Another Day, Another Maritime Museum

To gather information for potential posting to this blog, I monitor several news feeds and then select stories that seem the most interesting or relevant. Within the past few months however I've been noticing a trend. No story that in itself would constitute a post but taken together is interesting. There are a lot of new maritime museums popping up.

Take for instance last night's story carried in the Dublin [Ireland] news:

Plans to convert the old Mariner’s Church in Dún Laoghaire into a state of the art maritime museum, library and heritage centre have been announced by the Maritime Institute - the voluntary organisation which recently purchased the building.

Then, of course, there are the bigger additions such as the 30 million dollar, Gulf Maritime Museum set to open in 2009:

The museum will be shaped like a ship headed out to Mobile Bay. Exhibits will be housed inside the stern of a full-sized container ship, displayed as if dockside.
Tony Zodrow, who was hired in 2005 as the museum's executive director after serving as director of Birmingham's McWane Center, expects the museum will become a favorite stop for visitors from the Gulf states. He cited a marketing study that projects first-year attendance at more than 160,000.

There is also a major initiative underway in Florida (which i have mentioned previously), and lots and lots of smaller museums. It's just making me wonder - What's going on? Is there an upswing in interest in things maritime? Or just in building maritime museums? How is attendance?

Lois McClure - Locking Along

On June 18th the Lois McClure, a handmade replica of an 1862 canal boat, and it's crew of 14 started off on a voyage of more than a 1000 miles in 100 days through the Erie Canal. The first stop will be Ithaca, in the finger lakes region of New York. From there, the boat will head west through the Erie Canal all the way to Buffalo and Lake Erie. It will then stop in Oswego before making it's way back to Lake Champlain in September.

The schedule for the Lois McClure's voyage is online along with some entries in a virtual ships log.

Ever since I first say the Erie Canal I've wanted to travel on it. Real and virtual journey's like these are great ways to engage visitors and those interested in maritime history. Most people will not be able to go and visit the Lois McClure, but being able to check in on her cruise, even get to know some of the crew, is pretty neat.

Position: Film/Video Intern

Mystic Seaport's Collection and Research Department has a temporary (30 wk.) position as Technical Assistant for video-projection. Responsibilities include power point presentations, maintaining AV equipment and technical programming in exhibits. Requirements include interest/experience in video, computers and audio gear, must be dependable with excellent communication skills, at least 18 with ability to lift and carry 75lbs. and walk campus quickly pulling a handcart. Some weekend/evening work possible.

For more information or to apply see Mystic Seaport's Employment Site

MSN Most Viewed News Item

The discovery of a bomb lance inside a bowhead whale is an AP story that is appearing in all the papers this morning.

The authenticity and age of the lance was verified by New Bedford's John Bockstoc. And while I can't agree with the conclusion that the lance was fired by a New Bedford whaler, the overall sleuthing is good.

The best article I found on the story is at SouthCoastToday.com
(Same place where I stole the photo)

Maritime Studies Faculty Position

The Sea Education Association (www.sea.edu), located in Woods Hole, Massachusetts invites applications for a permanent faculty member in Maritime Studies. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team dedicated to innovative teaching and studying the ocean environment and its relationship to the earth and human affairs. We are seeking candidates with a Ph.D. in the Humanities or Social Sciences who possess the qualifications to teach advanced undergraduate courses in interdisciplinary maritime studies. We encourage applicants with strong training in history as well graduate level education and/or significant teaching or
professional experiences in one or more the following areas: Maritime History,
Atlantic World, Caribbean Studies, Pacific Studies, Environmental History/Studies,
Public Policy, and Policy History. The successful candidate will pursue
a professional agenda of innovative teaching and excellent scholarship, and possess the desire to join and contribute to a deeply committed educational community. Although a Ph.D. is ultimately required for permanent appointment, we welcome applications from advanced doctoral students with exceptional promise as teacher/scholars.

A review of applications will begin on August 1, 2007, and will continue until the position is filled. Please submit a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, graduate transcripts, and three letters of reference to:

John Jensen, Chair, Maritime Studies Faculty Search Committee, Sea Education
Association,
P.O. Box 6
Woods Hole, MA 02543.

