Fan of Full Fathom Five? Be sure to check it out at its new home!

Friday, October 13, 2006

Position Announcement: Collections Access and Research Associate


Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea is currently seeking a Collections Access and Research Associate to work in the Collections and Research Department. The successful applicant will serve as part of the Access Team providing intellectual, physical and electronic access to the Collections of Mystic Seaport. This is an entry-level position.

Essential functions include, but are not limited to:
• Oversee circulation function of Collection materials to staff, students and volunteers
• Respond to reference requests, including onsite, written, commercial and personal, related to the Collections using all available Collections Access Systems.
• Master the various means of Collections access, including but not limited to Endeavors’s Voyager system, XG, websites, visual files, card files and databases.
• Advise patrons and clients on research and derivative fees when applicable and initiate production orders for Production Team.
• Staff the Collections Reference and Research Room on a regular basis. Duties include reshelving of retrieved Collections materials, circulation of books, answering phones, overseeing reading room, etc.
• Improve and increase public Web resources related to the collections, proofing web pages and databases products.
• Assist in the hosting and developing of digital resources that improve Collections Access.
• Maintain and update Collections Web site.

Requirements include:
• General knowledge of maritime history and terminology
• Desire to learn and work with ever-changing software applications.
• Ability to participate, lead and thrive in a team setting
• Bachelors Degree
• Knowledge of search strategies and information retrieval practices
• Strong foundation and belief in providing superior customer service
• Ability to work with and continuously learn common computer applications
• General computer experience with museum and collections management software preferred.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Access, or SQL
• Detail-oriented and able to handle fragile objects according to collections management standards.

This is a full time (35 hrs./wk) position . Mystic Seaport is an AA/EOE employer.

If you wish to apply for an advertised job opening, you can download an Employment Application (Adobe Acrobat Required) or call 860.572.5346 for an application or e-mail Human Resources. We can only accept applications, accompanied by a resume if you wish, for positions for which we currently have an advertised opening. Applications must be filled out completely on both sides, be signed as well as dated, before they can be accepted for review.

Position Announcement: Collection Management Technician


Mystic Seaport's Collection and Research Department is seeking a Collection Management Technician: Full time (35 hrs./wk.) position assists with care and preservation of Museum’s Collections in storage, in transit and on exhibit. Maintains collections’ records, provides basic conservation and other duties as applicable. Requirements include Bachelor’s degree, ability to lift 50 lbs., general computer skills and valid driver’s license. Background check required. Mystic Seaport is an AA/EOE employer.

If you wish to apply for an advertised job opening, you can download an Employment Application (Adobe Acrobat Required) or call 860.572.5346 for an application or e-mail Human Resources. We can only accept applications, accompanied by a resume if you wish, for positions for which we currently have an advertised opening. Applications must be filled out completely on both sides, be signed as well as dated, before they can be accepted for review.

Christmas List

It's never too early to start thinking about my favorite holiday and a recent article in the Maine Antique Digest certainly got the idea's flowing. I know more than a few people who would appreciate receiving some of the items auctioned off at Christie's July 27th maritime sale.

For those more interested in steamship memorabilia check out the June 1 auction where "A painted cast bronze house flag and name board from a lifeboat aboard the R.M.S. Titanic of the White Star Line realized $72,000." Maine Antique Digest

According to the article items for the Steamship Auction came from "came from the collections of Jan J. Loeff, Ted Marcollo, the Steamship Society of America, dealer Kenneth C. Schultz, and from various other properties."

Monday, October 09, 2006

Maine Maritime Museum lands $1M gift

Full details from the timesrecord.com .

Congratulations!

Friday, October 06, 2006

USS Intrepid to Close for Repairs

The USS Intrepid closes after this weekend for a 58 million dollar overhaul that will include repainting the Intrepid's hull and rebuilding the Hudson River pier that has been its home at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

In addition, some areas that have been closed to visitors, including crew living quarters in the lower decks, will be fixed up so that they can become part of the tour when the museum reopens in the fall of 2008.

Newsday story

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Job Posting:Collections Manager in St. Michaels, Maryland

Salary: Open
Type: Full Time - Experienced

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum seeks an organized candidate to facilitate public and internal access and intellectual property rights for growing object, image and oral history collections. Duties include cataloging, generating and updating loan agreements, supervision of collections volunteers, maintaining database records and contributing to exhibition development.

Requirements:
Bachelors in an appropriate field, MA preferred; and experience with museum collections required. Must be meticulous, highly organized and conscientious, but also flexible and able to take initiative. Basic Keyboarding and computer skills are necessary. Should be competent with databases and have good oral and written communications skills. Must receive resume by October 20, 2006.

