“ Life at Tuvao was hard and the hours were long ”
Cocoa bean processing , in particular , was an arduous process that involved the opening of pods , the fermenting of the beans for three or four days , before washing and sun-drying , supplemented by kiln-drying at night fuelled by firewood . The all-night shift could last for up to three nights . In all respects , life at Tuvao was hard and the hours were long .
This excellent photo , taken by an unknown photographer , captures the flavour of a hard working family . Fritz Stünzner Snr ’ s eyes were such a pale blue that sometimes the pupils failed to register in photos .
Stünzner Family Collection
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