Bush to Deliver Commencement Speech at Merchant Marine Academy

From chron.com

WASHINGTON - Every year since 1950, the senior class president of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has written a letter to the president of the United States, asking him to deliver the commencement speech. And, every year since 1950 the president of the United States has declined the invitation — until now.

President Bush announced Thursday that he will deliver the keynote speech to the graduating class of the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., on June 19, making him the first sitting president to visit the institution since its creation in 1943.

Bush will also speak to the graduating classes at Oklahoma State University on May 6, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College on May 11 and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. on May 27.

Those four will be the most college graduations he will have spoken at during his time in office in a single year.

"This is a very exciting event," said Martin Skrocki of the Merchant Marine Academy. "We've never had a U.S. president come to the academy."

Richard Nixon attended a function when he was vice president and Dan Quayle gave a speech to the academy in 1991, when he was vice president.

Bush has good reason to end this presidential embargo. Merchant mariners carry 95 percent of military supplies to the Persian Gulf.

When Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta gave the commencement speech at the academy in 2004, he noted that for nine days following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, mariners transported personnel and supplies such as food from Brooklyn and New Jersey to lower Manhattan.

New Article: Journal for Maritime Research

‘Icebergs’ and other recent discoveries in paintings from Cook’s second voyage by William Hodges

A new article in the March edition of the JMR looks particularly interesting. Especially to those interested in how primary sources were not so primary after all. Turns out the paintings, which have been taken for documenation, were probably edited to fit contemporary tastes.

Here's the abstract from the website:
Hodges was official landscape artist on Cook’s second Pacific voyage, 1772–75 and therefore the first professional painter to see both the tropical south-central Pacific and the Antarctic ice of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic sectors of the Southern Ocean. This note reports previously unrecorded features of several of his resulting works, discovered during their preparation for a 2004 exhibition of Hodges’ work at the National Maritime Museum. Raking light examination and X-radiography revealed significant hidden information, including variant title inscriptions and an unfinished view of Antarctic icebergs. These details challenge the accepted chronology of Hodges’ work and suggest that a more systematic re-examination of his Pacific paintings is still needed to reveal the full extent of their hidden information.

Job Posting: Independence Seaport Museum

The Independence Seaport Museum seeks a part-time, temporary (grant-funded through December 2006) Library and Archives Department Assistant.

Located on Philadelphia's historic Penn's Landing, Independence Seaport Museum provides a dynamic, interactive learning experience, and is home to OLYMPIA, Admiral Dewey's flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898, and BECUNA, a WWII submarine, a boatbuilding workshop, changing exhibition galleries and a special collections library. The library houses an extensive collection of materials pertaining to the history of the Delaware Valley Region in a variety of formats, including manuscripts, photographs, architectural drawings, maps and ephemera.

Please see www.phillyseaport.org for more information about ISM, and about the library's collections and services.

The ideal candidate will have practical experience in special library reference service and archives collection management, and will have the opportunity to make an important contribution to the Department's objective to increase access to its holdings.

DUTIES: Schedule research appointments, and assist and monitor users with library and archives collections in the reading room. Answer reference questions by mail. Assist library director with administrative tasks and collections care, such as inventories, data entry, photocopying and scanning, shelving, filing, and other duties as assigned. Conduct original research for exhibit support, and in order to produce finding aids. Assist with processing of archival collections, including arrangement and description, rehousing, and basic conservation.

SALARY AND HOURS: Three days a week on a consistent schedule during the library’s public service hours: Tuesday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. $12 an hour.

REQUIRED: The assistant will be the public's primary contact with the library, and therefore expected to present a professional, service-oriented demeanor, with a pleasant phone manner and authoritative presence in the reading room. Other requirements include excellent writing skills; attention to detail; dependability; ability to work both independently and with the public; understanding of primary sources; care in handling unique materials.

PREFERRED: Previous employment in a library or research setting strongly preferred. Undergraduate degree in humanities; knowledge of American/maritime history/technology; training in archival practice; facility with Microsoft Office and OCLC.

TO APPLY: Send resume and cover letter to Megan Fraser, Library Director; Independence Seaport Museum; 211 S. Columbus Blvd. at Walnut Street; Philadelphia, PA 19106; fax: (215) 925-6713; or e-mail library@phillyseaport.org

Resumes without cover letters will not be considered,

Maritime Researcher Wanted

This was posted on the Archives Listserve earlier today:

The Intrepid Museum is looking for a researcher to compile a listing of materials related to the USS Intrepid that are in the pocession of NARA and the Library of Congress.

Can anybody recommend any researchers in the Washington DC area who have a background in Naval/Maritime History that would be interested in such a project.

Please reply to:

larrybird1j@NETSCAPE.NET
Larry Sheldon
Collections Manager
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Ring Anderson

For some reason the news that the 114ft luxury schooner Ring Anderson has been donated to the Virginia Maritime Heritage Foundation has just been broken, even thought the transfer of ownership happened in January. (or there is the possibility that I missed it in the midst of the New Year festivities.

Read the full story at HamptonRoads.com

Dutch-Australian maritime symposium

Two world experts on the early Dutch exploration of the Australian coast will contribute to an entertaining symposium on Dutch-Australian maritime links in Sydney on 12-13 May this year.

Other speakers will talk on wide-ranging subjects such as early Dutch efforts to chart the Western Australian coast, Dutch-Australian relations in World War II and Dutch influences in contemporary Australian culture.

The two-day symposium Dutch Connections – 400 Years of Australian-Dutch Maritime Links 1606-2006 will celebrate the 400th anniversary of Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon, in the Duyfken, sailing into the Gulf of Carpenteria and making the first European contact with Australia in the spring of 1606.With registration open to everyone, it will be presented by the Australian National Maritime Museum and Shell at the National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour.

The two visiting experts on early Dutch trade with the East Indies and the exploration of Australia’s west coast are
· Professor Peter Sigmond, Director of Collections at the renowned Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and
· Dr Robert Parthesius, historian and curator at the Amsterdam Historical Museum.

The other speakers will include:
Dr Philip Playford (Western Australian Museum): Dirck Hartogh and the Land of the Eendracht: early exploration and shipwrecks on the coast of Western Australia… a paper that will review the famous navigators who visited Cape Inscription WA in the 17th – 19th centuries.
Paul Brunton (State Library of NSW): Abel Janszoon Tasman – The Australian voyages, missing journals and fugitive charts.
Dr Mack McCarthy (Western Australian Maritime Museum): The Dutch on Australian Shores, the Zuytdorp tragedy – unfinished business.
Dr Nonja Peters (Curtin University of Technology WA): Doubled Dutch – Post-war Migration to Australia.
Dr Peter Stanley (Australian War Memorial): ‘The Dutch are a mob of bastards’ – Australian and Dutch relations in the Pacific War.
Dr Nigel Erskine (Australian National Maritime Museum): Dutch encounters and the Australasian shore… a paper that will consider how Dutch settlements in Asia contributed to the British settlement of Australia, and Dutch connections in the National Maritime Collection.
Akky van Ogtrop (Dutch-Australia Cultural Centre): The Dutch Experience in Australia – Visual Arts
Gerard Willems (Sydney Conservatorium of Museum): The Dutch Experience in Australia - Music

Registration for the two-day symposium Dutch Connections – 400 Years of Australian-Dutch Maritime Links 1606-2006 costs $77. This includes two lunches, morning and afternoon teas. Registration for one of the two days costs $44. For information and bookings, phone Carolyn Allen +61 2 9298 3777.

Two Positions at Center for Wooden Boats

The Center for Wooden Boats, a non-profit maritime museum and education center, is accepting applications for two part time positions. Qualified applicants may apply for both positions.

Job Opportunity: Business Assistant

This 20 hour per week position supports the Business Manager in the daily operations of the museum. This position is required to work one shift per weekend.

