This #MuseumMonday, we are taking a moment to spotlight a crew member of John Kunkel Small’s 1917 botanical expedition, Laban Bethel. Small identified Laban Bethel as a Bahamian crew member and cook aboard Charles Deering’s boat, the "Barbee", during the 1917 botanical expedition to Lake Okeechobee. Small listed Bethel among a small working party that included the captain, a horticulturist, a conchologist, and Small himself, noting that all individuals performed interchangeable duties as the expedition navigated low water levels, repeated grounding incidents, improvised ballast adjustments, and canal locks in varying states of functionality. Bethel was present during the transit through the North New River Canal, the entry into Lake Okeechobee, the handling of the boat over sandbars, and the extended efforts required to maneuver through shallow channels and peat‑based terrain. The picture above shows some of the expedition crew members, including Bethel. From left to right: Paul Matth...