Jacques Cartier with merchant families in Bahrain. Photo: Francesca Cartier Brickell
Jacques Cartier on a boat off the coast in Bahrain. He wanted to immerse himself in the world of pearling. Photo: Francesca Cartier Brickell
Jacques Cartier's photos and sketches of his time in Bahrain left an imprint on Cartier's design, as this clock on right shows. Photo: Francesca Cartier Brickell
Jacques Cartier on a donkey in Bahrain. In the background can be seen a sailing ship. Photo: Francesca Cartier Brickell
Francesca recreates the scene on her visit there in November, 2022. Photo: Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (Danat)
Francesca learns about the pearl trade. Photo: The Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (Danat)
Pearl diving was tough, backbreaking work. Here we see workers open oysters to check for pearls on the deck of a boat in Bahrain, 1955. By this time, the natural pearl trade had collapsed due to the discovery of cultured pearls. Photo: Getty Images
Francesca on the pearl trail in Bahrain. Photo: The Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (Danat)