Duties of the business assistant include, but are not limited to:
Receiving income on a day-to-day basis and properly recording income in Quickbooks.
Entering and paying bills in a timely manner.
Assisting the Business Manager in keeping financial processes up to date.
Reconciling bank accounts with Quickbooks.
Assisting in tracking designated funds for grant reporting purposes.
Financial record keeping both on the computer and paper hard copies.
Tracking and recording in-kind donations to the museum.
Making bank deposits, transferring funds, and performing other banking tasks.
Generating simple Quickbooks reports.
Recruiting and managing advertisers for various publications.
Purchasing and managing inventory for the CWB store.
Staffing the front desk when volunteers are unavailable.

Minimum qualifications:
Ability to operate office equipment and computers including proficiency using Outlook, Word, and Excel.
Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
Detail oriented with the ability to handle multiple concurrent tasks.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Ability to work as part of a larger group as projects dictate.
Ability to apply and explain rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
Knowledge of the operation of standard office equipment and communications systems.
Ability to handle sensitive information with honesty and integrity.
All employees are subject to a background check with the Washington State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies.
Applicant must have a valid driver’s license.

Desired qualifications:
Familiarity with Quickbooks.
Familiarity with Quickbooks Point of Sale.
Experience or familiarity with fundamental principles of accounting and bookkeeping.

Reports to: Business Manager

Salary: $10-$12, DOE
This position offers a flexible work schedule, with prior approval from a supervisor.
The Center for Wooden Boats offers free boat use to its employees. Opportunities to learn how to sail or develop maritime skills may be available.

To apply, send a cover letter, resume, and references to Business Assistant Applications, The Center for Wooden Boats, 1010 Valley Street, Seattle, WA 98109 or eldon@cwb.org. Please note that cover letters will be evaluated both for content and as a writing sample.

Applications must be received by 5pm, April 17, 2006

Job opportunity: Operations Assistant

This 20 hour per week position supports the operation of a non-profit museum and education center. This position is required to work one shift per weekend.

Duties of the Operations Assistant include, but are not limited to::
Operating and troubleshooting office equipment and personal computers.
Assisting in the scheduling and preparation of materials for board meetings.
Managing mailing work parties and processing mailings correctly for bulk mail.
Assisting with grant writing and other development tasks.
Managing facility use including rental of the facility.
Staffing the front desk when volunteers are unavailable.
Managing volunteer trainings and work parties.
Assisting with special projects including facility upgrades, events, and maintenance tasks.
Moving, sorting, and organizing items as heavy as 40 pounds on a regular basis.
Overseeing operations when the Operations Manager is not available.
Preparing and maintaining various records on office activities pertaining to operations, purchasing, office management, and related activities; processes sensitive materials.
Entering and manipulating data and information by creating word processing templates, form letters, simple databases, tables and spreadsheets.

Minimum qualifications:
One year of experience in general office, clerical and administrative support work.
Ability to operate office equipment and computers including proficiency using Outlook, Word (including mail merge), Excel, and Access.
Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
Detail oriented with the ability to handle multiple concurrent tasks.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Ability to work as part of a larger group as projects dictate.
Ability to apply and explain rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
Knowledge of the operation of standard office equipment and communications systems.
Applicant must be able to lift and move 40 pounds on a regular basis.
All employees are subject to a background check with the Washington State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies.
Applicant must have a valid driver’s license.

Desired qualifications:
Previous experience processing bulk mailing.
Previous experience managing rental contracts.
Knowledge of the general principles of volunteer management.

Reports to: Operations Manager

Salary: $10-$12 per hour, DOE.
This position offers a flexible work schedule, with prior approval from a supervisor.
The Center for Wooden Boats offers free boat use to its employees. Opportunities to learn how to sail or develop maritime skills may be available.

To apply, send a cover letter, resume, and references to Operations Assistant Applications, The Center for Wooden Boats, 1010 Valley Street, Seattle, WA 98109 or eldon@cwb.org. Please note that cover letters will be evaluated both for content and as a writing sample.

Applications must be received by 5pm, April 17, 2006

CFP: Graduate Student Conference, UConn

Imagining Environments: Navigating Space and Place in the Early Atlantic World

The Second James L. and Shirley A. Draper Graduate Student Conference on Early American Studies at the University of Connecticut and Mystic Seaport, September 28-30, 2006

The early Atlantic world evokes images of Basque fishermen hand lining off the shores of Nova Scotia, Africans harvesting sugar cane in Barbados, hogs rooting through mussel beds on Cape Cod, a peddler selling Bibles on a Philadelphia street corner, Navajo women hustling sheep across the Rio Grande. Such images are at the heart of exciting new scholarship.

Encouraging innovative research on both real and imagined environments, both this conference and our Pulitzer prize-winning keynote speaker, Alan Taylor, seek to explore reconstructions and representations of space and place across the Atlantic world. Taylor's William Cooper's Town: Power and Persuasion on the Frontier of the Early American Republic and his recent work, The Divided Ground: Indians, Settlers, and the Northern Borderland of the American Revolution, offer models for such inquiry, tracing the contests over territory, power, and culture in the borderlands of the Northeast.

The University of Connecticut History Department and Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea invite graduate students to submit paper proposals for the Second James L. and Shirley A. Draper Graduate Student Conference on Early American Studies, to be held in Storrs and Mystic, Connecticut from September 28-30, 2006. This conference welcomes interdisciplinary approaches to the Americas and the Atlantic world from the sixteenth to the early nineteenth-centuries. Paper topics may include, but are not limited to:

-Public and private spaces from New England Town Squares to Portuguese slave ships
-Experiencing religious, spiritual, and other transformative environments
-Mapping the oceans, cities, and farmlands of the Americas
-Development of community identity within racial, gendered, and class-conscious paces
-Native, European, and African conceptions of the environment
-The relationship between technology, science, and space
-Staple crop agriculture, early industrialization, and environmental consequences

Submission Guidelines:
All submissions must be received by May 5, 2006. Notifications of acceptance will be made by June 15, 2006. Interested graduate students should submit a 200-300 word abstract and brief C.V. Please submit materials electronically in Word format and include, "Draper Conference" in the subject line.

Please send proposals or comments to:

Chad Reid
chad.reid@uconn.edu

10th North Atlantic Fisheries History Association Conference

The North Atlantic Fisheries History Association (NAFHA) and the German Maritime Museum (Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum / DSM) invite you to the upcoming 10th NAFHA Conference to be held in Bremerhaven (Germany) between Aug. 7th and Aug. 11th 2006.

The conference will be part of the scientific programme accompanying the special exhibition Fish-Fingers at the German Maritime Museum during summer 2006.

Therefore a special focus of the conference will be on the industrialization of the fisheries and fish industry in the North-Atlantic area during the 20th century.

Other topics will be:
- Fisheries limits and conflicts
- Labour migration
- Globalization of fisheries and fish industry
- Consumer habits
- Fishermen's religion and superstition

As the conference is dedicated to be a forum for all scholars dealing with fisheries history there will be a specialized session on global fisheries history aspects organized in cooperation with the Global Fisheries History Network (GFHN).

In addition there will be a young researcher's session.

Meetings of the NAFHA Editorial Committee, NAFHA Steering Committee will be part of the programme as well as a General Assembly of NAFHA.

Excursions to the fisheries harbour of Bremerhaven and fish-processing plants will complete the programme.

Conference fee is 100,--EUR and will cover the conference materials, excursions, the conference dinner and coffee breaks. (A limited number of exemptions and/or reductions for the conference fee will be available, for further details or to apply for an exemption or reduction please contact the local organizers.)

A draft programme of the conference will be available in May 2006 and spread out with the second invitation together with detailed information on accommodation and travel arrangements.

Registration for the conference will start yet and stay open until the end of June.

To register for the conference please contact Britta Steffens of the local organizing committee (steffens@dsm.de).

Conference language will be English.