Required Education: 4 Year Degree



Apply online at http://museumcareers.aam-us.org/jobdetail.cfm?job=2423506.32

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

CFP: Naval and Maritime History

The History Department of the United States Naval Academy invites proposals for papers to be presented at its 2007 Naval History Symposium in Annapolis, Maryland, from 20-22 September 2007. For decades, the Naval History Symposium has been a hallmark of the Academy's History Department, though curtailed in recent years due to the 9/11 attacks. The 2007 Symposium will mark its full resumption. We anticipate its robust continuation well into the future.

Proposals dealing with any aspect of naval and maritime history are welcome. Paper proposals should include an abstract not exceeding 250 words and a one-page vita. Proposals for panels are also encouraged and should contain an abstract and vita for each panelist. Mail proposals to Dr. M. Yu, History Department (12C), The United States Naval Academy, 107 Maryland Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland 21402-5044, or send electronic proposals to yu@usna.edu. The deadline for submitting proposals is 19
January 2007. The program committee expects to finalize the program in March 2007 and final versions of papers are due by 1 August 2007.

A limited number of travel stipends are available to scholars residing outside the United States and to graduate students living within the United States. Please indicate your desire to apply for a travel stipend in the cover letter or email that contains your proposal.

The program committee will award prizes to the best papers presented at the Symposium. As in the past, we will publish selected papers at a later date.

All inquiries should be sent to yu@usna.edu. For more details and updates, visit our website at http://www.usna.edu/History/Symposium.htm

or

Papers Invited

Friday, September 15, 2006

Trial Run

If you glance over to the right hand sidebar you'll notice a new link entitled "Maritime Events Calendar". This is a google enabled calendar through which I'd like to keep track of various events. So far I've entered some CFPs and Conferences. If you get a moment to click through and click around, please let me know if it's useful, or if not, what would make it more workable.
Thanks

Thursday, September 14, 2006

San Francisco Maritime Changes to Appointment Only


San Francisco Maritime News Release


For Immediate Release
Contact: John Cunnane, Supervisory Park Ranger, 415-561-7123

Maritime Library Updates Access to Aid Researchers J. Porter Shaw Library will change to appointment only hours on Monday, October 2, 2006.

Libraries and the way people use them are changing in the technological 21st Century. More people are accessing information from the comfort of their own homes or from office computers, while fewer make visiting the library their first stop. In order to aid the remote researcher by increasing digital access to the vast array of maritime information in the Park collections, and to improve services provided to those who visit the library, the J. Porter Shaw Library of San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park will be moving to appointment only hours beginning on Monday, October 2, 2006. The regular appointment hours will be Monday through Friday from 1 to 4pm (the library closes at 5pm).

Library reference staff is available to provide assistance with research in the Park’s collections (including printed, archival & photographic resources); reproduction requests and notices of intent to publish from park collections; referrals to other professionals within the Park for further research in the Park’s collections; and referrals to other organizations and research resources. These services are available on location, through email, telephone, FAX, or mailed in requests.

For more information, or to make an appointment, please call 415-561-7080 (recorded information) or 415-561-7030 during business hours to reach a Library staff member.

Appointments can also be made, and the Reference staff may be contacted through our website at http://www.nps.gov/safr/historyculture/researchcontact.htm, by fax at 415-556-3540, or by mail:

Reference Librarian
SF Maritime NHP Library
Bldg. E, Fort Mason Center
San Francisco, CA 94123
USA

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

New (to me) Blog of Interest


The American Sail Training Association has a very informative Blog. Tall Ships Today!

According to ASTA the blog "will try to provide you with an insider's view the world of sail training, tall ships, experiential shipboard education and other interesting stuff. Most of the posts will be by me, Peter Mello, ASTA executive director; however, from time to time we will invite others to contribute. Your comments, suggestions, ideas and contributions are welcome."

The American Sail Training Association is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization focused on youth education, leadership development and the preservation of North America’s rich maritime heritage. Founded in 1973 in Newport, RI, the ASTA member fleet has over 200 tall ships and sail training vessels from 26 states and 30 countries that deliver life changing experiences for “youth” of all ages.

The 2006 Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships is being held 11/6 - 11/7 in Charleston, South Carolina.

Notice of Temporary Closing/Moving

Sometime within the next 3 to 6 months Mystic Seaport's G. W. Blunt White Library will moving across the street to its new home in the Collections Research Center. During this time the Library, Manuscript, Maps, Charts, and Periodical Collections will be unavailable. Please plan accordingly.

