three pieces of 2 x 6 lumber.

Here is our tour guide, a resident of Iquique in front of the alter, with an elaborate crucifix

Instead of an arch, the central aisle is a flat roof with some additional support from wood beams. We will explore the side aisles in later posts.

References

Websites

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works World Heritage page

The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works site (Chile), removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger/

Rolling Stock

No Roads Crossed

October 4, 2020September 13, 2020 MichaelStephenWills

What happens when a railroad engine runs out of track?

It stands still. In the case of the following photograph, a urban trolley car is moved to the open air museum of Humberstone. The stenciled words, “F.C. de Iquiqud – P. Hundido” translate to Iquique Railroad, Hundido Park. “Hundido” means “sunken” in the Spanish language. There is no such park in Iquique today. Mexico City has a Parque Hundido, an elaborate garden park.

Click any photograph for a larger view and use Ctrl-x to zoom in closer.

Almost certainly a steam locomotive for transporting saltpeter.

References

Websites

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works World Heritage page

The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works site (Chile), removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger/