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Artist/Author Marc English Explores Family History on Kiritimati Expedition to Retrace Grandfather's Epic Journey
KIRITIMATI, March 31, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Marc English, a designer, author, artist, and educator from Austin, Texas, has embarked on a two-month journey spanning Kiritimati, the world's largest coral atoll in the Pacific. He is retracing the steps of his grandfather, Joe English, who was marooned on the island in 1919 during the Spanish Flu pandemic.
English has been entrusted with his grandfather's artifacts, including photographs from 1916-1919, correspondence, and a journal outlining the contract laborers’ mutiny and attempted murder of Joe. English explores the overlapping cultures of the missionary Catholic and Protestant colonizers and the history of the South Pacific, France, the British Empire, and the United States, around which a now-multinational corporation, Unilever, is connected.
In a statement, Marc English said, "It has been profound to walk the same beaches and coral sand roads, as did my grandfather and explore the island where he spent several years of his life. This is an opportunity to reconnect with my family's history and better understand Kiritimati's culture and history. I am excited to share my experience with the world."
English will document his journey through watercolors, sketches, and photographs during his expedition. He plans to spend two months revisiting locations on Kiritimati, including London, Paris, Algeria, Poland, and other places named by the French missionary who leased the island. He will also visit the debris-strewn shore of the Bay of Wrecks and stand upon the lone 30' high point of Kiritimati called "Joe's Hill," where his grandfather once declared himself King of Christmas Island.
English's journey is an attempt to explore his family history and discover how, despite generations and geography, we are all more connected than we think. He is excited to share his experience with the world and hopes to inspire others to explore their own family histories. Read English's travel journal at King Joe 1916-2023, and following his journey on Instagram @marc_english and Facebook @marc.english.
Three Men Rescued by Lord Jellicoe The Sydney Morning Herald 1919
Robinson Crusoe Back in Malden The Boston Sunday Globe 1920
Malden Atoll in Pacific Near H-Bomb Test Site The Boston Globe 1957
