Lost

If you’re not an avid follower of the dense online mythology surrounding people named Hanso and Widmore, the auction scene may have seemed a bit dull. Yes, we all recognize the Black Rock as the slave ship on the island. But when you start looking into the details of who these people are and you start to question their motives, you feel tantalizingly close to having all the answers to the entire show.





Charles Widmore purchased the Black Rock journal at the auction. What his fascination is with the Black Rock is unknown, but it’s obviously more than just a hobby. Followers of Find815 this past winter learned that the Maxwell Group, owned by Widmore Industries, was financing the Christiane I, the ship sent out to find the Black Rock that ultimately discovered the “remains” of Oceanic 815.

The big question is: what is Charles Widmore’s obsession with the Black Rock? Perhaps it has to do with the Hanso Foundation. Magnus Hanso was the captain of the Black Rock during its expedition and is believed to be buried on the island. His great grandson is Alvar Hanso, founder of the Hanso Foundation who went on to help fund the DHARMA Initiative. At this time, it’s unclear who Tovard Hanso, the seller of the Black Rock journal, is, but it’s a safe assumption he’s related.

The meta-novel Bad Twin suggested that the Hanso Foundation and Widmore Industries did dealings together. Are Alvar and Charles old friends who had a nasty business dispute, leading to Charles devoting his resources to uncovering Alvar’s secrets? Is one of these men the mysterious “Economist” who sent the freighter after Ben?

Appreciating the show for its simple merits is enough. After all, there’s a decent chance we’ll never know the full truth about Widmore and Hanso. But for those of you who want to delve into the deep, dense mythology of Lost, it seems as though the purchase of the Black Rock journal by Charles Widmore was slightly more than an eccentric, expensive novelty purchase.

As a corollary to this Easter Egg, the item on sale at the auction after the journal belonged to Charles Dickens.  This is yet another familiar literary figure for Desmond, as the one book he waits to read is Dickens' Our Mutual Friend.

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