Electronic submissions are preferred, please send to jjensen@sea.edu.
SEA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Slacker

I have to apologize for not posting much in the last few weeks. Every time I've seen a good story I keep promising myself to follow up on it and make a good post...but obviously I haven't.

I have added the feed list to the right hand column of the blog so even if I don't get around to digesting what's going on or doing some indepth research, at least the headlines will be coming through.

This weekend looks pretty clear so hopefully there will be a post coming soon on the discussion on H-Maritime regarding "new" and "old" maritime history.

Kelly

Position Announcement: Battleship New Jersey

Director of Education Camden, N J
The Battleship New Jersey Museum & memorial, located in Camden, New Jersey, is seeking an experienced, enthusiastic, self-motivated educator to help run a dynamic educational program. This program is 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.
Responsibilities:

• · The management and implementation of all educational activities related to the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial.
• · Under the direction of the Vice President of Curatorial Affairs and Education, provide educational support to interpretive exhibits.
• · Manage existing educational programs for school children and teachers.
• · Recommend changes to existing educational programs as needed.
• · Manage existing and create new supplemental materials and activities related to educational programs.
• · Develop, recommend and implement new programs for use at the elementary, secondary, collegiate and educator level.
• · Continue to expand diversity of educational offerings to include more programs in history, social studies, mathematics and science.
• · Provide collateral support to the Director of Group and Encampment Sales.
• · Manage and grow distance learning program.
• · Manage and grow teacher workshop and in-service programs.
• · Lead the Battleship New Jersey’s EAC (Educational Advisory Council) including the recruitment of additional members.
• · Act as the lead staff member for the Board of Trustee’s Education Committee
• · Forge cooperative relationships with other area cultural and educational institutions.
• · Manage the Battleship NJ’s oral history program in conjunction with Kean University.
• · Represent the Battleship New Jersey Museum at relevant meetings and conferences.
• · Provide support to the Development Department in regards to educational grant writing.
• · Find new and unique uses for primary resources and the use of artifacts in educational programming.
• · Publish the educational newsletter, “Jerseyman for Teachers.”
• · Other duties as assigned.
• Qualifications:
• · Minimum BS degree in Secondary Education OR a BA in History with some Educational Training.
• · Licensed within the last two years by State of NJ, PA or DE to teach middle and high school students in the classroom as a full, part time or substitute teacher.
• · Possess two or more years practical teaching or museum educator experience.
• · Posses a working knowledge of U.S. military and naval history, 1850-present.
• · Excellent organizational, administrative and interpersonal skills.
• · Computer Literate and able to use Microsoft Office, Outlook, Word, Power Point and the Internet.
• · Able to produce Battleship-related lesson plans for History, Social Studies, Science, Math and Geography.
• · Must be comfortable with video teleconferencing technology.
• · Excellent writing, researching and editing skills.
• · Able to produce Battleship related pre and post visit lesson plans, activities and programs for teachers and other educators.
• · Ability to work independently on assigned goals with little supervision.
• · Ability to make educational presentations outside of an office or classroom environment.
• · Able to produce materials within a fixed budget, on time and as needed.
• · Able to work as a team in developing Battleship related educational displays for classroom, convention and public relations activities.
• · Ability to have flexible hours, including some weekends and/or evenings.
• · Ability and/or experience in educational grant writing preferred.

Battleship New Jersey recruitment policies are designed to place the most highly-qualified persons available in a timely and efficient manner. Battleship New Jersey may pursue all avenues available, including promotion from within, employee referrals, outside advertising, employment agencies, internet recruiting, job fairs, college recruiting, search firms and others.
Equal Employment Opportunity. Battleship New Jersey strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, sex, religion, marital status, national origin, age, sexual orientation or preference, medical condition (including pregnancy) or protected disability where it is unrelated to the ability to perform a job, or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran, or any other category prohibited by federal, state or applicable local law, regulation or ordinance.
This position is Exempt. Overtime may be required.
To apply for this position please send a cover letter and resume via mail, fax, or email to:
Battleship New Jersey
Attn: Director of Education Search
62 Battleship Place
Camden, NJ 08103
Fax: 856-966-3131
Email: j.hall@battleshipnewjersey.org
No Phone Calls Please Posted June 5th

Oh No! Cutty Sark Burned

A very sad day. Heres the bad news from the BBC.