Editors note: Donations of alcholic beverages to aid in the accomplishment of this move will be gladly accepted.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Maritime Museum in the News

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic was closed yesterday, Sept. 11th. It also made the news as the backdrop for a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and about 200 protesters.

Full story

Online Maritime Book Club!

Life is funny. This morning while looking through the maritime news I was thinking how I had dropped the ball on book reviews. (There hasn't been one on the "Compass" in a long time.) Then I went to check my Seaport mail and there was an email from Heather Hernandez announcing her online maritime book club.

According to Heather:

------


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marbkclub/


Reviews and discussions of maritime books--fiction and non-fiction,old and new, and about maritime aspects of more general books. "Maritime" is understood in its broadest sense--the sea, ships, boats, rivers--if the book has something to do with something that floats, here's the place to talk about it.

We're just getting it off the ground, but we're hoping it will develop into a fun place to chat! Our members include a maritime librarian(me), a historian, and we've got a few enthusasists coming on board.

-----

I've signed on - my yahoo name is zaimmaa. Looking forward to talking 'maritime' with everyone.

Friday, September 08, 2006

One Year Anniversary


It's been one year now since the Maritime Compass first hit the internet.

And how, you ask, do I know that?

Do I have a photographic memory, keep meticulous records, or ... is International Talk Like a Pirate Day coming around again?

Yup, its number 3. On September 19th the world will again celebrate this uniquely maritime holiday - the subject of one of the Compasses very first posts.

For this years events check out the offical site.

Pensacola Developments

It's been coming across the news feeds on and off for the last year - Pensacola, FL has been seeking to become the home of the offical state maritime museum. But now its official, the Maritime Park has been approved and donations are pouring in for the Admiral John H. Fetterman State of Florida Maritime Museum and Research Center.

For more info check out the article in the Penscacola News Journal.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Job Posting

Old Dominion University Department of History invites applications for a
tenure-track position in economic or environmental history with research
specialization in maritime activities, maritime cultures or oceanic
systems. Appointment will be at the assistant or associate rank. Ph.D.
in History required. Teaching experience and relevant publications
preferred. Position begins July 2007. Submit letter of application,
c.v.,
three letters of recommendation and sample of publication to Dr. Jane T.
Merritt, Department of History, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
23529-0091. Screening of applicants will begin November 1, 2006 and
continue until position is filled. Old Dominion University, an equal
opportunity, affirmative action institution, requires compliance with
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Job Listing

Friday, August 18, 2006

The MHN Blog: Seattle Firm May Have Found Lost WWII Sub

The MHN Blog: Seattle Firm May Have Found Lost WWII Sub

31st Annual Whaling History Symposium



The New Bedford Whaling Museum will be hosting its annual symposium from Oct 14-15, this year.

Sessions include:

"Yankee Whaling in the Caribbean and its Impact in Local culture: The Logbooks Speak" with Aldermaro Romero, "Sails, False Flags, and Paper Chases: Recovering the Cruise of hte CSS Shenandoah" with Tom Chaffin, and "All About Woggins" with Storrs L. Olson on the Smithsonian Insitution.

October 14-15, 2006
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
$100 members, $120 non-members
For more information or to register, call 508-997-0046 ext. 101

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Not sure what to do with this one

...but thought it would be of enough interest that I should post it.

A recent post on boardgamegeek.com reads as follows:

For all you wargamers and geeks in general.

I work for Jane's Information in the UK and we just unearthed the original Naval wargame designed by Fred T. Jane (late 1800's), our founder. It comes in a 4x4x2 (approx) crate!!! We now have to decide what to do to get it valued or whatever. Quite exciting stuff.

A link to Fred's story is here including a photo sitting with the game set up:

http://www.janes.com/company/about/whoisjane.shtml

Cheers,

Mark

News From Mariners Museum


Timothy Sullivan, late president of the College of William and Mary, will succeed John Hightower as president and CEO of The Mariners' Museum in November of this year.

Daily Press Story

William and Mary News

HamptonRoads.com

Position Announcement


Executive Director: Maritime & Yachting Museum

The Maritime & Yachting Museum of the Treasure Coast, a twelve-year-old, small museum with plans for significant expansion, seeks its first Executive Director. Unified Board will sell current property to renovate County buildings and move to busy park setting. Serious fundraising, programming and leadership duties lie ahead for enthusiastic individual.

