“Inventing” St. Barth’s, a memorial thought of Michael Zimmer.
There was a time in St. Barth’s that, even during Christmas week, the harbor was not filled with mega yachts. There was a time that most visitors spent the day on the island, came in the morning, left before dark. There was even a time, that when you rented a car in the morning and rushed back to get your plane to St. Martin, you were told by the car rental company, to “just leave it anywhere, we will find it, we close at noon”. The true metamorphosis of this beloved island happened as result of the people who “invented’ its character and were part of the DNA of this glorious place.
I met Michael Zimmer some time in 1972. I owned some places in St. Martin (Cafe Calabash, L’Aventure) and with my partners and friends, came to St. Barth’s as often as we could. If Bugsy Siegel “invented” Las Vegas, Michael Zimmer was part of the “inventors” of St. Barth’s. He chiseled with his hands Le Camp in St. Jean. It was a cluster of cottages and an al fresco kitchen (the best gathering place on the planet, then) that reflected Michael — warm, inviting, a little off beat, inventive and eloquent.
As people would start to visit the island back then, the “Camp” became temporary home to film actors, writers, the idle rich, the talented not so rich, and all hosted by Michael. He would greet you at the airport (I mean the house where the planes landed then) with a bottle of Champagne. His passion for the ongoing building growth of the “Camp” took us, as friends and guests, to places that made us appreciate what he was doing and that we were indeed a part of it, from the lumber yard to the Zen sand garden he built, to pumping our own water to take a shower.
I could go on and on, but my purpose is to tickle the memories of those who remember Michael. The stories will flow and hopefully, as we miss him, we all will be fondly reminded of how important he was to the fabric of this island and to our own sense of personal growth. He will truly be missed but never forgotten.
the ‘bio’ part is excellent!!!
and most of the ‘Early Years’, is excellent too. getting to know who Michael is… etc….
As ‘Architect’, I feel that the presentation falters a bit. , or maybe I’m thinking of the ‘New York” bit….
you kind of leave us (viewer) hanging….
St. Barts and V. Gorda… great… because of so many pics of yore…. always fun to see…. and, weren’t you (vera) gorgeous beyond.. or, what!??? and, michael , so young and beautiful too. ,mmmmmm…
The notebooks are good too. A little more copy would’ve been welcome…
so, bloody great work.. guys….! I mean it!!!
love… Q
When Vera brought Michael to our apartment , he walked trough all the rooms first
Hmmm he nodded approvingly , then looked at me leisurely and long hmm , he said : and you are as beautiful as Vera discribet you to me
Then we sat down and ate , Ludwig Vera Michael myself
BRILLIANT, GENEROUS, SMART, INVENTIVE, JOYFUL, FUNNY, HUMBLE, GREAT STORY TELLER AND LISTENER. TRULY UNIQUE IN HIS WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE WORLD.
WE ARE ALL LUCKY TO HAVE KNOWN HIM AND BEEN INFLUENCED BY HIM.
JEROME
When I was in St Barth’s, my girlfriend used to work on the little restaurant on the beach near the camp. So, to wait for her, I used to spend time at Michael and Vera’ camp. They where really” compréhensive) people, as I used to come and practice my five string banjo there. Mickael and Vera where always naked, and it seems so natural for them that after a while nobody noticed it…
More than 40 years later, I still remember them, whith love.
Sorry for my accent, I’m French.
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I remember stumbling by chance on the sardine museum in Grand Manan island NB, some 25, 28 years ago. By chance, maybe not, the sardine can hanging from the façade of that rickety house caught our eyes. The museum was closed, or open…MZ had one look at you and decided. We liked him immediately, and the spirit of it. He gave a soul to Seal Cove, invited artists there. We were there a year ago, renovation has hit. The little house is still there, the sardine can lost in a junk yard but the memory will remain. As far as I am concerned his spirit still floats in the mist of the rising tides.
“Inventing” St. Barth’s, a memorial thought of Michael Zimmer.