Continual updates here: http://news.google.com/news?um=1&tab=wn&hl=en&q=cutty+sark+fire. I'm out of town for the day but will check in tonight.

More Thoughts on "Digital History"

This is a cool video on Digital Futures.

The following quote is taken from William J. Turkel's Digital History Hacks and is good reading for historians, caretakers and providers of digital history:

Having more changes our ideas of what history and memory are. Roy Rosenzweig's essay on scarcity and abundance should be required reading for all historians. I've already written about information costs, so I won't go into detail here, except to say that historical projects have largely been defined by what we can't find or know, and that's about to change. Having nearly frictionless access to vast amounts of source material makes it possible to undertake projects that hinge on attested, but very-low-frequency evidence. Having more of everything also means that attention becomes a scarce resource. As scholars, our reputations and careers are increasingly shaped by the logic of the gift.

Finally, more is about to become an awful lot more. Technologies like RFID and MEMS make it possible to create vast sensor networks that continuously record data in unimaginable quantities, or that can track the history of practically any object of interest. CARPE researchers study the capture, archival and retrieval of personal experiences across a lifetime. If you thought Samuel Pepys left a lot of material, you haven't seen anything yet.

Speaking of Insider Theft

This from the dailypress.com

NEWPORT NEWS -- The former chief archivist for The Mariners' Museum library is facing a civil suit filed by the museum, alleging that he stole - and then sold - archived items.

Lester Weber was fired Sept. 25 for "policy violations which include, in part, the theft of archival items from the museum's collections for subsequent sale on the Internet and eBay," according to a statement from Alan Diamonstein, chairman of The Mariners' Museum Board of Trustees.

Officer Harold Eley, a Newport News Police Department spokesman, confirmed that police were looking into allegations against Weber but declined to elaborate, citing the continuing investigation.

Weber and his wife, Lori Childs, are named as defendants in a civil suit filed April 16 in Newport News Circuit Court.

Diamonstein, reached late Wednesday, said the museum was seeking the return of stolen merchandise and money for merchandise sold.

"They were archival items that people had given ...," Diamonstein said. "They weren't on display yet."

Lester Weber couldn't be reached for comment. His wife, who answered a phone call late Wednesday, said she couldn't talk about the case and hung up.

Which Really Was About...

Talking to others throughout the conference many mentioned how the sessions they attended were not at all what they had been led to expect. I hadn’t run into that at all…until today.

“The Right Way to Hire, Lessens the Need to Fire”

This morning’s first session started with the fascinating statistic that “90% of museum thefts can be linked to individuals with a direct connection to the museum” and proceeded to detail ways to avoid this pitfall and navigate other aspects of hiring. As I’ll be hiring someone within the next month, thought this would be a good session to attend.

The presentation was given by Steve Lane, former police chief and museum security and now works in legal cases of insider theft. He was a bit right-wing, terrorist conspiracy minded.

He recommended conducting a criminal background investigation on all employees and volunteers and one law states that you do have a duty to conduct what the courts consider “A Reasonable Inquiry into an Applicant’s Background and Character.” As the talk progressed it became clear that what he was really talking about was not insider theft but making sure that the people you hire won’t assault your visitors or staff.

He recommended getting “Cultural Property Protection Manual” which contains a great deal of this information.

…and that was enough of that and I headed off to a session entitled:

“Podcasting: A Do-It-Yourself Case Study”

…which really was about how the Chicago History Museum used the podcast format to create an audio tour of their museum and not about podcasting as it works on the internet at all. Very exhibit/interpretation / performance based and I debated checking out another session and while it feels rude to walk out of a session, it is also rude to bill it as something it is not. Also considering that people are here to share with people who are interested in their topic I decided it was okay to quietly move on in search of relevant knowledge.

