The adoptions of orphans from the 1902 disaster and Une poupée en chocolat (A Chocolate Doll) by Amandine Gay

In the ‘Saint-Pierre 1902’ database, I was struck by several cases of requests to adopt orphan girls following the disaster, as these requests echoed a previous reading that had made just as much of an impression on me: the book Une poupée en Chocolat (A Chocolate Doll) by Amandine Gay. Today, I would like to take a brief look at this topic.

Database « Saint-Pierre 1902 »

capture d'écran de la base de données de la catastrophe de 1902.

In November 2025, the Clément Foundation launched a revamped version of the website http://www.stpierre1902.org, which contains a database of victims of the tragic disaster. The Saint-Pierre 1902 database is the result of a long and laborious data collection effort carried out over more than 20 years on a voluntary basis by individuals keen to share the story of this tragedy in Martinique.

Jean-Pierre Sainton, a memorable historian

tanlistwa, ach, 2014

I'd forgotten that time doesn't wait, it rushes by and sometimes takes us by surprise. So today, as a form of tribute, I'm sharing with you, from my perspective, a research project that was close to his heart, and, through it, a little of the Jean-Pierre I've known, of what I owe him.

Parcours contrastés des abolitionnistes Cyrille Bissette et Victor Schoelcher by Léo Ursulet

tanlistwa, Parcours contrastés des abolitionnistes Cyrille Bissette et Victor Schoelcher, Léo Ursulet, 2022

So today I'm talking about a new book Parcours contrastés des abolitionnistes Cyrille Bissette et Victor Schoelcher by Léo Ursulet, which recounts the parallel paths of the two important figures in the anti-slavery struggle in France in the first half of the 19th century.

Baptiste, « Noir du Domaine »[Black of the Domain], serving the hospital pharmacy

tanlistwa, courrier, ordonnateur, Baptiste, 1829

Today, I am gathering the elements of the life of Baptiste, an enslaved infirm "old negro" in 1833, who was formerly an apothecary.

Père Labat Recipes # 4 Drinking With And Without Alcohol In The Caribbean

tanlistwa, extrait d'une estampe intitulé "Negro-Lant"

Today, I propose to you to be looking at drinking with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks consumed in the Caribbean at the time of Father Labat. On the program: Sang-gris, Salibott, Ponche, Ouicou, Grappe...

Kanawa, Caribbean Sea Adventures

tanlistwa, kanawa aventures en mer des Caraibes, Caribbean Sea Adventures, 2021, couverture

Today, I'm talking about a bilingual (French/English) book, Kanawa, adventures in the Caribbean Sea which recounts the reconquest of Kalinagos construction and navigation skills and, beyond that, a rich human adventure.

1766, A Year of Risks For Martinique #3/3 The Tidal Wave And The Earthquake of September

tanlistwa, gravure, vue de Fort-Royal, XVIIIe siècle

Fire of part of the city in May, hurricane in August, tidal wave and earthquake in September. I report to you what the archives tell us about these events of 1766, a black year for the city of Foyal and its inhabitants, but also for the whole island. Today, in this last episode, I tell you about the tidal wave of 18 September and the earthquake of 19 September.

1766, a Year of Risks For Martinique #2/3 The Hurricane of August

tanlistwa, gravure, vue de Fort-Royal, XVIIIe siècle

Fire of part of the city in May, hurricane in August, tidal wave and earthquake in September. I report to you what the archives tell us about these events of 1766, a black year for the city of Foyal and its inhabitants, but also for the whole island. For this second part, we are interested in the violent hurricane that devastated the island during the night of 13 to 14 August, leaving families in mourning and in fear of famine.

1766, a Year of Risks For Martinique #1/3 The Fort-Royal Fire in May

tanlistwa, gravure, vue de Fort-Royal, XVIIIe siècle

Fire of part of the city in May, hurricane in August, tidal wave and earthquake in September. I report to you what the archives tell us about these events of 1766, a black year for the city of Foyal and its inhabitants, but also for the whole island. For the first of the three episodes, I am interested in the fire that broke out in the night of 19 to 20 May in the town of Fort-Royal, leaving an entire neighbourhood in ashes.

Marie Françoise Rose Le Chevalier de Longueil, married at 11 years and 18 days

tanlistwa, Mariage de Louis de France, duc de Bourgogne, et de Marie-Adélaïde de Savoie

I don't know where to start. How do you find a sympathetic catchphrase to tell the story of an 11-year-old's girl marriage? Today, with a knot in my stomach, I tell you about Marie Françoise Rose.

Père Labat Recipes # 3 The Pimentade (sauce-chien)

tanlistwa, piment, pimentade, sauce-chien

Today, I propose you to see the pimentade, whose heir is a classic of our seasonings in the French Caribbean, today called sauce-chien [dog-sauce].

Des vies de combat – Femmes, noires et libres by Audrey Celestine

tanlistwa, couverture du livre, des vies de combat, Femmes noires et libres, Audrey Célestine

I found a little gem. I'm talking to you today about Des vies de combat — Femmes, noires et libres [Lives of Struggle - Women, Black and Free] by associate professor Audrey Celestine.