Statsraad Lehmkuhl Oceanics 1972-73

I joined the Oceanics School after completing my Masters in Folklore
from UCLA, graduate courses in Chemistry for a PhD at Iowa State
University, and a bachelor’s in chemistry from Reed College. I was asked to
teach folklore, calligraphy, photography, chemistry, and physics as well as
providing photography to the school and sharing shipboard duties.
I had no specific knowledge of the places or peoples we visited on
our vast voyage, and I commenced learning as much as possible upon my
return home.

I sent a letter to Mamsait Jagne, an Armitage School student I
met in Gambia, who replied with detailed information and thoughtful
answers. He has become a lifelong friend. I acquired and read books on
the places we visited and sailing ships, wrote a quick, if lengthy draft of my
experiences including those that weighed heavily on me, printed many of
my photos, and assembled a slideshow.

When I learned the Gallaghers were planning another school year on
the Statsraad two years after the end of my frustrating tenure, I regained
my enthusiasm for helping them build a stronger educational experience. I
typed a 35-page letter of recommendations, thoughtful critiques based on
my experience. I received a letter from Stephanie expressing surprise and
thanks for my efforts and promising further comments. That was the last I
heard from the school.

Soon after that I began my career as a civil servant with the City of
Los Angeles. I intended to return to UCLA for a PhD and made a trip to
Trinidad hosted by a young newspaper reporter I had met on the Statsraad
for some preliminary research on Steel Drum music. I was not able to
pursue that goal.

I spent 30 years with the City of Los Angeles, mostly supervising
employees conducting energy-efficiency audits for large commercial
customers of the Department of Water and Power. I retired in 2004
and chose a new, more creative calling in the arts as a woodturner.
I have always been an activist on a broad range of issues stemming
from my concerns for social and environmental issues. I was chair of the
Sierra Club camera committee, and Vice Chair of the Angeles Chapter. I
met my wife, Pepi, on a club backpack, and we have now been married 44
years. We live in Pasadena, where we have shared our lives with many
rescued affectionate dogs and cats. I served on the Utility Advisory
Commission, and now serve on the Pasadena Arts and Cultural
Commission.

I pursued photography as my main artistic interest for many years,
exhibiting and winning a prize from Ilford in a national competition for my
portfolio of prints of Butte and Anaconda, Montana. I have a (poorly
updated) website for my work in wood: http://www.greenwoodartist.com. I now have more projects in wood, metal, glass and writing than I can reasonably hope to complete.

Pepi and I have traveled to the Azores, and enjoyed many rail trips,
mostly across Canada from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island, north to see the Polar Bears and helicoptered to the ice to see the baby seals. Rail trips extended into Mexico through the Copper Canyon and across the Western United States including steam powered trains. Our travel has been much more limited recently by the pandemic. The 2023 Oceanics reunion is our first venture by plane in recent years.

Joe Feinblatt – October 2023