“Exhibit RFPs: Things We Learned the Hard Way”

Score! This one was on target. Very good points including that rfps are simply about “Each party explaining itself clearly” Serena Furman stressed that creators be clear about what you are going to do and what you except the contractor to do. Charts work well and can be very clear.

The current issue of the National Association of Museum Exhibitors journal is about this and I'd recommend taking a look. Along with valuable information there are some excellent sample RFPs.
http://name.pmhclients.com/journal/Current%20Issue

One really good thing I’ll say about AAM is that overall the sessions are well done and well coordinated. Much more so then either ALA or SAA.

Collaboration and Communities

Most of the sessions I attended Tuesday shared a common theme of building communities through collaboration. The early session focused on the benefits of inter-museum collaboration, the later on internet collaboration within the museum's community.

The ECHO project is collaboration among several museums spread across the breadth of the United States and uniting native Americans of Hawaii, Alaska, and Louisiana along with cultural heritage institutions in Salem and New Bedford, Mass. Much of the project works to build and support the cultural heritage of the native Americans and is pretty impressive and moving. Both as a way to preserve and share their cultures it offers a successful model.

The other sessions featured various technology tools that fulfilled the strategies of individual museums to build communities of their users through collaborative collection participation and building. There is some impressive work going on here. The sessions only touched on the potentials. The following is a list of groups/websites I plan to explore – if you find something really interesting and useful too, please let me know.

http://www.whatscookin.com/flash/#/ – Night Kitchen Interactive – Remixing Exhibits.
http://www.collectionx.museum/– people can upload their own art, make their own exhibits, comment on and tag all the art.
Center for Open and Sustainable learning – http://folksemantic.org
http://cosl.usu.edu (potentally cool conference in the fall)
http://openid.net/ – a technology by which a user profile is portable among several sites
Museumremix.blogspot.com

Salman Rushdie on Why Museums Matter

AAM Keynote address May 14, 2007

Rushdie gave an entertaining and insightful talk on the impact of museums on life in general and literature specifically.

During the talk I learned that the dinosaurs in the movie Jurassic Park were not of the Jurassic period but rather of the Cretaceous. The movie should have been called Cretaceous Park. Rushdie also noted that Edith Wharton could not have written ½ of her novels without museums to provide the meeting place for illicit lovers. He then shared some very interesting insights on the Da Vince Code.

While keeping the talk lively and entertaining Rushdie also made some very pointed, and more serious comments, two of which really struck home. The first turned on the phrase that “knowledge if power” to which Rushdie added that by conserving the foundations of knowledge and then putting these in the hands of the public, museums are democratizing, forces of political power.

He then concluded by noting that those who forget the past are not just condemned to repeat it, they are Condemned.

Why Museums Matter

Sorry the posts have fallen behind. Vacation last week, this week I’m at the American Association of Museums Conference with 6000 other museum professionals (some of which mistakenly think they are not maritime!)

The conference theme is “Why Museums Matter”. It’s a somewhat self serving question for those of us who work in them – aside from our innate interest – its how we earn our livings.

As to why museums matter to the rest of the world, so far, aside from Salman Rushdie (more later) I haven’t heard one outside voice on the subject and honestly I’m not sure most people think we do matter. But just because they never visit, and don’t know the impact of museums on their lived doesn’t mean it doesn’t impact and matter to them.

As Salman Rushdie said in the keynote address, museums are a culture’s collective memory. No museum = cultural amnesia. As we all know from personal experience memory is a tricky thing, subject to re-interpretation and distortion. Only be seeing again the actual artifacts of an experience can we be sure the memory is correct. There is no arguing with a photograph of denying the words in a diary entry. And that, to me, is the big reason museums matter.

How cute is that?

Hi everyone, I'm on vacation in Sedona, AZ right now but wanted to share a little maritime story...

When I go on trips I take along a few (okay more than a few) books, of various types. For the flight I usually select something light, preferable of the "Chick Lit" genre. While reading this trips selection I had to burst out laughing (dour man sitting next to me was not amused) but you may be. In the book the heroine is reunited with her mother who had spent many years in the desert of Sedona trying to find her self. Once the mother gets back the whole family goes to family reunion at the family farmhouse in Salem, CT. For an outing they go to…”Old Mystic Seaport, a sort of Disneyland-on-the-Sea that recaptured the magic of the whaling industry.” How cute is that? And do I add that to my list of books that cite our sources?

