Did you know that in the 17th and 18th centuries, Bermudians exported substantial amounts of Bermuda stone to Charleston, South Carolina? And did you also realise that Charleston was initially settled by Bermudians?

Under the governorship of William Sayles, Bermudians initiated the establishment of Charleston in 1670, however, good building stone was not readily available along the South Carolina coast, hence the importation of Bermuda stone.

This information is background to a fascinating exhibition taking place in Commissioner’s House at the National Museum of Bermuda. The exhibition, entitled Stone: From Bermuda to Charleston, showcases this Charleston/Bermuda relationship, but also aspects of quarrying and differing aspects of Bermuda stone.

Included in the Stone exhibition is a Bermuda geologic map, which is subdivided into five geologic formations, beginning with the softest, or Southampton formation followed by Rocky Bay Formation, then Belmont, Upper and Lower Town Hill to the very hardest, the Walsingham Formation.

Incidentally, Commissioner’s House, the building housing the exhibit, is made with the very hardest of Bermuda stone, from the Walsingham formation. Although built between 1823 and 1827, roughly two hundred years ago, the stone masonry shows very little weathering and it is unplastered. Typically, stone from the Walsingham Formation is not utilised in local construction.

It is my understanding that masons prefer stone from the Town Hill Formation and thus I suppose that much of the stone shipped to Charleston was of this type, but some of the stone was also from the Walsingham Formation and was used as paving stones.

The exhibition was created by John Gardner, architect and artist, and curated by Deborah Atwood, NMB curator, and the NMB curatorial team.

At the heart of the show, however, is the research of Justin Schwebler, property manager at the Historic Charleston Foundation, whose master’s thesis served as a guide in forming the exhibition.

The exhibition is made possible thanks to the generosity of those who supported the Museum’s Future of History, campaign and the Museum’s annual fund, The Anchor Fund.

John Gardner is ideally positioned to create such an exhibition. As a Bermudian architect with knowledge and experience constructing Bermudian architecture, he knows about Bermuda stone, its variations, ways of quarrying, the making of lime, et cetera.

Additionally, he knows Charleston, having worked with its real estate developers. Gardner is also a skilful artist with a fine, painterly touch and an innate sense of composition.

Although Gardner’s several paintings in the exhibition are stylistically not Cubist, some do suggest a quasi-cubistic quality in that there is a certain perceived compositional blockiness. I find this appropriate as Bermuda stone is cut into blocks.

On the exhibit’s south wall are several photographs of Bermuda stone quarries. These appear to me as Cubist sculptures.

With building experience, Gardner has also developed a feel for the three-dimensional, which he has applied to the making of sculpture. In this exhibition he has three sculptures which were inspired by quarry saws.

Made of copper and coated with differing colours, it has been suggested that they also resemble wings with possible spiritual connotations.

On the gallery west wall, Gardner is exhibiting a series of 24 charcoal drawings; nine are based on Bermuda, 15 on Charleston. This series is further divided into a sub series of three’s, that is, eight subjects drawn from three different perspectives, or versions. His title for the series is Triptych.

Of note is the fact that Gardner made his own charcoal drawing sticks from Bermuda Cedar. I find that symbolically significant. It also seems to me that his charcoal is of a different, richer black than I typically find in most charcoal sticks.

This is an important, multifaceted exhibition that I highly recommend. It continues through November 7, 2025, which is some months away, and with the museum being in Dockyard, it’s easy to put off seeing the show. That’s the danger, so you are warned. Actually I have seen the show several times and with each visit, I learn new things, so you too might want to make several visits.

I see a museum as a special kind of educational institution. A museum visit is therefore a delightful way to self-educate and they say that one way to enhance longevity is through keeping the mind active.

• The National Museum of Bermuda is open every day except December 25. From 9am to 5pm weekdays and from 9.30am to 5pm on weekends