Call for Papers and Workshops

Teaching and Learning in the Maritime Environment:
A Conference on Pedagogy & Scholarship

March 28-30, 2007 at The California Maritime Academy

The rich experience of teaching and learning in the maritime environment suggests that maritime educators are in a unique position to guide advances in experiential and learner centered higher education. The challenges and opportunities associated with maritime education are the foci of this conference, which will

· Establish a mechanism to recognize the contributions of all types of maritime faculty to the body of knowledge that is “maritime education.”
· Introduce maritime educators, newer to the “faculty” role, to the basics of contemporary pedagogy and scholarship.
· Provide an opportunity for the juried presentation (including “Proceedings” publication) of best “learner centered” practices in maritime education.
· Strengthen the grass roots, connectivity and resource network for campuses with a maritime mission.
· Enhance maritime campuses’ ability to relate to more comprehensive universities without lessening the unique culture that binds them to the sea.
· Chart the course for maritime education to serve as an exemplar for new directions in higher ed.

This conference is ideal for faculty on the professorial and vocational (a.k.a. “practice”) tracks in collegiate maritime academies, faculty working in both practical and theoretical aspects of maritime related disciplines (e.g., oceanography, naval architecture, marine biology and
other disciplines which may utilize research vessels, etc.), faculty in a wide variety of other arts and sciences areas with interest and expertise in subjects of a maritime nature (e.g., maritime historians, ocean engineers, etc.) and graduate students seeking careers in the above or
related areas.

With this call for papers and workshops, the program committee is looking for faculty working in the maritime milieu, and/or with maritime subject matter, to propose presentation of their best teaching and experiential learning practices as well as research findings, and exemplars of integrative undertakings including those in curriculum development, enrollment management, simulation (deck, engine, crisis management, etc.), and “semester-at-sea” or other “sea term” operations. Using the Carnegie Foundation’s Reconsidered Scholarship categories of teaching,
discovery, application and integration, the conference program, as currently envisioned, will include one all-day format of “how to” and “exemplar sharing” workshops and presentations in each category during 60 to 100 minute time slots and a second day format of 45 minute traditional academic paper/lecture presentations in the same categories. Both formal and informal opportunities for collegial discussion on specific maritime issues will also be provided.

To have your workshop or paper/lecture presentation considered for inclusion in the program, please prepare a detailed proposal or abstract describing the work to be shared and identifying which category (teaching, discovery, application, integration) will be addressed as well as which format (workshop [at 60 or 100 minutes] or 45 minute paper lecture presentation) the proposal would utilize. Identify a main presenter and supply all appropriate contact information. Submit your proposal, by Sept. 25, 2006, to

Teaching and Learning Program Committee
c/o Vice President for Academic Affairs
Cal Maritime, 200 Maritime Academy Drive
Vallejo, CA 94590.

Electronic submissions should be Microsoft Word Documents and should be sent to the program committee via email address T_L_conference_papers@csum.edu. Selected entries will be notified by October 23. Presenters must register for the conference (“early bird” deadline is November 1). For the “Proceedings”, presenters will need to submit final documents in a simple but “camera-ready” template format to be supplied at the time of proposal acceptance.

Conference registration and lodging information will be available during the early fall. Save the dates: March 28-30, 2007. Bookmark www.csum.edu.

Friday, July 28, 2006


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)

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

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.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

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?

Saturday, July 22, 2006

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 KaÅŸ 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.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

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

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

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.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006


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."

Friday, July 07, 2006

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

Friday, June 23, 2006


All Aboard ...

Join the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument Expedition!


The NOAA ship Hi’ialakai (“embracing the sea”) will depart for a 28-day voyage to the farthest reaches of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands on June 23, 2006.
This will be the first expedition to this area since President Bush's proclamation designating it the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.This multidisciplinary research expedition will include a benthic habitat mapping team, maritime archaeologists and interpretation of this research through education and outreach specialists.
The Hi’ialakai recently returned from an expedition to French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll to complete work related to ecosystem connectivity, apex predator tagging and movement studies, and coral reef health assessment.
On June 23, the research vessel will set sail with 20 scientists and educators in order to conduct further studies at Kure Atoll, the northernmost atoll in the Hawaiian Islands Archipelago, and at Pearl and Hermes Atoll.
Check back during the mission for daily logs and photos from the expedition team.

Position: Library Director


The Phillips Library of the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) seeks an inspiring, imaginative, and accomplished Library Director. Reporting to the COO of the Museum, the Library
Director will lead one of New England's top research libraries, improving scholarly access, building visibility and reputation, strengthening collections and operations,
and most importantly, integrating the library fully into one of North America's largest and most distinctive art museums. The Director will have a unique opportunity to transform a highly respected research library into an innovative and active intellectual hub supporting the overall mission and global scope of PEM.