Local organizing committee of the 10th NAFHA Conference Bremerhaven 2006


PD Dr. Ingo Heidbrink
-German Maritime Museum-
Hans Scharoun Platz 1
D-27568 Bremerhaven
GERMANY
Phone: +49 471 48207 16
Fax: +49 471 48207 55
Mail: heidbrink@dsm.de

Britta Steffens
-German Maritime Museum-
Hans Scharoun Platz 1
D-27568 Bremerhaven
GERMANY
Phone: +49 471 48207 26
Fax: +49 471 48207 55
Mail: stiffens@dsm.de

The MHN Blog: Kalakala Named to National Register of Historic Places

The MHN Blog: Kalakala Named to National Register of Historic Places

Lord Baltimore Research Fellowship

The Maryland Historical Society is pleased to announce that the deadline for applications for our Lord Baltimore Research Fellowships has been extended to April 15th. This is a postmark deadline. Applications will be welcomed from independent scholars, graduate students, or university faculty in any discipline appropriate to its collections. Our collections are strongest in the colonial period through the nineteenth century, with significant holdings of family, political, and business papers. Our collections also support in-depth research in African-American and maritime history, decorative and performing arts, architecture, and other topics.

Between six and twelve Lord Baltimore Fellowships will be awarded. These fellowships are non-stipendiary. Fellows will be provided with office space, access to computers with Internet connections, office supplies, staff-level access to the library and museum (that is, access will be available for fellows from Monday through Saturday, not just during public hours), and a free staff parking permit.

For more information and application instructions, please go to:
http://www.mdhs.org/library/fellowship.html

John Carter Resigns

According to the Philadelphia Business Journal the president of the Independence Seaport Museum the Philadelphia maritime-history museum said has resigned. John Carter, who had been president for 17 years, resigned effective March 30. The museum's board of port wardens announced the resignation Saturday.

Carter came to Philadelphia in 1989 after serving as director of the Maine Maritime Museum.

"John has advised the board that he does not intend to stay for the duration of the next stage in the growth and development," said Chairman Peter McCausland. "Therefore, the board has decided to begin a search for the new president."

Karen Cronin, vice president of operations, will serve as acting president.

The Philadelphia Inquirer story has a few more details about the resignation and history of Carter's tenure.

Progress!

As many of you know, and have written, the Numa Numa CS6 video link hasn't been working for some time. I have certainly missed the crew and have been searching for the original video ever since the link went dead. Today, March 28, 2006 I finally located a good, clean copy in an accessible format. It's downloaded, backed up and resting safely.

Now comes the dilemma. As a librarian and even as a respecter of personal property rights I don't feel comfortable posting the video without permission. In addition, I'd like to accession the video into the Mystic Seaport Collections, but again, need permission and a gift agreement.

So, the next step is to track down Mizzman Productions and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Any assistance would be appreciated.

Stay tuned!

Speaking of videos

Get Caught

Tonight starts the 2nd season of the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch.

This reality series follows the captains and crews of five Alaskan crab fisherman and if it's anything like last year it is amazing maritime drama. While the tv footage tends to run a lot of repeated film it still manages to catch (atleast to someone who'se never even imagined being on one of these vessels) what it like to be crabing off the coast of Alaske

Unlike last season — the last derby style race to catch as many crabs as possible in a matter of days — the fishermen must now abide by a new set of rules and regulations that were implemented to decelerate the already dangerous conditions in the Alaskan waters. New policy dictates that each ship is given its own quota instead of one fleet-wide quota, allowing captains months to trawl for crabs instead of days.

An additional bonus is the theme song - Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive" played over some amazing sea shots. I'll try and download the file.

USS Monitor Center - fundraising update

The USS Monitor Center is set to open in a year.

Museum officials announced today they've already raised more than 25 million dollars for the center and they are now embarking on the public phase of its campaign to raise 30 million dollars for a wing to house artifacts from the wreckage of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor.

1877 ELISSA to Make Maiden Voyage as the Official

It's a big day for Galveston, Texas and for all Tall Ship enthusiasts. Today. March 27th, the Elissa is set to sail once again.

ELISSA is a three-masted, iron-hulled sailing ship built in 1877 in Aberdeen, Scotland by Alexander Hall & Company. She carries nineteen sailscovering over one-quarter of an acre in surface area.

Bringing 'Old Ironsides' Crew to Life

The folks at the USS Constitution Museum are in the process of an impressive project that looks below the surface of a national monument by looking at the individuals who served aboard CONSTITUTION during the War of 1812 and how their experience aboard affected them, their families, and the country.

Building upon a database created by former Commanding Officer, Tyrone Martin, two Research Coordinators, Lauren McCormack and Matt Brenckle will expand that database and add information about the crew gained from months of research in the Naval War and maritime records. The immediate outcome of the project is to be "Sailor's Speak", an exhbit giving voice for the first time to the ship’s company. The long term benefits of the resulting database will provide scholars and researchers with ways of seeing each sailors' life at sea in ways that were previous unimaginable.

Yesterday I met with Museum Curator Sarah Watkins and Research Coordinator Lauren McCormack. Aside from hearing some great stories about the Crews, we talked about the project and its potential. I can easily see how their work can serve as a prototype for other projects wishing to explore the people who went to sea and the extent of their lives both at sea and on land.

South Street Hotel Renovation

South Street Seaport is moving forward on plans to renovate an 1811 hotel. Called the Fulton Ferry Hotel during the Civil War, the hotel starting as a pretty decent place to stay. It changed over the years into a rundown flophouse, eventually shutting down in the 1930's.

“The intention for the hotel space now is to encapsulate one room as it is now, just to show the dilapidated state we found it in, and then bring some of the rooms back to different time periods,” says Jeff Remling, the museum’s curator.

NY1 story

Maritime Quote of the Day

Happy, but belated Vernal Equinox to everyone. The official end of winter and the persistance of gray cold days brings to mind a classic Melville quote:

whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off--then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.

If I were to go to sea for such a reason, it would be in late January, early February. Annually that is when this quote starts running around in my head. The gray days, the cold, the wind, the hours inside dark rooms, dark houses. This year I didn't knock anyones hat off, no coffin warehouses in sight and so I thought maybe the winter blues weren't getting to me. But today I'm wondering if it was a more of low-grade, insidious 'deep November'. Here it is Spring, and I just don't feel sprung. This morning I woke up thinking that I could row across the Atlantic. (And not in one of those fancy decked out rowboats, but more in the Harpo and Samuelson style). I hope real spring comes soon!

Today I'm at the Boston Navy Yard - more on that later.

Julius Kroehl's Submarine

The 18m Explorer submarine was originally intended to be used by the Union navy and was built by an immigrant iron worker, Julius Kroehl, for $75,000 in 1865, a time when a mid-level public servant earned $200 a year.

The submarine came too late to play a decisive role in the Civil War and it was sent to trawl for pearls in the Gulf of Panama.

But after collecting 10 tonnes of pearl shell in 11 days on its maiden trip, the sub was abandoned after the divers on board succumbed to the bends, known in those days as "the fever".

Australian experts have now been asked to help salvage the submersible 130 years after it was beached on a remote island off Panama.

The MHN Blog: Maryland Institute Updates Website, Comments on Massive Maritime Sculpture

Joe Follansbee of the MHN Blog posted an interesting update on the Institute for Maritime History.The MHN Blog: Maryland Institute Updates Website, Comments on Massive Maritime Sculpture

NMHS Meeting: USCG Academy, New London CT

On Saturday, April 29th, the Society will hold its 2006 Annual Meeting at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. The meeting will start at 9 am with Registration. The Business Meeting will begin promptly at 10 am and be followed by maritime heritage reports, which will update us on the advances in our seafaring legacy in the area, from the U. S. Coast Guard, Mystic Seaport, the Herreshoff Marine Museum to the Connecticut River Museum. We will break at 12:30 pm for a cash bar and luncheon. At 2:30 pm cadets will take us on tours of the campus and museum.

For more information call NMHS at 800-221-NMHS (6647) ext. 0 or e-mail j.miller@seahistory.org.