But here comes the sun, vacation calls, and I must be off…..

Interesting question

If a dealer offered to sell us a logbook or artifact from the slave trade, would our purchase of it be considered supportive of the slave trade? A controversy on this exact question is brewing in Greenwich over the National Maritime Museum's recent purchase of a Slaver's Log.

Gene X's "Profiting From Slavery 200 Years After Its Abolition" offers insight into both sides of the story.

CFP: New Researchers in Maritime History 2008

The sixteenth New Researchers in Maritime History Conference, managed by the British Commission for Maritime History and sponsored by the Society for Nautical Research, will be hosted by the University of Salford, Greater Manchester, UK, on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 March 2008.

The Conference provides an opportunity for those who have recently become engaged in research in maritime history (broadly defined) to present a paper of twenty minutes duration and then answer questions from a supportive audience.

Proposals should take the form of a 200-word abstract and a one-page CV. Your CV should have details of your degrees or other qualifications; your current student or employment status; and your publications (if any). Proposals (email attachment preferred) should be sent by 9 November 2007.

Position (sort of) South Street Seaport

Is this common museum practice or something new? Given that education, in tandem with collecting, is the foundation of the museum mission I find the use of non-regular non-staff to provide a primary service disconcerting.

South Street Seaport is seeking Per Diem Educators is to teach Museum-based programs to visiting school groups, afterschool programs, camp groups and other youth and community organizations, as well as occasional weekend family programs.

HOURS/SALARY:
Per Diem educators are part-time Museum employees. Hours generally consist of weekday mornings, averaging 2-3 days per week, as well as occasional weekend afternoons. Pay rate is $15 per hour for a minimum of four hours; training rate is $9 per hour.

TO APPLY:
Please send a cover letter and resume to Manager of School and Family Programs, South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton Street, New York, NY 10038, fax to 212-748-8610, or email schoolprograms@southstseaport.org

And then there were six

Radio Praha reports the discovery of a rare 16th century nautical atlas in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia.

While moving a safe containing rare documents to a new building, historians at the Research Library in Olomouc, found a seven-page nautical atlas that was hand-made in 1563. The richly coloured parchment with gold and silver linings shows the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the northern part of the Atlantic. Made by the Catalan cartographer Jaume Olives, there are only five others in the world - in Barcelona, New York, Florence, Milan, and Valenciennes in France.

If anyone can read Czeck, supposedly the maps have been digitized and are available on their website: http://www.vkol.cz/. I can't but that site is an amazing map source!

Many thanks to B. Russell for this story lead.

NAOSH Annual Conference

Gene Smith from the North American Oceanic Society for History would like to remind everyone that the Annual Conference is less than a month away!

The conference entitled "The Merchant Marine in Peace and War" is being held at the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY.

The program line up is impressive, and some great behind the scenes tours have also been arranged.

Sadly I'll be unable to attend but if someone would like to report on the events, I'd really like to post them.

Auction News: A Paradox

While we rarely talk about the monetary value of our Maritime Collections (Priceless!), others are turning larger and larger profits from collecting and selling them. Recently a bill of sale for the Charles W. Morgan sold on e-bay to an announmous purchaser for over $1600.00. Antiques Roadshow is repeatedly asked to value maritime artifacts, from pilot charts to schrimshaw (and fakeshaw). Now a major Early Australian Private Collection is heading for the auction block.

While the bulk of the collection contains convict related materials the related news story and auctioneers at Bonhams & Goodmanare are quick to point out that the sale will also include:

early whaling hand held harpoons including one from the Charles W. Morgan, an American whaleship which hunted extensively in Australian and New Zealand waters and which has been preserved at Mystic Seaport in the US. Other rare whaling items include whale guns and bomb lance guns used widely during the latter years of the sail era.

