140 Years Ago Today...

...the crew of the steamship GREAT EASTERN spliced the final link in the first permanent transatlantic telegraph cable. The 2,500 mile long cable ran from Newfoundland to Ireland.

(Smithsonian Magazine Photograph)

Maritime Museum of San Diego Receives $500,000

Congrats to San Diego! According to a story published today in The San Diego Union-Tribune :

A Point Loma couple has donated $500,000 to the Maritime Museum of San Diego. The gift from Bob and Laura Kyle will support scholars' research, publication and exhibit design.

The museum hopes the Bob and Laura Kyle Endowed Chair in Maritime History will attract prominent researchers and curators, and serve as a catalyst for future donors.

Museum of Underwater Archaeology

The online Museum of Underwater Archaeology has recently been redesigned and now contains not only exhibits on underwater projects, a children's introduction to underwater archaeology, but two new sections as well. "In The Field" is a new section where researchers can post brief updates on their current field work. Our first two entries include a project that is inventorying shipwreck sites throughout Chesapeake Bay. The other entry discusses archaeological work on a Civil War site on the Pamunkey River in Virginia that may contain numerous wrecks. The other new addition to the site is a blog component that discusses archaeological and historical website creation. Various issues from accessibility for the handicapped to online resources will be discussed. You can reach them all here:

http://www.uri.edu/mua

Digital Lighthouses

AIS or Automatic Identification Systems are being used and developed for a number of maritime functions including ship identification. The Chinese have also recently reported its succesful use as a "lighthouse".

Liu Gongchen, China's Maritime Safety Administration executive director-general recently told the ongoing 16th Conference of the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) that the AIS had given advance warning to vessels in the path of Chanchu and as a result no lives were lost.

Using digital communication technology the AIS records and reports information on vessels, including speed, location and course and receives other maritime information from onshore control stations and vessels linked to the AIS network.

The US Coast Guard is also working with AIS systems and provides a good deal of explanation on how they work.


How are we ever going to archive this?

Another Position: This one requiring maritime knowledge

The Battleship Texas State Historic Site is seeking a museum director. The duties of the director will include the management and supervision of staff, volunteers, and other personnel engaged in restoration, preservation, and interpretive programs; the development and implementation of preventive and corrective maintenance programs for the ship; the development and presentation of historically accurate exhibits and programs interpreting the naval service as well as the design features of and relating to the ship; the directing of research, acquisition, restoration, preservation, and interpretation of materials relating to the ship; and providing support and liaison for friends' groups, such as the Battleship Texas Foundation.


Full Description

Position: Museum Director - Vancouver Maritime

The Vancouver Maritime Museum seeks a skilled professional executive director to help the Museum chart a new and exciting course as we tell the maritime story of Canada's premier port city. The new director will reinvigorate day-to-day operations while leading the institution forward at a critical time of change. The position will be an appropriate challenge for someone with a strong background in operations and managing change, combined with an enthusiasm for public institutions.

Full Description

Editorial comment: Interestingly enough none of the requirements for the position involve either an understanding of things historic, or maritime. Is this the future?

Do fundo do mar... Sea bottom: Replica of 3,300-year-old shipwreck arrives in Bodrum

Do fundo do mar... Sea bottom: Replica of 3,300-year-old shipwreck arrives in Bodrum
A replica of the oldest known shipwreck, Uluburun II, built by the 360 Degree Historical Research Association in Urla, İzmir, arrived in Bodrum on Monday for display as part of activities marking the 80th anniversary of Cabotage Day.

Previously the ship had anchored in Istanbul, Marmaris, Cyprus and Kaş readying for the Cabotage Day celebrations, a maritime festival that commemorates the establishment of Turkey's sea borders and celebrated annually on July 1, reported the Anatolia news agency.

Position Announcement: Assistant Director, The National Maritime Center

The Nauticus National Maritime Center is looking for an Assistant Director.

