Discovering a Legacy: Finding the Grandson of Eustace Edgecombe
Vizcaya is connecting memories of the past with current events through “Beyond Vizcaya,” a project that shares the impactful stories of real people around migration, labor and cultural identity.
A lifetime at Vizcaya
Our most recent project allowed us to connect with the grandson of Eustace Eliger Edgecombe, a Vizcaya employee of 52 years – nearly half of the estate’s lifespan. Born in the Bahamas, he started working at Vizcaya when it was under construction, before James Deering took residence and remained a dedicated employee long after Deering’s death. During that time, Eustace came to serve many roles, which today would have matched titles like: Collections Care Technician, Assistant Curator, Maintenance Chief, Operations Manager, Security Officer, Historic Preservation Specialist.
Uncovering the history
We were thrilled when one of our archivists put us in touch with his grandson, William. William knew very little about his grandfather’s contributions to Vizcaya, so we decided to invite him out for a tour. It was a surreal experience to meet William and see him learn new stories about his grandfather, the same stories that essentially launched the “Beyond Vizcaya” project.
Watch the video to follow along on William’s tour of Vizcaya.
Uncovering the history
We were thrilled when one of our archivists put us in touch with his grandson, William. William knew very little about his grandfather’s contributions to Vizcaya, so we decided to invite him out for a tour. It was a surreal experience to meet William and see him learn new stories about his grandfather, the same stories that essentially launched the “Beyond Vizcaya” project.
Watch the video to follow along on William’s tour of Vizcaya.