The Phillips Library has a national reputation as a major resource for the art and culture of New England and early America, Native America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Its holdings include more than 400,000 printed volumes with numerous rare books, over 5,000 linear feet of manuscripts, over one million photographs, and tens of thousands of broadsides, ephemera, pamphlets, periodicals, logbooks, account books, and diaries.

PS. This was posted on the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners site, there is no listing on the PEM website.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

The MHN Blog: Dialog Needed on Wawona Question: What Should We Do?


The MHN Blog: Dialog Needed on Wawona Question: What Should We Do?

Joe Follansbee of the MHN (Maritime Heritage Network )Blog has been making regular updates on the controvery surrounding the fate of the Schooner Wawona. The threat to "demolish and dispose" of unique maritime vessels is something that the we in the maritime community all need to be involved in.

Aside from the post refered to the there are several others at http://mhnblog.blogspot.com/ to provide background.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Important Closings To Note


Steamship Historical Society of America Collections

Thomas L. Hollowak, Head, Special Collections, University of Baltimore Libraries has announced that effective July 1, 2006 the Steamship Historical Society of America Collections at the University of Baltimore will go into “mothballs” (storage) and will not be accessible.

For further updates on the status of the Collections and other activities of the SSHSA, please contact the society’s office at 401-274-0805 or go to the Society’s website www.sshsa.net.

San Francisco Maritime Museum

The San Francisco Maritime Museum will close for three years beginning July 10 while major repairs are made on the landmark building, an outstanding example of the streamlined moderne style.

The museum's collection of hundreds of artifacts from San Francisco's maritime past will be put into storage.

San Francisco Chronicle article

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Spinning Clio : Where History and Politics Meet: Bush is First President to Speak at U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Graduation

Spinning Clio : Where History and Politics Meet: Bush is First President to Speak at U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Graduation

Water water everywhere!

Hello all,

I've returned from cycling across the polders of Holland and Belgium. Saw lots and lots of water and things maritime. In the meantime, Marifrances has done a great job with the Compass.

Many thanks!!!!

Kelly

Sunday, June 18, 2006


Salty Site of the Week... ColtonCompany.com

The Colton Company is a Delray Beach, Florida firm consisting of maritime economists and industrial engineers. Not quite the place you'd necessarily bookmark for historic vessel research, but wait! Click on the "US Shipbuilding History" icon on their home page and voila!

Colton offers this modest description: "This site details the performance of the U.S. shipbuilding industry since the introduction of iron hulls and steam propulsion, tabulating each shipbuilder's construction record, ship by ship, and including not only oceangoing naval and commercial ships but also thousands of coastal and inshore ships, boats and other craft. There's nothing remotely like it anywhere on the web and no other shipbuilding nation has anything comparable." Give it a try!

Saturday, June 17, 2006



Lost World War II Submarine May be Found

According to the Associated Press, the US Navy announced today that a wreck located in the Gulf of Thailand appears to be the World War II Balao-class submarine, USS LAGARTO. The LAGARTO, commissioned in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1944, sank the following year during an attack on a Japanese convoy. All eighty-five officers and crew were lost.

The Navy plans no salvage operations on the wreck site, as it considers the sea to be the final resting place for the boat and her crew.

Friday, June 16, 2006


Job Opening - National Maritime Museum, Greenwich


The National Maritime Museum is seeking a Curator of 18th Century Imperial and Maritime History.

The successful candidate will:

Research and document the Museum’s eighteenth-century collections to explain their significance within their historical contexts.

Maintain a strong research profile, publishing scholarly articles and monographs and contributing to the Museum’s publication program.

Play a key role in planning and implementing the Museum’s eighteenth-century imperial and maritime collecting policy·Work with project teams concerned with special exhibitions, gallery development and updating current displays, and help provide specialist knowledge for the new imperial and maritime galleries.

Help research and deliver on-line resources based on the Museum’s eighteenth-century collections and displays, and directed at a range of audiences.

This position was posted on Museumjobs.com on Friday, June 16, 2006, with a closing date of July 11, 2006.

Weekend Quiz...

OK, you mariners, what is this? A mural of waves crashing on the shore?

No, it's the hull of a cargo ship! This beautiful photograph is the work of Los Angeles harbor-area artist Gil Mares. As Gil explains, "While searching for images in the harbor, I was drawn to the worn hulls of the ships that dock there. These ships seem as great whales with battle scars which record their life-long struggle to survive. The ships at dock can be seen every day. However, the visual secrets of the ships are generally not known because of the distance between the ships and the observer. I have concentrated on eliminating this distance to reveal their beauty. The brightly painted hulls exhibit interesting patterns and textures which are reflected in the water.
The hulls may appear delicate, tenuous, even transparent. However, the scrapes, gouges, rubber marks and rusting wounds, sometimes from the ships’ own anchors, sometimes from the ubiquitous tires found on the sides of docks and tugboats, belie this frailty. At times a series of numbers or cryptic diagrams may appear on the massive hulls. These messages communicate only to those who assist in ferrying the ships in and out of the world’s ports."