Classes on the Lettie G. Howard

This summer two programs will be offered aboard the historic traditional
Schooner "Lettie G. Howard" (Home Port: South Street Seaport, NYC).

Dates:

1. "Maritime History of New England" (4 credits; Boston University)
16-29 July 2006. Departs from Boston harbor; returns to Boston.

2. "Maritime History of the Atlantic World" (3 credits; University of
Massachusetts Dartmouth) 7-21 August 2006. Departs from New
Bedford harbor; returns to Boston.

Earn college credit and a sail training certificate while learning
about maritime history and culture aboard the historic traditional Schooner
Lettie G. Howard during a two-week journey. Students will sail along
the Atlantic seaboard, ending their voyage in Boston. While underway,
students will have two hours of academic instruction daily and stand
watches with the Schooner's professional crew to learn traditional
sailing techniques, navigation and other shipboard duties.

Voyage itinerary will include stops at several historic ports and
maritime museums (itinerary depends on wind and weather, but possible
ports of call include Greenport, LI; Mystic Seaport, CT; Salem, MA;
Nantucket,Martha's Vineyard and New Bedford, MA; Block Island, Bristol and Newport,
RI). During daylight sailing periods, students will receive structured
lessons from the Lettie crew on sailing and seamanship, maritime culture,
the marine environment and teamwork, responsibility and self-reliance.

Program cost is all-inclusive and covers tuition, room, board, program
fees, museum entrance fees and sail training. Program costs vary
depending on sponsoring institution (Boston University or U. Mass.
Dartmouth) and whether the course is taken for undergraduate academic
credit or graduate credit.

Space is limited to twelve students per voyage. The Lettie G. Howard
is inspected and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard and equipped with
modern safety and navigational equipment. Her crew is commanded by a Coast
Guard-licensed captain and mates.

For more information or enrollment, please contact:

1. Boston University: Robyn Friedman Tel. 617-353-2978.

2. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth: Nancy Vanasse
Tel. 508-999-8778.

*Course syllabi for either program can be obtained from the instructor:
Dr. Timothy Walker or .

Additional Info:

1. http://www.bu.edu/summer/international/courses/history.shtml

2. http://www.umassd.edu/pce/international/welcome.cfm#maritime

Road to Recovery

The CNN video aired yesterday and as Joe pointed out (thank you very much) you can find the video on their site at:

http://www.cnn.com/video/partners/clickability/index.html?url=/video/
tech/2006/03/09/sieberg.katrina.wood.affl

They got some great shots of the Seaport, the Morgan and the Logbook. And while I'm obviously nervous, I actually appear near the end.

CNN

The Communications Department at Mystic Seaport reports that CNN will be airing a 2 part story on the Museum's use of live oak recovered from the Katrina aftermath. The story will cover the selection and transportation of wood that will be used in the reconstruction of the Charles W. Morgan, as well as a history of the historic vessel. While in Mystic the CNN crew interviewed various members of the staff and yours truely, who had the opportunity to read entries from the Morgan Logbooks. Don't know if that exciting footage will make the cut but you can find out if you check out CNN between 6 and 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 9, and between noon and 1 p.m. on Saturday and between 7 and 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Fellowship: Edward S. Miller Research Fellowship in Naval History

The Edward S. Miller Research Fellowship in Naval History. The Naval War College Foundation intends to award one grant of $1,000 to the researcher who has the greatest need and can make the optimum use of research materials for naval history located in the Naval War College's Archives, Naval Historical Collection, Naval War College Museum, and Henry E. Eccles Library. A guide to the College's manuscript, archival, and oral history collections may be found on the Naval War College's website http://www.nwc.navy.mil/museum. Scroll down to 'naval history resources' and click on "Naval Historical Collection Publications." Further information on the manuscript and archival collections and copies of the registers for specific collections are available online or on request from the Head, Naval Historical Collection. E-mail: evelyn.cherpak@nwc.navy.mil

The recipient will be a Research Fellow in the Naval War College's Maritime History Department, which will provide administrative support during the research visit. Submit detailed research proposal that includes statement of need and plan for optimal use of Naval War College materials, curriculum vitae, at least two letters of recommendation, and relevant background information to Miller Naval History Fellowship Committee, Naval War College Foundation, 686 Cushing Road, Newport RI 02841-1207, by 1 August 2006. For further information, contact the chair of the selection committee at john.hattendorf@nwc.navy.mil Employees of the U.S. Naval War College or any agency of the U.S. Department of Defense are not eligible for consideration; EEO/AA regulations apply.

CFP: “MUSIC OF AMERICA AND THE SEA”

Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT June 10, 2006.

Mystic Seaport’s 27th Annual Symposium “MUSIC OF AMERICA AND THE SEA” is seeking proposals for papers in History, Folklore, Literature, Ethnomusicology, or other appropriate disciplines that address any aspect of music or verse of the sea or inland waters from the Age of Sail through the present day.

Topics of interest have included: Shipboard work songs, songs of maritime or other occupational trades, seafaring cultures and cultural change, ethnicity and ethnic influences, cultural exchanges, ballad and broadside traditions, technology, regional interests, and popular culture.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE is March 10, 2006. Audiovisually illustrated presentations are welcome. Papers selected must be submitted in final form by May 7th.

HONORARIUM: Speakers will receive an honorarium, lodging and meals, modest travel subsidy, and free admission to the festival weekend.

PLEASE SUBMIT PROPOSALS and a brief curriculum vita or resume to:
Dr. Glenn Gordinier, attn: Symposium Williams-Mystic Program Mystic
Seaport 75 Greenmanville Ave.
Mystic, CT 06355-0990
glenn.gordinier@mysticseaport.org

Dr. Glenn Gordinier, attn: Symposium Williams-Mystic Program Mystic Seaport 75 Greenmanville Ave. Mystic, CT 06355-0990 glenn.gordinier@mysticseaport.org
Email: glenn.gordinier@mysticseaport.org

CFP: "Gender, Race, Ethnicity and Power in Maritime America," 2006 A Multidisciplinary Discussion of Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in the Maritime World

CALL FOR PAPERS/PROPOSALS
Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc., and the Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime Studies, seek paper or presentation proposals for the national conference entitled:

“GENDER, RACE, ETHNICITY AND POWER IN MARITIME AMERICA,” 2006
A Multidisciplinary Discussion of Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Maritime World

The conference will be held at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, October 26-29, 2006. It will engage a wide community of scholars, teachers, researchers, museum professionals, and the general public in an inclusive conversation about issues of gender, race, ethnicity, authority and power in American maritime history very broadly defined, in local, national, and global contexts. Sessions will be organized to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue among participants about the state of scholarship in the field, new research, and public access through institutional, educational, and media programming.

Graduate and postgraduate scholars in a range of disciplines -- American studies, history and literature; geography, anthropology, archeology, sociology and other social sciences; Native American, African American, Latin American, and Asian American studies; women's and gender studies -- as well as museum professionals, public historians, and professional educators at all levels, are encouraged to submit proposals for individual papers or presentations in other formats. Mystic Seaport plans to publish selected conference papers.

Please email a 250-word abstract of the proposed paper, panel or presentation and c.v.(s) before April 15, 2006, to: glenn.gordinier@mysticseaport.org
Or mail/fax: Dr. Glenn S. Gordinier, Munson Institute, Mystic Seaport, 75 Greenmanville Ave., P.O. Box 6000, Mystic CT 06355-0990; FAX 860/572-5329
The Munson Institute is Mystic Seaport’s summer graduate maritime history program.
Dr. Glenn Gordinier
Munson Institute, Mystic Seaport
75 Greenmanville Avenue
P.O. Box 6000
Mystic, CT 06355-0990
Fax: (860)572-5329
Email: glenn.gordinier@mysticseaport.org

Classic Yacht Symposium

From March 31- April 2 the New England Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, Rhode Island will hostthe 2006 Classic Yacht Symposium. The keynote speaker, Olin J. Stephens II, designed over 2,000 boats during a career begun in 1927, including America’s Cup winners J-Class RANGER (1937, co-designed with W. Starling Burgess ), and the 12 Meters COLUMBIA, CONSTELLATION, FREEDOM, INTREPID and COURAGEOUS (Sparkman and Stephens. Saturday’s day-long program will include seven presentations by noted boat restorers; question and answer sessions will follow each presentation. A boatbuilding schools panel discussion featuring representative from five boatbuilding schools and book signings are included in the day’s schedule of events.