Both the e-bay item and the harpoon are gaining added value because a museum preserves the original artifact. I often run across similar value claims regarding other maritime-museum related items. It is, in fact our preservation efforts that make it harder and harder for us to acquire related items. Of course, at the same time, we tend to be the beneficiaries of donors who wouldn't know of us otherwise and just want their family history to have a good home.

Professional maritime historian hired for Maritime Museum

see article in the Times-Picayune.

The Lake Ponchartrain Basin Maritime Museum

Job Posting: Wisconsin Maritime Museum Curator

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum, an AAM accredited institution and Smithsonian Affiliate, is seeking an experienced curator. Knowledge of American naval history and Great Lakes maritime history and culture is a plus. Understanding of the historical and environmental significance of the Great Lakes watershed is essential.

The curator will be responsible for the development of exciting new exhibits as well as maintenance and enhancement of existing exhibits. The curator will collaborate with the Museum Educator to make the Museum’s collections and the region’s history accessible to the public through innovative, academically grounded educational programming. The curator will supervise the Registrar/Collections Manager in the care and management of the Museum’s substantial archives and collections, including USS Cobia.

NOTES: North American Residents Only. Employer will assist with relocation costs. Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Salaried, exempt position with excellent benefits, including health insurance, 3 wks pd. vacation, and 403(b) with employer contribution. Relocation allowance.

Requirements
Qualifications • Minimum, M.A. in museum studies, public history, history or other appropriate field of study with 5-7 years of museum experience. Ph.D. in field of interest is highly desirable. • Curatorial experience, including experience developing/designing/installing exhibits. • Meticulous research and writing skills, excellent verbal communication skills. • Excellent organizational/supervisory skills. • Strong interpersonal skills; must work effectively in collaborative team environment. • Self-motivated, energetic leader with ability to visualize the future.

For more information

"Its between that and flipping burgers"

Such was the lead comment of "Deadliest Catch" Captain Sig Hansen on the "Daily Show." The interview is pretty good and deals with how hard it is to crab, and the conflicts on board ship and 'breaking ice."

Not only is Sig Hensen the most famous Alaskan crab fishing captain, he and his brothers also have a myspace page. How many fishermen have these? Are they valuable maritime artifacts? Are museums preserving these?

Does any body really know what time it is?

For between $7,800 and $173,100 you can buy a Swiss watch made from a piece of the Titanic's hull.

Geneva watchmaker Romain Jerome said it purchased a piece of the hull weighing about 1.5 kg (3 pounds) that was retrieved in 1991, but declined to identify the seller. The metal has been certified as authentic by the Titanic's builders Harland and Wolff.

Jerome noted that "So many rich people buy incredibly complicated watches without understanding how they work, because they want a story to tell," he said. "To them we offer a story."

...and I thought that is what museums do! and so they do...

Independence Seaport Museum has just launched the online exhibit Titanic Survivor: Selections from the Thayer Family Collection

Traveling Exhibit Anyone?

Shanghai's National Maritime Museum, set to open in September 2009, is having trouble finding enough exhibits to fill the space and has appealed for donations from both home and abroad.

"We are looking for valuable items that record the changing of the country's maritime development," Xu Peixing, an official in charge of the preparation work for the museum, was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency.

China News Story

Book Review to Go!

The Library of Congress has posted a new podcast: Stephen H. Grant Discusses His Book Peter Strickland: New London Shipmaster, Boston Merchant, First Consul to Senegal

More info, and the link to the 'cast at: the Library of Congress

Much of the research for this book is based upon Mystic Seaport's Peter Strickland Collection,

The book is pretty good too!

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 2007. 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.

Job Posting: Nantucket Historical Association

The Nantucket Historical Association seeks a Public Programs Coordinator to plan, prepare, conduct and evaluate educational public programs and outreach experiences for adults and families at its Whaling Museum and historic sites. Researches, organizes, and implements programming based on the Association’s collections. Responsibilities include public programs, the Discovery Room—a dedicated space at the Whaling Museum where intergenerational groups engage in both self-guided and educator-led learning, museum education summer internship program, and special educational initiatives.