Monday, May 29, 2006


Salty Site of the Week - Maritime Matters (but you knew that!)

This week's featured website is Maritime Matters. Here you will find exhaustive histories of cruise ships and ocean liners, past and present. What makes this site distinctive is that publisher Martin Cox, a professional photographer and author, accompanies his text with his own original photographs as well as historic images from his personal collection. The home page may look pretty basic, but don't be fooled! Keep clicking, and you will find this site is packed with useful information and helpful links. Whether you have a lifelong interest in passenger steamships, or your knowledge begins and ends with "The Love Boat", this site deserves to be bookmarked.

Saturday, May 27, 2006


Introductions Are in Order…

Ahoy! This is Marifrances Trivelli. I’ll be piloting the blog until Kelly returns on June 19th. Offline, I’m the Director of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum in San Pedro, California. (Yes, Los Angeles is a port city). I’ve known Kelly since our days working together at Mystic Seaport Museum. Let’s keep these pages active while Kelly is away – there’s always something new to report and comment on!

Friday, May 26, 2006


NEWS FLASH FROM MARYLAND's EASTERN SHORE!!!

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Maryland, has recently announced the selection of Stuart Parnes as its new President. Mr. Parnes, a 30-year veteran of the maritime museum field, has most recently served as the Director of the Connecticut River Museum in Essex, Connecticut.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, founded in 1965, is "dedicated to furthering an understanding of the culture and history of Chesapeake Bay". Visit http:www.cbmm.org to read their latest press releases and learn more about this great museum.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Position Announcement: NYYC - Project Archivist (temporary, part-time)

The New York Yacht Club is seeking a temporary, part-time archivist to develop a processing plan and create a research finding aid for the Club’s archives, which date from 1844 to the present. Must have demonstrated ability to apply standard archival procedures in the appraisal, arrangement and description of archival records.

DUTIES:
  • Creates inventory and drafts processing plan, in conjunction with NYYC staff
  • Processes the collection according to standard professional guidelines
  • Prepares a detailed finding aid in accordance with national standards
  • Orders archival supplies and advises on proper storage
  • Rehouses collection and performs other basic preservation measures
QAULIFICATIONS:
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent with an emphasis in history (Master's degree preferred)
  • Demonstrated experience (3-5 years) in processing archival collections
  • Excellent organizational and project management skills
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Proficiency with accepted preservation methods applied to special collections
  • Ability and willingness to lift heavy boxes
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

By email: Please submit resume and cover letter via email to library@nyyc.org. Include position title in subject line. We are an equal opportunity employer. For information about The New York Yacht Club, please visit http://www.nyyc.org.

By mail:
New York Yacht Club
Attn: Library - Project Archivist Position
37 West 44th Street

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Fishy Pirates

It's been awhile since we covered any pirates or reviewed any books so I thought we'd do both at the same time.

Hooked : Pirates, Poaching, and the Perfect Fish

is a newly released book on the Patagonian toothfish, its 'transformation' into "Chilean sea bass" and subsequent near extintion. The book illuminates the practically lawless world of commercial fishing, where factory boats with vast dragnets can devastate a population in just a couple of years.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Register your classic!


The National Maritime Museum Cornwall is hosting the National Small Boat Register, a register of "significant craft under 40ft." Significant craft is defined as dinghies, yachts, motorboats, working boats, coracles, and canoes, or any other traditional craft that is still on the water after 50 years.

See Classic Boat for the story.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

CFP: "Research in World History: Connections and Globalizations"

The World History Network and the World History Association seek proposals for participation in a Research Agenda Symposium (John Hancock Conference Center, Boston, November 10-12, 2006). Up to 40 participants worldwide will be selected for a meeting intended to develop a consensus statement on priorities in world-historical research, with a focus on the theme of "Research in World History: Connections and Globalizations." Conference fee of $250 includes conference materials, meals, and receptions. Travel costs may be covered, depending on availability of funding, especially for participants from outside the U.S. Applicants should submit, by 1 June 2006, a statement of up to 1000 words proposing priorities in world-historical research, and a curriculum vitae of up to two pages. The conference committee will select up to 40 participants, based on the strength and interest of initial proposals, but also with attention to balance by national origin, gender, age, and disciplinary focus. Details are available from the World History Network, www.worldhistorynetwork.org.
Invitations will be issued to selected participants by 30 June 2006.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Happy 46th!