Other presentations include the restorations of ALERA, a Herreshoff NY 30 transformed from a ‘basket case’ not sailed in 28 years to a participant in the 2005 class centenary; CANGARDA, the last of the American-built Edwardian era steam yachts, restored maintaining her original details and materials while meeting the demands of a modern cruiser; the PEGGY BAWN, a fully restored 1894 George L. Watson small fast cruiser sailing as designed and taking the Med by storm; and the 1925 Motor Launch CORSAIR, whose shape and structure were restored after years of service and ‘intemperate repairs’.

The Symposium includes a full day of presentations Saturday April 1; a dinner Saturday evening highlighted by speaker Gary Jobson, noted yachtsman and commentator; cocktail reception at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Friday evening; and Sunday events featuring the newly-restored 1887 NGH Cat Yawl CLARA and including a Curator’s tour of the NGH Model Room.

To register for the 2006 Classic Yacht Symposium™, visit the Museum’s website, www.herreshoff.org, or contact Teri Souto at the Museum, 401-253-5000 . Late registration fees apply after March 15.

Internships:

Martha's Vineyard Historical Society has posted opening for a Development/Administrative, Library/Archive, and Education intern for the summer of 2006. Internships begin June 13th and extend through August 20th. Compensation is set at $9.00 per hour commensurate with experience.

For more information please refer to the MVHS website.

The Society operates the major museums and the only reference library strictly for the study of Martha's Vineyard local history. The collections of the Society reflect the geologic record and natural history of the island and the broad spectrum of the lives of its inhabitants from 10,000 years ago to the present. Artifacts and library materials in the Society’s collections represent every aspect of the human experience from the last ice age to the present.

Inland Maritime Museum to Reopen

The Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum in North Little Rock is getting ready to reopen to the public.

The USS Razorback and other crafts have been closed since January, so they could be placed in their permanent locations on the Arkansas River. The Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum opened its doors to the public on May 15th, 2005 and is centered around the submarine USS Razorback (SS 394)

Full story.

Grant Deadline

The Directors of the Early American Industries Association (EAIA) have announced the availability of $6000 in research grants to be provided to individuals or institutions engaged in research projects that relate to the study and better understanding of early American industries in the home, shop, farm or on the sea. The number and amount of each grant is to be given at the discretion of the committee, with no one grant to exceed $2,000.00.

The purpose of the EAIA's Research Grants Program is to assist individuals, graduate students, and scholars with research leading to publication, exhibitions, or audio-visual materials.

The application deadline for the 2006 program is March 15.

For applications or further information about the program contact:

Ms Justine Mataleno, Coordinator
1324 Shallcross Avenue
Wilmington, DE 19806

(302) 652-7297

Mark Your Calendar: May 22

In 1933, Congress decreed May 22 as National Maritime Day. Each year since it has been a day for the United States to observe its proud maritime heritage, honor the men and women who serve and have served as merchant mariners, and recognize the many benefits that result from our American maritime industry.

What is your Maritime Museum doing to Celebrate?

This year the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), supported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the American Association of Port Authorities, The Propeller Club of the United States, Waterways Council, Inc., and other maritime groups, will introduce an awareness campaign designed to focus national attention on the maritime industry. Called, "Maritime Matters," the campaign will help to communicate the value of the maritime industry in relation to the economy, national security, jobs, environmental protection, agriculture, quality of life, recreation and more.

Original Resolution:

Joint Resolution of Congress Designating May 22 as National Maritime Day passed May 20, 1933

73d Congress, Session I, 1933
S. J. Res No.7

JOINT RESOLUTION Designating May 22 as National Maritime Day.

Whereas on May 22, 1819, the steamship The Savannah set sail from Savannah, Georgia, on the first successful transoceanic voyage under steam propulsion, thus making a material contribution to the advancement of ocean transportation: Therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That May 22 of each year shall hereafter be designated and known as National Maritime Day, and the President is authorized and requested annually to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe such National Maritime Day by displaying the flag at their homes or other suitable places and Government officials to display the flag on all Government buildings on May 22 of each year.

Approved, May 20, 1933

Naval Title Receives Federal Award

Breaking the Color Barrier: The U.S. Naval Academy's First Black Midshipmen and the Struggle for Racial Equality has been awarded the Society for History in the Federal Government's George Pendleton Prize for 2005. The book, written by Robert Schneller, Jr., Contemporary History Branch, Naval Historical Center, examines the black community’s efforts to integrate the Naval Academy, as well as the experiences that black midshipmen encountered at Annapolis.

"Describes for the first time the difficulties Wesley Brown endured and the concerted effort by a ‘tight knot’ of southern upperclassmen to oust him using racial epithets, ostracism, and demerits." --Washington Post

"Traces the long and bitter struggle to integrate the U.S. Naval Academy. . . an engrossing account of how an American institution struggled to deal with its racist past and ultimately triumphed in the fight to become integrated." --Shipmate Magazine

This is the second award that he has received for this book. It has already been awarded the 2006 Richard W. Leopold Prize from the Organization of American Historians.

Navy News Story

1st US Naval Facility on West Coast Under Attack

Dwayne Clark of the Boating Safety Law and News blog sent the following story:

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Mare Island Naval Shipyard "could face the wrecking ball under a development plan approved by the city of Vallejo that envisions a mix of housing, offices and open space."

While preservationists, including state and federal officials, are outraged by the plan, the Vallejo City Council in November unanimously approved the controversial development plan.

The Mare Island shipyard was established by the Navy in 1854 and was known as Naval Magazine, NSY Mare Island. The shipyard’s primary missions were to maintain, overhaul, and refuel ships, including nuclear-powered ships; provide logistical support for ships and service craft; and provide services and materials for other Navy functions.

During its tenure as the Navy's oldest base on the west coast, Mare Island built 512 ships and repaired hundreds more. Those ships, both great and obscure, fought in every conflict since. Mare Island's first ship, the paddle-wheeled gunboat Saginaw, was launched before the Civil War, in 1859, and its last ship, the nuclear submarine U.S.S. Drum, was launched in 1970 when our country was divided over the Vietnam war. These vessels also included the small ferryboat Pinafore, which chugged between Mare Island and Vallejo for 30 years starting in the 1890's, and the battleship U.S.S. California, the only battleship built on the west coast. Military Analysis Network

Ships of Mare Island

Conference Announcement: Charting the Inland Seas

From June 1st- 4th, 2006 the Wisconsin Maritime Museum will be hosting Charting the Inland Seas: Recent Studies in Great Lakes Research. The conference will be jointly presented by the North American Society for Oceanic History, Canadian Nautical Research Society and the Nautical Research Society .

Charting the Inland Seas will be held at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, the largest maritime museum on the Great Lakes, as well as homeport to the USS Cobia, the nation's most completely restored World War II submarine and on which conference attendees can spend the night. The Museum’s artifact collection of more than 15,000 items is considered one of the premier maritime museums on the Great Lakes.

Further details and the Call For Papers are on the website.

Conference Announcement: Our Voyaging Ancestors

February 18-20 the Prince Hotel on Big Island, Hawai'i will be hosting the 17th Annual Symposium on Maritime Archaeology and History of Hawai'i and the Pacific. The Conference theme is Our Voyaging Ancestors.

Nainoa Thompson, navigator and sail master of the double-hulled canoe Hokule`a, will give the keynote speech for the conference. The conference will also include a field trip to Mahukona Harbor and nearby heiau.