Salary Range: $57,745 - $75,000/Yr

Duties include (but are not limited to):

• Directs and coordinates the daily activities for The National Maritime Center which includes Nauticus, The Hampton Roads Naval Museum, the Cruise & Celebration Center and the Battleship Wisconsin.
• ¨ Acts as liaison with the various tenant facilities within the center and ensures the myriad of activities taking place on-site are conducted smoothly.
• ¨ Coordinates various personnel and event schedules and logistics.
• ¨ Supervises the visitor services, maintenance, security, exhibits, education operations, special events and housekeeping units.
• ¨ Plans, develops and prepares training and maintenance plans.
• ¨ Recommends hiring and disciplinary actions; conducts performance evaluations.
• ¨ Reviews and comprehends various reports, contracts and correspondence.
• ¨ Analyzes and evaluates many complex and significant variables including city-wide policies, procedures or precedents being developed or recommended.
• ¨ Negotiates contracts with vendors for various services used by the center.
• ¨ Serves as Acting Director when appropriate.

Full Job Description available from the City of Norfolk

Postition Announcement

From: guardian jobs

Location: East London
Salary: £20,000-£25,000 - Two-year fixed-term contract - Greenwich
Closing date: 24 Jul 2006

With our ambitious collections programme, the National Maritime Museum brings Britain's maritime history to life by illustrating the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars - and their relationship with people. In this fascinating role, you'll help us engage an ever-wider range of audiences by ensuring visitors have the best possible access to our collections.

Investigating our current use of collections data, you'll liaise widely with staff to develop fresh guidelines and procedures in terminology control for the Museum's collections records. In the process, you'll research best practice across the museum, libraries and archives sector as you apply the experience of other relevant institutions to our requirements.

Along with a degree in a relevant subject, you'll need substantial relevant experience - including some spent applying documentation standards and using collections management databases in a similar environment. We want to meet someone who can communicate at all levels, write detailed reports and guidelines, and work effectively both on their own and as part of a team.

Newport Harbor Nautical Museum Transitions from Sternwheel to Ferris Wheel

Today's L.A. Times reports that the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum, of Newport Beach, California, will relocate its operations from the riverboat restaurant PRIDE OF NEWPORT to an amusement park property on the Balboa Peninsula known as "the Fun Zone". According to Museum Director David Muller, the museum lacked adequate programming and exhibition space on board the aging vessel, whose upkeep represented 30% of the Museum's annual budget. The Fun Zone's bumper cars, arcades, and carousels will soon make way for a 2,800 square-foot museum exhibition center. But mindful of the many happy memories Newport Beach residents have of the Fun Zone, Muller stressed that "...the Ferris wheel stays."

Record Year: Australian National Maritime Museum

Yahoo news reports that the Australian National Maritime Museum "has had its most successful year ever in the 12 months to June 30," and that "a total 464,188 people passed through the doors, eclipsing by more than 4200 the museum's previous best in the Olympic Games year 2000-01."

In November of 2003 the Musem dropped its general admission charges, giving free access to its permanent exhibitions and special temporary exhibitions, no doubt increasing attendance figures. At the same time the Museum still charges admission to see its ships - the destroyer HMAS Vampire, submarine HMAS Onslow and the Endeavour replica.

No income figures are available (as far as this blogger was able to determine), but it sure would be interesting to see how this method effected revenue. One would think that food, and trinket sales would most certainly have increased with the increased visitation. How cool would it be if these surpassed previous admission fees!

New Owners Wanted: Lowell Boat Shop

In the face of worsening financial woes followed by heavy storm and flood damage this spring, the Newburyport Maritime Society has shut down the Custom House Museum on the Newburyport waterfront for the season.

The dire financial situation has also led the maritime society board to concede it can no longer run both the Custom House and Lowell's Boat Shop, which it bought in 1994.

After several months debating the boat shop's future, board members and volunteer society director Patricia Dorfman said the board is ready to break away from Lowell's, the 212-year-old institution regarded as the country's oldest continually operating wooden boat-building business.

Dorfman said a task force of the maritime society board is negotiating with various groups, including the Lowell's Boat Shop Trust, a private nonprofit group of local individuals that formed in 1992 to preserve the shop's storied boat-building tradition.

Full Story at NewburyportNews.com