There was a time in St. Barth’s that, even during Christmas week, the harbor was not filled with mega yachts. There was a time that most visitors spent the day on the island, came in the morning, left before dark. There was even a time, that when you rented a car in the morning and rushed back to get your plane to St. Martin, you were told by the car rental company, to “just leave it anywhere, we will find it, we close at noon”. The true metamorphosis of this beloved island happened as result of the people who “invented’ its character and were part of the DNA of this glorious place.
I met Michael Zimmer some time in 1972. I owned some places in St. Martin (Cafe Calabash, L’Aventure) and with my partners and friends, came to St. Barth’s as often as we could. If Bugsy Siegel “invented” Las Vegas, Michael Zimmer was part of the “inventors” of St. Barth’s. He chiseled with his hands Le Camp in St. Jean. It was a cluster of cottages and an al fresco kitchen (the best gathering place on the planet, then) that reflected Michael — warm, inviting, a little off beat, inventive and eloquent.
As people would start to visit the island back then, the “Camp” became temporary home to film actors, writers, the idle rich, the talented not so rich, and all hosted by Michael. He would greet you at the airport (I mean the house where the planes landed then) with a bottle of Champagne. His passion for the ongoing building growth of the “Camp” took us, as friends and guests, to places that made us appreciate what he was doing and that we were indeed a part of it, from the lumber yard to the Zen sand garden he built, to pumping our own water to take a shower.
I could go on and on, but my purpose is to tickle the memories of those who remember Michael. The stories will flow and hopefully, as we miss him, we all will be fondly reminded of how important he was to the fabric of this island and to our own sense of personal growth. He will truly be missed but never forgotten.
the ‘bio’ part is excellent!!!
and most of the ‘Early Years’, is excellent too. getting to know who Michael is… etc….
As ‘Architect’, I feel that the presentation falters a bit. , or maybe I’m thinking of the ‘New York” bit….
you kind of leave us (viewer) hanging….
St. Barts and V. Gorda… great… because of so many pics of yore…. always fun to see…. and, weren’t you (vera) gorgeous beyond.. or, what!??? and, michael , so young and beautiful too. ,mmmmmm…
The notebooks are good too. A little more copy would’ve been welcome…
so, bloody great work.. guys….! I mean it!!!
love… Q
When Vera brought Michael to our apartment , he walked trough all the rooms first
Hmmm he nodded approvingly , then looked at me leisurely and long hmm , he said : and you are as beautiful as Vera discribet you to me
Then we sat down and ate , Ludwig Vera Michael myself
BRILLIANT, GENEROUS, SMART, INVENTIVE, JOYFUL, FUNNY, HUMBLE, GREAT STORY TELLER AND LISTENER. TRULY UNIQUE IN HIS WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE WORLD.
WE ARE ALL LUCKY TO HAVE KNOWN HIM AND BEEN INFLUENCED BY HIM.
JEROME
When I was in St Barth’s, my girlfriend used to work on the little restaurant on the beach near the camp. So, to wait for her, I used to spend time at Michael and Vera’ camp. They where really” compréhensive) people, as I used to come and practice my five string banjo there. Mickael and Vera where always naked, and it seems so natural for them that after a while nobody noticed it…
More than 40 years later, I still remember them, whith love.
Sorry for my accent, I’m French.
I see you don’t monetize your website, don’t waste your traffic, you can earn extra cash every month because you’ve
got hi quality content. If you want to know how
to make extra money, search for: Mrdalekjd methods for $$$
I remember stumbling by chance on the sardine museum in Grand Manan island NB, some 25, 28 years ago. By chance, maybe not, the sardine can hanging from the façade of that rickety house caught our eyes. The museum was closed, or open…MZ had one look at you and decided. We liked him immediately, and the spirit of it. He gave a soul to Seal Cove, invited artists there. We were there a year ago, renovation has hit. The little house is still there, the sardine can lost in a junk yard but the memory will remain. As far as I am concerned his spirit still floats in the mist of the rising tides.