This symposium is co-sponsored by the University of Hawai`i at Hilo Department of Anthropology and Marine Option Program and the Maritime Archaeology and History of the Hawaiian Islands Foundation (MAHHI).

A Fitting Tribute

Peter Benchley, author of Jaws, and a shark conservationist, died yesterday. In an earlier interview with the London Daily Express Benchly stated: "Knowing what I know now, I could never write that book [Jaws] today," "Sharks don't target human beings, and they certainly don't hold grudges."

Today the University of Florida released a report citing a recent decline in world wide shark attacks on humans. According to the report greater safety precautions and in-your-face responses to confrontations with sharks went a long way in reducing the total number of attacks from 65 in 2004 to 58 in 2005 and fatalities from seven to four.

It appears that it is safe to go back in the water.

Historic Warships at Birkenhead Liquidated

On Sunday February 5, 2006 Historic Warships at Birkhead, which holds one of the largest collection of preserved 20th century warships in Europe, closed and announced its voluntary liquidation. Now ex-staff from the museum have formed a campaign to try and keep the ships together at their home in Merseyside.

The collection includes a German type IXC/40 submarine (the only U-Boat to have been recovered) which was sunk by Allied forces in 1945 and raised from the seabed between Denmark and Sweden 48 years later. Other ships in the collection include the frigate HMS Plymouth and submarine HMS Onyx, both of which saw service in the Falklands conflict, and a D-Day landing craft.

Full story at 24 Hour Museum.

Many thanks to Beth for bringing this story to the Compass.

Rowing at the Office

Compliments of daremedy.com

Position Available: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum President

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, a respected and accessible waterfront museum that captures the history and culture of one of America's major maritime regions, seeks its next President. This is an excellent opportunity to provide dynamic institutional and community leadership for a successful organization that is poised for its next stage of growth.

The Museum's eighteen-acre campus is in the center of the picturesque town of St. Michaels, a riverfront village and tourist destination in Talbot County on Maryland's Eastern Shore. With a $3.4 million operating budget, $12 million endowment, distinctive collections and exhibits, and a dedicated staff and board, the Museum has considerable assets. The President will be charged with building on the solid infrastructure that exists to create a premier institution that is recognized for its innovative programming, excellence, leadership and community service.

This important role calls for a leader with vision and creativity who can value the culture and history of the Chesapeake region and will be passionate about the Museum's mission. The position calls for proven strategic planning and leadership skills to provide focus for the collective energy of an organization. Fund raising skill is essential.

Inquiries, nominations and applications should be directed in confidence to:
Sheryl Ash, Managing Associate or
Maggie Gilmore, Associate
Isaacson, Miller
334 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
617-262-6500
3155@imsearch.com
Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.


Closes Mar 06

Position Available: Penobscot Marine Museum Executive Director

Penobscot Marine Museum is seeking nominations and expressions of interest in our search for the next Executive Director.

Founded in 1936, the Penobscot Marine Museum is a regional history museum comprised of 13 buildings, five of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum owns a highly regarded collection of boats, paintings and other artifacts and has an extensive research library.

The museum's balanced operating budget for 2005 - 2006 was approximately $900,000; its endowment stands at $3.2 million; its balance sheet is unencumbered. The museum enjoys the support and patronage of its local, summer and ever expanding year-round and part-time residents. The next chapter in its history awaits the imprint and leadership of its new Executive Director. The position includes a competitive compensation package with regional museums and transitional and/or permanent housing.
The Search Committee, Penobscot Marine Museum, P.O. Box 498, Searsport, ME 04974, museumoffices@penobscotmarinemuseum.org

I have not yet begun to search!

The Naval Historical Center and the Ocean Technology Foundation are planning to launch a search for Bonhomme Richard off the coast of England in July. This attempt to bring John Paul Jones' ship up from the depths of Davey Jones' locker (were they related?) is be funded by a grant from NOAA.

Other collaborators in the project include the University of New Hampshire Center for Coastal Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center, the College of Exploration, and the Bridlington Regeneration Partnership in Bridlington, U.K.

Positions Available: Battleship New Jersey

Director of Education

Experienced, enthusiastic, self-motivated educator sought to help run dynamic educational program geared to meet New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware State Curriculum Standards for 3rd through 12th grade levels in social studies, math, science, geography and history. The successful candidate will demonstrate ability to develop and implement imaginative lesson plans for on-site and off-site presentations, with emphasis on hands on programming, including the use of artifacts. Must be able to work well with retired teachers, administrators or other educational volunteers. Must have two or more years practical teaching or educational museum experience. May be an active or retired Teacher from any public/private school in the Tri-State Area.
To apply for this position please send a cover letter and resume via mail, fax, or email to:
Battleship New Jersey, Attn: Human Resources, Director of Education Search, 62 Battleship Place, Camden, NJ 08103, Fax: 856-966-8228, Email: s.vogelson@battleshipnewjersey.org
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE
Posted Feb 06.

Assistant Curator

Experienced, enthusiastic, self-motivated museum curator to assist in the maintenance of a scholarly artifact collection and the ongoing preservation and security of the Battleship's historic fabric. Carries out routine, day-to-day curatorial functions such as monitoring of climate and climate control systems, entries in the artifact database, artifact tracking and record-keeping, and exhibit maintenance and support. Provides assistance in the planning, development, research, and implementation of new and ongoing collection exhibitions.
To apply for this position please send a cover letter and resume via mail, fax, or email to:
Battleship New Jersey, Attn: Curatorial and Education Department, Assistant Curator Search, 62 Battleship Place, Camden, NJ 08103, Fax: 856-966-3131, Email: officemanager@battleshipnewjersey.org,

Battleship New Jersey

Position Available: Director Maine Maritime Museum

The Maine Maritime Museum is the major repository for the preservation of Maine maritime artifacts and archives, with rich collections and exhibitions interpreting the role of Maine ships, shipbuilding and sailors. Its campus, exhibits, educational programs and research facilities offer the general public, as well as serious scholars, a rich reservoir of maritime history and experiences.

The Board of Trustees seeks an Executive Director who's career demonstrates success in the following: leadership, management, communications, marketing, fundraising, program development, and volunteer recruitment and training. While we seek an individual with a passion for maritime history, the Maine Maritime Museum is blessed with an experienced and knowledgeable staff of fourteen. These individuals have a keen sense of Maine's maritime heritage and a thorough knowledge of the museum's collections and programs. In addition, an active and devoted team of volunteers works throughout the museum in support of its mission. We seek a leader who can harness the existing strengths of the museum and who can develop and sustain a new and exciting resource for visitors, members and researchers.
The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums. Compensation is negotiable and will be commensurate with experience. Screening of applicants will begin February 13, 2006.
Interested parties should submit a cover letter and resume to:

Search Committee
Maine Maritime Museum
P.O. Box 662
Bath, ME 04530-0662
http://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org

Museum Bahari

This post falls into the just plan interesting catagory.

Evi Mariani, a writer for the The Jakarta Post writes that "Compared to popular Jakarta Historical Museum, huge Maritime Museum in North Jakarta actually has far more interesting collection with well-written and comprehensive bilingual information." The museum has eight large permanent exhibition galleries, a temporary gallery and 1,800 objects.

The museum is located in two former Dutch East Indies warehouses built in 1774. According to wcities.com "The historical building alone justifies a visit. The front section is probably the only ancient city wall surrounding Batavia (old Jakarta) still standing today. "

Carrick / City of Adelaide

Friday's edition of TMC.net reports that the "oldest surviving clipper" will soon be scrapped. The Carrick (originally the City of Adelaide: a 176' bark, built in Sunderland, England in 1864) has been abandoned on a shipway in Glasgow since 1992 but is listed in the National Register of Historic Ships. Parties originally interested in funding the restoration have now decided to scrap her after a recent study concluded that the cost to restore the Carrick amounts to 10 million pounds. Christopher Mason, chairman of the Clyde Maritime Trust however, feels that the amount is reasonable and the project worthwhile.
At present there is a blank Save the City of Adelaide web page. Perhaps an effort to fund raise will be launched?