May 4th was Raphaela le Gouvello's birthday and while a 46th birthday is not uncommon, celebrating it in the middle of the Indian Ocean - on a windsurfers is.

According to a story at news.com.au Raphaela le Gouvello, is travelling faster than expected on her 6,300km voyage from Western Australia to Reunion Island, off Mauritius, but the weather would become more complex in the second half of her journey "with zones of instability that she will have to adapt to".

The sailboard attempt is le Gouvello's fourth big ocean voyage, following successful crossings of the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Pacific Ocean. Ms le Gouvello is aboard a specially designed "wind boat" called Mahi Mahi, meaning dolphin fish in Tahitian. The 7.8m long by 1.3m wide vessel operates like a big windsurfer with two cabins underneath.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Call of Another Kind

From May 29th to June 19th I will be biking in Europe (Yeah!) and unable to fulfill my duties as Compass Editor (Boo!). Rather than let the Maritime Compass languish during this time I'm looking for one or two people to serve as guest editors. The time commitment is roughly 15 minutes/day (sometimes much less, sometimes more just because the news is interesting)

If you would like to volunteer or would like more info please send me an email at ksdrake@gmail.com. I can set you up with the news feeds, and tracked websites that keep the latest maritime info flowing in.

Thanks,

Kelly

Coast Guard Museum To Be Built

After years of debate and discussion, federal, state and local officials are ready to begin construction of the National Coast Guard Museum in New London, Connecticut.

On April 28th the Governor Rell of Connecticut and the Coast Guard signed agreements to build the $60-million museum on the Fort Trumbull penisula.

Where to build the museum has been a seven year political struggle. But after much debate, the Coast Guard decided to build a state of the art facility at Fort Trumbull in New London. Governor Jodi Rell and Coast Guard officers made it official and inked the deal with Connecticut kicking in $15-million.

The project includes exhibition space and interactive displays, an amphitheatre for outdoor events, a waterfront walk and pier with a cafe and restaurant.

The designated developer for Fort Trumbull will build a 133 room hotel and conference facility next door to the museum on land that once belonged to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center.

Friday, April 28, 2006

Jackie Fisher who are you Dreadnought.

Justice Peter Smith, he who recently ruled on English “Da Vinci Code” copyright case embedded a secret code in his ruling. After two days a group of intrepid lawyers-cum-cryptographers from an Olswang law firm cracked this code to reveal the perhaps even more cryptic message "Jackie Fisher who are you Dreadnought".

It appears that “Jackie Fisher was England’s greatest admiral after Nelson, and was responsible for the creation of the Dreadnought, which was launched nearly exactly 100 years to the day of the start of the trial,” the judge wrote in an e-mail message. “Nevertheless, he has been airbrushed out of history.”

If you are among the masses who are ignorate of Admiral Fisher, and perhaps will have the need to drop some scintilating facts at an upcoming cocktail party:

According to Wikipedia, Admiral of the Fleet, John Arbuthnot Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher, RN (January 25, 1841 – July 10, 1920), commonly known as "Jackie" Fisher, was a British admiral known for his efforts at naval reform. He had a huge influence on the Royal Navy in a career spanning more than 60 years, starting in a navy of wooden sailing ships armed with muzzle-loading cannon and ending in one of battlecruisers, submarines and the first aircraft carriers. The argumentative, energetic, reform-minded Fisher is often considered the second most important figure of British naval history, after Lord Nelson.

many thanks to Leigh for passing this story along!

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Conference Announcement

The CENTRE FOR PORTUGUESE NAUTICAL STUDIES [CPNS] will be holding its second, international conference on Maritime Archaeology & History which will take place in Mossel Bay from 6-8 August 2006. Local and international presenters will take part in discussions on Maritime archaeology, Maritime history, Trade & Trade ceramics, Ships &
shipbuilding, Shipwrecks & Survivors, South African shipwrecks, shipwreck legislation & museums. Various sponsorship/marketing opportunities are available to companies wishing some international and local exposure.

For more details please visit: www.cpnssa.org

Good News For Lighthouse Buffs

The Texas State Historical Association proudly announces Texas Lighthouses,a new online gallery featuring images and historical information about the lighthouses and lightships along Texas's Gulf Coast, from Sabine Pass to Point Isabel, as well as special features on the design and construction of lighthouses and on the men and women who tended them.

It's a well documented and illustrated site.

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/gallery/texas_lighthouses.html

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Conference Announcement

The Dublin Center for New England Folklife presents "In Our Own Words: New England Diaries, 1600 to the Present", a three day conference on historical perspectives of diary writing and diary production in New England and contiguous areas of New York State.

