World Heritage Site – Page 6 – Michael Stephen Wills Photography

Historical Humberstone

History through primitive art.

September 14, 2020September 22, 2020 MichaelStephenWills

American west states have sites former towns, now deserted, that popped up and abandoned when conditions changed. Called “Ghosttowns”, Humberstone, named in honor of the 1872 founder, James Thomas Humberstone, is the Chilean version. It is easy to feel old when you were, as I was, five years old when this place became a ghost in 1958.

Forty seven (47) years later, July 17, 2005, the name Humberstone was inscribed in the book of World Heritage sites, the site degraded by years of scavenging by humans and attack by the elements.

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We experienced the work of years that day,February 2016. Here is an overview of saltpeter mining and refining processes, in a detailed painting…..

….the physical layout…

…..and historical timeline.

Click me for the first post of this series, “Iquique By Sea I.”

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 Entrance

Into the Pampa

September 13, 2020September 16, 2020 MichaelStephenWills5 Comments

Humberstone is one of two locations, 1 kilometre apart, of this World Heritage Site.

Santa Laura conserves industrial installations used for saltpeter processing such as a saltpeter grinder that remain intact today,

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Humberstone demonstrates the settlements, such as the living quarters, public spaces and the regular grid pattern of the Camp, with a main square around which communal buildings are clustered. There was such a dense congregation of people it formed an urban environment.

We traveled the 34 miles from the Port of Iquique to explore Humberstone then continue on 32 miles on the Pan American highway, the world’s longest “motorable road”, to view ancient geoglphs at Pintados within Pampa del Tamarugal National Reserve. Tamarugal is the least populated Chilean province with 2 people per square kilometer, the bulk of the population in scattered settlements and the capital city, Pozo Altamonte, 15,711 souls compared to 22,531 for the province.

A human touch, handwritten signs are part of Humberstone’s charm.

“Of. Salitrera S. Humberstone” means Santiago Humberstone Saltpeter Village named for James Thomas Humberstone, the founder of the mine. Santiago means Saint James int the Spanish language. “Iago” is Spanish for James “Sant” is saint..

Wait a second, $2000 for seniors (“Tercera Edad”)?? It caught our eye and as is obvious from the opening photographs, everyone in the party was in this category.

Oh, They omitted a decimal. What’s with three decimal places? This and the hand drawn border are wonderful. “To err is human, to forgive divine.” –Alexander Pope.

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/

La Girona I

Shipwreck!!!

July 23, 2020July 23, 2020 MichaelStephenWills17 Comments

Seen here on the afternoon of June 6, 2014 against the foreground of Giants Causeway pavement stones, Lacada Point is where on the morning of October 26, 1588 the Spanish galleass “La Girona” foundered and sank at Port na Spaniagh (the bay to the east of the point). Five souls of the 1,300 on board survived the wreck.

Our time at the Giants Causeway visitor center yielded this new fact. While it was only Pam who ventured close to the Lacada Point, the following day we were able to view the treasure recovered from the site 379 years later. A portion is on permanent display at the Ulster Museum, Belfast. We visited “Treasures from the Girona” the following day.

To be continued…..

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Stealing a Shot

Father and Daughter

July 18, 2020June 30, 2020 MichaelStephenWills3 Comments

These people clambered up for a shot while I was set up to capture the scene at the perfect light. They wasted my precious moments of light. Luckily, I managed captures while the child was out of sight, shared in yesterday’s post. These photos were accepted by Getty as “editorial” content.

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Giant’s Chair

at sunset

July 17, 2020June 30, 2020 MichaelStephenWills2 Comments

Here is a formation seemingly created to capture the human imagination. I spent time attempting to get it right. At one point, the setting sun emerged from the clouds to light the scene.

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Pam’s Views of the Causeway V

Baby-Finn

July 16, 2020June 27, 2020 MichaelStephenWills1 Comment

For Pam’s return trip I recall a favorite episode of Finn McCool’s, the mythical hunter-warrior associated with the Giant’s Causeway. Fearing a match with an opponent sure to defeat him, Finn relied on the wits of his wife, Oona, who dressed him up as a baby. She made griddle cakes, hiding an iron skillet in one or two. The giant, given the iron cakes, suffered broken teeth. Baby-Finn wolfed his cakes down. Overawed, the giant fled back to Scotland, fearing to face the man who’d grow from a baby such as that, tearing up the road (The Giant’s Causeway) behind him, to prevent Finn from following.

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Pam’s Views of the Causeway IV

The Far Extent

July 15, 2020July 15, 2020 MichaelStephenWills5 Comments

Pam hiked as far as the Red Cliffs. Click me for more information about these deposits of weathered volcanic rock.

The cliff trail ended at a barrier, with sunlight running out Pam turned around.

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Pam’s Views of the Causeway III

Dangerous Cliffs

July 14, 2020June 26, 2020 MichaelStephenWills4 Comments

We know of the danger of cliffs from our Finger Lakes Gorges. That solid edge can be anything but.

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Pam’s Views of the Causeway II

Walking the Giant’s Causeway

July 13, 2020June 26, 2020 MichaelStephenWills9 Comments

Pam continued past the Causeway, exploring other features on a path along a broad, rocky beach.

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Pam’s Views of the Causeway I

Walking the Giant’s Causeway

July 12, 2020July 15, 2020 MichaelStephenWills9 Comments

While I was living the dream on the pile, Pam took a long walk up the cliff. Here is a series of photographs she snapped with the Samsung Galaxy.

Pam explores the entry (click for my post “Volcanic Dike”) and walks by the Causeway. We see it here from the back side. The lines of columns is striking.

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