21 leave Mystic Seaport

As the result of a buyout/early retirement offer made by Museum officials, the following 21 employees of Mystic Seaport have moved on.
Collections: Phil Budlong, Claire White Peterson, Katrina Sniper, Leah Prescott, Andy German, and Dave Mathieson
Finance: Suzy Greenhalgh
Stores: Sandy Brown, Wanda Panciera, Dede Wirth, Bernadette White, Barbara Stefanski, Marlene Ross, Jane Wilkins, Dawn Hartman
Museum Education: Karen Havrilla, Rick Spenser, Karen Bigger
Exhibits: Deb House
Security: Roger DesRoberts

This has personally been a hard post to write, and it's been through several iterations. I even considered not posting it. But as part of the mission of this blog is to post the maritime museum news, I could not objectively leave this out. In the end, I ended with this short, brief post. If you know the people, you know the depth of our loss. Mystic Seaport is both the place and the people, and today is not what is was when these great folks were with us.

The MHN Blog: New Project Compiles Maritime Heritage Resources

The MHN Blog: New Project Compiles Maritime Heritage Resources

Maritime Heritage Network

Joe Follansbee, project manager of the Maritime Heritage Network and writer of The MHN Blog has just brought both wonderful resources to my attention. Both the Network and the Blog promote:

Central Puget Sound maritime heritage to residents and visitors from Washington State, the nation, and overseas. MHN is a collaboration among 4Culture, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and heritage groups in King and Kitsap counties.

Both the website and the blog are comprehensive, and interesting. (so comprehensive that I'm a bit jealous!)

Munson/NEH Summer 2006 Institute

June 19 through July 27, 2006 the Munson Institute at Mystic Seaport will host a six-week National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute entitled: “THE AMERICAN MARITIME PEOPLE”.

The institute will sample four hundred years of American maritime history. Emphasis will be placed on the most influential recent work in maritime studies, much of it by scholars who have agreed to contribute personally to “The American Maritime People.”

Summer Institutes for College and University Teachers are offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide college and university faculty members and independent scholars with an opportunity to enrich and revitalize their understanding of significant humanities ideas, texts, and topics. Applicants must complete the NEH application cover sheet and provide all of the information requested below to be considered eligible. Individuals selected to participate in six-week long projects will receive a stipend of $4,200.

The Deadline for applications is March 1, 2006.

Cautionary tale

Warning: the museum refered to in this post is not maritime - but the lessons apply.

The New York Times ran an article this Sunday on the Milwaukee Public Museum's Struggle for Solvency. The article points out the hard times museums are having attracting visitors and the fiscally expensive attempts made by the Milwaukee Museum to turn the tide. These attempts included many of what I call, non-mission initiatives, and ended up costing the now backrupt museum its solvency, or as the Times puts it:

like many museums in midsize cities around the country, eager to break out of a rut of stagnant attendance and attract tourists to stoke civic pride and the local economy, the Milwaukee Public Museum spent heavily on an aggressive expansion that never paid off. Besides its operating costs, it is saddled with $28 million in debt and other liabilities — a stark warning to other institutions that build in hopes that "they will come."

Independence Seaport Museum's maritime library receives $50,000 grant

The Albert M. Greenfield Foundation has awarded Independence Seaport Museum's maritime library a $50,000 grant for a one-year project to organize and catalogue two recently acquired primary source document collections - the records of Seamen's Church Institute, of Philadelphia, a "home away from home" for seafarers since the 1840s, and the records of John E. Hand & Sons Co., a major supplier to the U.S. Navy during World War II and a local manufacturer of nautical instruments dating back to 1873. Finding aids will then be created to enable researchers to locate the specific materials they need.

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Internships

CBMM is offering three internships this summer; Boatyard, Curatorial and Education. Internships are for 10-13 weeks. A weekly stipend of $125 plus housing is provided, and all interns are required to live in Museum housing.

"The Museum's internship program is an integral part of its educational activities. Internships provide students with the opportunity to gain training in their specific area of expertise as well as an overview of Museum practices and policies. Individuals working towards undergraduate or graduate degrees in Museum studies, history or related fields and individuals with formal boat building training are invited to apply."

For more information and an application form please take a look at their website.

Fisher Poets Gathering

More than 50 writers and musicians who work in the commercial fishing industry are set to gather in Astoria Feb.24 to 26, 2006 for the ninth annual Fisher Poets Gathering.

The Gathering is an event that brings together fishing industry-related men and women from several states to read their poems and stories, sing their songs, and socialize in a pub atmosphere. The audience comes from local towns and all over the country.

The following workshop schedule is planned.
Leading off the topical workshops is Trevor Corson from Washington DC, author of the novel Secret Life of the Lobster, on writing fiction and the Maine lobster fishing industry. Corson’s book first appeared as an Atlantic Monthly article. Twenty Years of Alaska Fisherman’s Journal follows, a talk by retiring editor-in-chief John Van Amerongen of Vachon WA, on the life of this influential industry journal that ceased publication in January 2006. Irene Martin of Skamokawa WA reports on her study of the socio-economic impact of the Columbia River gillnet fishing industry, and leads discussion on the issues involved.

This would be the perfect opportunity to check out the Cannery Hotel mentioned in a previous post.

Life at sea

ETA: See also the Oct. 6, 2008 update.

As historians of the future research to discover the nature of life at sea for today's sailor, merchant and naval, alike I hope that they are able to view (and analysize) this very informative video:




All 5 minutes and 36 seconds were produced by the CS6 (can anyone tell me what that means?) crew of the USS Enterprise. The video is a spoof of the Numa Numa video (which I confess I've never seen). According to Wikipedia the Numa Numa spoofs are based upon the Moldovan Romanian pop song "Dragostea Din Tei" by O-Zone.

It's an impressive piece of work!

This is the USS Enterprise - also known as the production studio:

Harassment of harassers

“What we do is at our pleasure. We harass outlaw fishermen for pleasure . We go watching for whalers for pleasure. We hunt whalers and sealers for pleasure. In fact I derive a great deal of pleasure from defending marine life on the high seas.” So says Capt Paul Watson of the Farley Mowat after being detained by Cape Town authorities.

Watson contends that the South Africans were acting under pressure from the Japanese, who feared that the Farley Mowat had docked to refuel and then resume its harassment of the whaling boats. The boat had recently spent 50 days in the Antarctic with vessels from Greenpeace on a mission to prevent Japan's whaling fleet from killing 850 minke whales and 10 fin whales.

Canadian Anti-whaling Ship Detained

Dwayne Clark's Boating Safety Law and News Blog hosts an excellent video on a dangerous Greenpeace/whaler encounter.

Final Resting Place

The Canadace, an 1818 Boston-built ship, whose life includes trading in the Pacific, arctic whaling, and a quiet stint in the mud under San Fransciso, will soon become the centerpiece of the San Francisco History Museum when it opens in 2008 at the Old Mint in downtown San Francisco.

The full, and interesting story can be found in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Job posting: Development Coordinator / Curator for the USS Constellation Museum

The USS Constellation Museum, located in Baltimore, Maryland, is pleased to offer, to qualified candidates, the opportunity to apply for the position of Development Coordinator / Curator. The Development Coordinator / Curator for the USS Constellation Museum is a challenging position combining duties usually performed by several individuals in a larger institution. These include, but are not limited to, the responsibilities of a Curator, Registrar, and Museum Historian, as well as exhibit planning and design, exhibit maintenance, grant research, grant writing, general fundraising, and project management,. Creativity and artistic aptitude for exhibit development and interpretation are very important to this position, as is the ability to research and relate to potential donors. The Development Coordinator / Curator must make a strong commitment to preserving the artifacts in our care, enriching the public experience of the Museum, as well as assisting the Museum's Executive Director with the planning and implementation of the institution's fundraising strategy. The ability to speak publicly on the history of the ship, the Museum's restoration efforts, and the need for support is also important. Applicants must have an Masters in Museum Studies or related discipline, and at least 5 years experience in museum operations or related field. Please send resume' and cover letter along with an example of your writing to:

Development Coordinator / Curator Search
USS Constellation Museum
Pier 1, 301 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

Alternately, you may e-mail your information to: admin@constellation.org and put Development Coordinator / Curator Search in the subject line. Complete job description and salary / benefit information available upon request. The USS Constellation Museum is an equal opportunity employer.