Sunday morning, June 18 is of particular interest to the Maritime Community

Harvesting the Sea

Rebecca Leah Zeidel, Harvard University: Fore and Aft: Women, Men, and the Work of Whaling on the Nauticon, 1848–1853

Karen Alexander, University of New Hampshire: “So Ends This Day”: Personal Records of Life at Sea from Nineteenth-Century New England Codfishermen’s Logs

Ship Logs, Piloting Journals, and Travel Diaries

Anne C. Farrow, The Hartford Courant: Linking New London and Africa: Ship Logs of the Africa, the Good Hope, and the Fox, 1757–1758

Colin Arms Porter, New York, New York: Presenting the Popham Colony: Robert Davies and His Diary

Katherine A. Grandjean, Harvard University: A Travel Diary?: In the Footsteps of Thomas Minor, 1653–1684



Personal note: gosh I wish I could go! (but I'll be returning from my bike ride thru Europe that day)

Cool Website Alert

The Smithsonian Institution Libraries have put together an impressive site on The United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842.

Including full text versions of the Narrative, Scientific Texts, Atlas, and Plate the site also includes links to related primary source, as well as articles by Expedition experts.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Everlasting life at sea

A paranormal researcher on board the Charles W. Morgan reported sensing "the presence of a seaman named Gerald" and "sickness, death and despair" among about 15 men as they rode out a large storm in their cramped sleeping quarters.

Friday's visit of the Rhode Island Paranormal Research group to Mystic Seaport was undertaken at the request of several visitors. Museum staff, while interested in all things maritime, aren't convinced of the presence of ghosts on board the ship. History and time leave their own impressions. There may well have been some Geralds (I haven't checked the crew lists yet there would certainly be more than 15 men experiencing sickness, death and despair over the course of many storms.

What is perhaps even more interesting is the fact that this story is being caried by the AP and showing up in more newspapers than any related maritime-type story that I've run across in about 5 months.

Full story at Duluth.com

Job Posting: UK Research Fellow

Britain's Atlantic Empire, 1650 - 1850

SIX-MONTH FIXED TERM CONTRACT, £30,000 pro rata

The National Maritime Museum is building on its success in telling Britain’s imperial and maritime story by developing two new galleries to explore the diverse histories and shared legacies of Britain’s maritime empires. The galleries, which have the collective working title of Britain’s Maritime Worlds, will focus on Britain’s interaction with the Atlantic and Asian worlds between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. The Museum’s world-class collections are particularly strong in these areas and the two galleries, which will open in autumn 2007 and 2008 respectively, will form the centrepiece of a range of Museum activities.

We are seeking a research fellow to help us take forward the research and interpretation on the first of these galleries, which deals with Britain’s Atlantic world. The fellow will be one of a team of professional exhibition curators and conservators working on the gallery and his or her primary role will be to provide them with the subject expertise needed to select and develop its main themes. The fellow will be expected to work closely with our 2- and 3-D collections, using their knowledge of the Atlantic world to weave an accurate, accessible and compelling history around them. Although experience of working with objects would be an advantage, it will be more important for the applicant to be able to demonstrate an awareness of the potential of material culture and a willingness to use the objects to draw out often complex historical meanings. The job will entail working with other departments in the Museum, particularly Education and Online Projects, to help them develop their own programmes to accompany the new gallery.

This varied and interesting position would ideally suit a researcher with a higher degree in imperial or maritime studies and a specialisation in an aspect of Atlantic history. The fellow will be excited by the challenges of presenting high-quality research to non-academic audiences within a gallery environment. They will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written, and will enjoy the prospect of working in a team.

It is anticipated that a full-time curatorial position in the field of imperial and maritime studies will be advertised during the period of the fellowship, for which the fellow will be able to apply.

To apply please send a CV and covering letter to:

Human Resources
National Maritime Museum
Greenwich
London SE10 9NF
Email: recruitment@nmm.ac.uk

Closing date for the receipt of applications: 10 May 2006

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

National Archives Celebrates Maritime Month in May

WASHINGTON, April 19 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The National Archives will celebrate Maritime Month in May, 2006. Using Federal records, the National Archives will highlight the rich maritime history of the United States through special events, presentations, exhibits, and films at various National Archives facilities across the nation. For details, check the National Archives Maritime Month Web page at http://www.archives.gov/calendar/maritime-month.

Monday, April 17, 2006

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.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

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

Monday, April 10, 2006

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

Sunday, April 09, 2006

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

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

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

Monday, April 03, 2006

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.