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Friday, November 10, 2006

Online Exhibit - Ladies Who Launch

Press Release:

Independence Seaport Museum is pleased to announce their first online exhibit: Ladies Who Launch: Ship Christening Photographs from Delaware Valley Shipyards, which can be viewed at http://www.phillyseaport.org/LWL

In portraits and candid shots selected from the Library’s collections, these images show the scale of the members of the launching parties in relation to the enormity of the ships, the effervescent crash of champagne bottles, and the fabulous fashions from the first half of the 20th Century.

The online presentation is an expanded version of the exhibit now on display in the Museum. Ladies Who Launch is presented in conjunction with Women & the Sea, a comprehensive exhibit that explores the contributions of women mariners; open now through Labor Day 2007. For more information about exhibits and related programming please see: http://www.phillyseaport.org/New_Exhibits.shtml

The photo included here happens to be one of my favorite from the exhibit. It is interesting to note that in all the women and the sea studies I've heard about - this involvement of women and the sea has rarely been mentioned. Great job!

1 comment:

Joe Follansbee said...

Hi Kelly,

Great post! Your comment about women's roles in maritime history prompts me to let you know that I have a section in my upcoming book on the schooner Wawona that talks about women's lives ashore. During the ship's cod fishing years from 1914 to 1947, women played a critical role in preparing the salted cod for market, including picking out small bones with tweezers under a bare light bulb! I'm hoping to publish my book next month. I'll let everyone know.