Own a plank: USS/CSS Waterwitch

For the first time in 140 years, Columbus, Georgia is about to build a Civil War era combat ship. Then, it was the ironclad ram CSS Jackson, today, it’s the USS Waterwitch, a classic side wheel steamer of more than 160 feet.

A blockader built in 1852, the Waterwitch was made famous by a daring Confederate Navy commando raid to capture the ship near Savannah in 1864. Thus, this ship has the unique history of being both the USS AND the CSS, Waterwitch.

The National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus is raising fund to rebuild this ship. Fund raising includes an own a plank promotion.

Title Not-Withstanding

Christopher Pastore's Temple to the Wind : The Story of America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Masterpiece, Reliance is an excellent book on a subject that has been written about by many. Despite the somewhat etherial title this newest book on Nathanial Herreshoff solidly details the advances in naval architecture and culture that are Herreshoff's great achievements.

"Temple to the Wind is an intriguing study of the legendary Captain Nat, his colleagues, his competitors and the designs he crafted leading up to the largest of them all, Reliance. In the process, author Chris Pastore has compiled a revealing image of yacht racing for the America's Cup as it existed a century and more ago." --John Burnham, editor, Sailing World

Sloop Clearwater undergoing $200 million renovation

Keith Eddings of The Journal News reports that "thirty-seven years after it first sailed up the Hudson and helped launch the campaign to restore the river, the sloop Clearwater has been lashed to a dock in this upstate village and stripped of its mast, rigging, bowsprit and half its deck for a major restoration of its own."

The article includes a well done slide show on the Clearwater's history and restoration.

For an update on other aspects of the Clearwater - it's future plans, past crew and exploits visit http://www.clearwater.org/index.html

Another first in maritime travel

A few months ago I wrote about the Ocean liner-style hotel in NYC. Looks like a new hotel in Astoria is more my speed. The Cannery Pier Hotel is Astoria’s newest luxury boutique hotel, built on the site of the former Union Fish Cannery 600 feet into the River. The Hotel offers guests unparalleled views of a real working river, as well as views out to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and nearby Washington.

The Hotel's impressive website includes (and this is why its impressive) a page with slide shows of freighters passing the hotel and a history of the Cannery:

The Cannery Pier Hotel rests on the 100 year-old pilings that formerly supported the Union Fisherman's Cooperative Packing Company. Formed in 1897, it was the result of a turbulent time that favored big business cannery owners instead of the fishermen. Disputes with cannery owners about prices per fish started in 1876, with fishermen going on strike, and in 1880 they formed the Columbia River Fishermen's Protective Union. Tensions came to a head in 1896 when the fishermen went on strike again. Two strike-breakers were shot and more violence threatened, and the Oregon National Guard was called in to break the strike. After this, about 200 fishermen (mostly Finnish) came together, pooled their resources, and formed the Union Fisherman's Cooperative Packing Company. By 1904, it had become the largest cannery in Astoria. It remained a fishermen-owned business until the late 1940's.

Job Posting: Curator Wisconsin Maritime Museum

Applications Contact person: Norma Bishop
Application due date: 2006/02/06
Salary range: salary commensurate with experience
Web Address: www.wisconsinmaritime.org
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum, an AAM accredited institution and Smithsonian Affiliate, is seeking an experienced curator with expertise in maritime history. Knowledge of American naval history and Great Lakes maritime history and culture is a plus.
With 60,000 sq. ft. (30,000 sq. ft. added in 2003) of modern facilities and the nation's most completely restored WWII submarine, the Museum offers an exciting opportunity for a highly qualified individual to guide the Great Lakes' premier maritime museum. The curator will be responsible for the care and management of the Museum's substantial collections and archives; development of exciting new exhibits planned for 2007; maintenance and enhancement of existing exhibits; and will supervise the Museum Educator in development of innovative, academically grounded educational programming for the public and a formal, comprehensive training program for docents and volunteers.
Responsibilities / Exhibits:
Develops annual exhibit calendars and exhibit development schedules;
Forms and works closely with exhibit development committees to develop new exhibits and enhance existing exhibits;
Researches, develops, supervises, and manages exhibitions and their installation;
Supervises temporary assistants, volunteers, and interns;
Proposes and manages curatorial/exhibition budgets, with approval of Executive Director;
Collaborates with other institutions, including the Smithsonian Institution, and collectors to secure the loan of items for exhibitions; provides Standard Facility Report as needed;
Supervises the preparation of loan agreements, insurance coverage, and condition reports;
Designs exhibition installations; works with part-time assistants to install exhibits;
Assists Executive Director with presenting proposals to potential exhibit sponsors;
Collaborates with Museum Educator to formulate exhibit-related programming and docent training;
Conducts lectures, gallery walks/tours as needed;
Works closely with Marketing and Media Relations Coordinator to design exhibit-related material, including didactics, invitations, brochures, and other materials;
Assists Media Relations/Events Coordinator and other staff with generating written material for exhibits and grant proposals;
Represents museum as spokesperson during exhibit-related interviews with media;
Attends exhibit sponsors private-event nights and Museum fund-raising events;
Builds strong rapport with local community, educators, and collectors.
Responsibilities / Collections:
Oversees the management, care and maintenance of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum facilities (including galleries and on-site and off-site storage), including security and environmental conditions;
Oversees care and preservation of WWII submarine; schedules and coordinates submarine advisory committee meetings;
Collaborates with Executive Director and Collection Committee to develop a collections acquisition plan, implement systems, policies and procedures of collection;
Works closely with the Collections Manager/Registrar who monitors condition and placement of all works within galleries, archives, and storage;
Selects items for, installs and manages rotating exhibits of collection;
Supervises the Collections Manager/Registrar who researches, documents, and maintains collection files on computer, off-site backup and hard copy;
Recommends works for acquisition/de-accession and preservation/conservation to Collection Committee; schedules committee meetings.
Qualifications:
Minimum, M.A. with 5-7 years of museum experience in museum studies. Ph.D. in field of interest is highly desirable;
Curatorial experience, including experience managing major traveling exhibitions;
Exhibit design/development experience required;
Meticulous research and writing skills, excellent verbal communication skills;
Excellent organizational/supervisory skills, including ability to multitask while paying careful attention to detail;
Strong interpersonal skills; must work effectively in collaborative team environment;
Proficiency in electronic records management, digital technologies and programs including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and PastPerfect;
Self-motivated, energetic leader with ability to visualize the future.
Equal Opportunity Employer; salary commensurate with experience.
Send cover letter with résumé, writing sample, and three references to Executive Director Norma Bishop, nbishop@wisconsinmaritime.org or FAX to 920-684-0219 no later than February 6, 2006. Posted January 14th

Internship Opportunities

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is offering 4 paid internship opportunities for the summer of 2006. Included are two collections internships, an education/public programming internship, and a curatorial internship, posted below. For more information about the museum, please visit our web site at www.wisconsinmaritime.org.

For more information about the internships contact:
Cristin Waterbury, Wisconsin Maritime Museum, 75 Maritime Drive, Manitowoc, WI 54220; or via email to cwaterbury@wisconsinmaritime.org.

Answer: 39 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes and 47 seconds.

Question: How long does it take to row across the Atlantic Ocean?

All Relative, crewed by four brothers from Beer in Devon, has just won the Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race. Beating all other competing boat by 800 miles, the boat and crew arrived safely in Antiqua this morning.