Banginių medžiotojas iš Žemaitijos

LTStraipsnyje, remiantis fotografijomis ir kitais dokumentais bei liudijimais, rekonstruojama emigranto Jono Aloyzo Bendiko biografija. Išryškinamas neįprastas banginių medžiotojų darbo Argentinos bendrovės „Compañía Argentina de Pesca“ epizodas. Reikšminiai žodžiai: Jonas Aloyzas Bendikas, žemaitis, banginių medžioklė, emigracija, Žemaitija, Kanada, Pietų Džordžija (South Georgia), JAV.

ENAugenijus Bendikas, the researcher of the Bendikai family, succeeded to identify the storylines and circumstances of creation of eight anonymous photographs and one postcard preserved in the collection of photographs of Lithuanian Sea Museum. The online archives of the United States, Canadian migration and Argentinean company “Compañía Argentina de Pesca”, as well as Augenijus Bendikas’ private collection of family documents and their photocopies and photographs made it possible to discover the silhouette of a Samogitian Jonas Aloyzas Bendikas (1901–1980), who emigrated from the Brokštėnai village of Lithuania: naturalization in Canada – Canadian citizenship – migration to the USA – citizenship and life in the USA. The moments of whale hunting as well as the production of whale products in the company “Compañía Argentina de Pesca” between 1929 and 1930 are captured in the photographs preserved in Lithuanian Sea Museum. The photographs feature the whale hunting station and environment on Grytviken island in Georgia. Although this episode of Jonas Aloyzas Bendikas’ life stands out among the experiences of other Lithuanian emigrants, his further destiny is common to many emigrants.