Reishma Sankar

Reishma Sankar conducted the original research on the historical and technical perspectives of tanning and the leather industry in Trinidad as part of her academic work at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. The research was supervised by Professor Gary Garcia and Dr. Glenroy Taitt through the Department of Food Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Her work documents an under-recorded part of Trinidad and Tobago’s cultural, technical, and industrial heritage: the knowledge of tanners, craftsmen, abattoir workers, suppliers, market vendors, and elders who preserved the practice of tanning through memory, labour, and local experience. This book adapts that research for a wider readership while preserving the historical evidence, field documentation, and technical knowledge gathered during the original study.