Qualifications: M.A. in museum education, museum studies, or related field, and experience developing creative museum programs. Excellent organization and writing skills necessary. Ability to work evenings and weekends as required for programs.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and the name of three references by Friday, April 27 to:

Johanna Richard, Director of Finance and Administration
P.O. Box 1016
Nantucket Historical Association, Nantucket, MA 02554
jrichard@nha.org

The mission of the Nantucket Historical Association is to preserve and interpret the history of Nantucket Island in order to inspire island residents, both year-round and seasonal, to shape the island's future with a greater appreciation and respect for their shared heritage, and to foster among all Nantucket residents and visitors a deeper appreciation of the important historical role that the island's people have played in national and world history. www.nha.org

Maritime Makes the Daily Show

On March 27 Jon Stewart interviewed John Bolton on The Daily Show. Jon's calling Bolton out on a number of issues aside, the highlight of the interview for those of us in the maritime world was when Stewart compared appointing Bolton UN Ambassador to say putting "Capt. Ahab in charge of Save the Whales."... and lots of people are loving the reference!

You can view a video of the interview on The Daily Show website...but as it usually freezes up my computer check it out at Pollyticks. warning! interview content has blatent liberal bias!

Image is of Gregory Peck in Moby Dick

Songs of the Erie Canal

The Library of Congress' latest addition to their American Memory Collection, Captain Pearl R. Nye: Life on the Ohio and and Erie Canal is an interesting collection of 75 songs recorded in the 1930s. While the collection includes two essays and a few manuscripts and photographs, the heart is the audio. Easily downloadable in .wav. .mpg. or realplayer formats Nye's voice carries a fine tune.

Things I Didn't Know

This weekend I picked up The Birth of Black America: The First African Americans and the Pursuit of Freedom at Jamestown by Tim Hashaw, and while I'm only on page 117 I've already learned a great deal about colonial Virginia and it's black settlers and would recommend it highly. Although it does not promote itself as such it is one of the few books I've come across that truly give a sense of the wholeness of the "Atlantic World."

A New Blessing of the Fleet

This year hundreds gathered Saturday outside the Great Lakes Maritime Center at Vantage Point to take part in the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony. The first-ever event to start the Great Lakes shipping season.

Peter Werle, the center’s lead volunteer, said he arranged the ceremony to get people down to the water and recognize the city’s maritime heritage, now largely reduced to tourist vessels and tall ships. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved a slogan deeming the city the ‘‘Maritime Capital of the Great Lakes’’ in 2005.

Blessing of the Fleet ceremonies are held annually in coastal towns throughout the world. Narragansett, RI; Stonington, CT; Darien, GA; Kemah, TX; and Ulladulla, New South Wales and follows a centuries-old tradition originating in southern European, predominantly Catholic, fishing communities. A blessing from the local priest was meant to ensure a safe and bountiful season.

Position Announcement: Independence Seaport

Project Archivist: Independence Seaport Museum
Applications Contact person: Megan Fraser
Application due date: 2007/04/30
Salary range: Mid 30's
Web Address: www.phillyseaport.org
The Independence Seaport Museum Library seeks a full-time archivist for a one-year processing project. The archivist will arrange and describe two significant collections: the John E. Hand and Sons Company Records and the Seamen's Church Institute Records.
John E. Hand and Sons were manufacturers of nautical instruments in the Philadelphia area for more than 100 years. The archives of the company date from 1873-1997, and consist of approximately 18,000 items, including business correspondence with shipyards, patents, photographs, promotional materials such as calendars and brochures, and approximately 4,000 blueprints and drawings for virtually all of the instruments produced by the company.
The Seamen's Church Institute was founded in Philadelphia in 1843 to offer both spiritual and practical assistance to seafarers from around the world. The organization's archives consist of business and financial records, board meeting minutes, promotional materials and publications, photographs, art work, and records of those who used their facilities.
The goal of the project is to provide intellectual and physical access to these two important collections. The archivist will conduct a survey and determine appropriate arrangement schemes in consultation with the library director. S/he will arrange and rehouse the collection according to standard archival practice, and produce a finding aid including a scope and content note, a brief historical note, and a container/location list. Data from the finding aid will be used in the creation of an electronic record to be contributed to the OCLC union catalog.
Upon completion of arrangement and description, the archivist will co-curate a small exhibit of materials from the collections for the library's display cases. This work will include selection of items, composition of label text and exhibit design. Images and text from this exhibit will be used in a long-term online exhibit mounted on the Museum's website.
Required: ALA-accredited MLS with formal training in archival theory and practice. Knowledge of American/maritime history/technology. Excellent writing and organizational skills, accuracy, attention to detail. Ability to work independently.
Preferred: Undergraduate degree in humanities. Three years experience with mixed materials collections. Reference and/or research experience.
To Apply: Send resume, cover letter and finding aid sample to Megan Fraser, Library Director, Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19106; fax: 215.925.6713; or e-mail: library@phillyseaport.org P

New York Times Museum Review: USS Monitor

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — As sacred relics go, it doesn’t seem too inspiring. In appearance, Nathaniel Hawthorne said, it “looked like a gigantic rat-trap.” In life, it had little more than a single day of major achievement, and in that it was less than triumphant. In death, it was even less grand, sinking into the Atlantic during a storm, not even a year after it first lumbered onto the scene.....Full Story

Pirates Again

Blackbeards ship, Queen Anne's Revenge is thought to be the vessel under excavation off the coast of North Carolina.

According to cnn.com:

Several officials said historical data and coral-covered artifacts recovered from the site -- including 25 cannons, which experts said was an uncommonly large number to find on a ship in the region in the early 18th century -- remove any doubt the wreckage belonged to Blackbeard.

Three university professors, including two from East Carolina University, have challenged the findings. But officials working on the excavation said Friday that the more they find, the stronger their case becomes.

"Historians have really looked at it thoroughly and don't feel that there's any possibility anything else is in there that was not recorded," said Mark Wilde-Ramsing, director of the Queen Anne's Revenge Project. "And the artifacts continue to support it."

Wilde-Ramsing said a coin weight recovered last fall bearing a likeness of Britain's Queen Anne and a King George cup, both dated before the shipwreck, further bolster their position.

---

Plans are to fully excavate the ship in 3 years.

Eighth Maritime Heritage Conference: Call For Papers

The Conference Program Committee of the 8^th Maritime Heritage Conference which will be held in San Diego, California, Tuesday October 9^th through Friday October 12^th, 2007 invites abstracts for individual papers (15-30 minutes in length) and session proposals (three or four papers in 75 minutes). Papers may address a specific subject or aspects of the broader themes of the conference. Among the themes the conference will focus on are:

Maritime and Naval History ♦ History of Hydrographic Surveys ♦

Oceanic Trade and Communications ♦ National Marine Sanctuaries ♦ Marine Art ♦ Shipbuilding ♦ Ship Preservation ♦ Small Craft ♦ Lighthouses and Lifesaving Stations ♦ Historic Ships ♦ Underwater Archaeology ♦ Maritime Libraries and Museums ♦

Maritime Heritage Education

Abstracts should be typed and consist of no more than one single-spaced page. Each abstract must be accompanied by a CV of no more than three pages. Abstracts and CVs are due no later than June 1^st, 2007.

Full Details

Position: National Maritime Museum

Curator of 17th-Century Imperial and Maritime Studies

Organisation: NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM
Location: South London
Salary: £27,500 - £32,336 plus benefits
Date posted: 5 Mar 2007
Closing date: 20 Mar 2007



Ref: G/17

£27,500 - £32,336 + benefits o Greenwich

(Starting salary dependant on skills and experience. More may be available for the exceptional candidate)

We have ambitious plans for our new Centre for Imperial and Maritime Studies (www.nmm.ac.uk/cims). Driving innovative new initiatives and online resources, our goal is to establish the Museum as the major research institution and a global driving force for study in this area.

These roles are key to making that happen. Working closely with your fellow curators, you will conduct high-quality research on the Museum's collections and subjects, contribute to gallery and exhibition development, build partnerships with academics and key institutions and, working with Learning and Interpretation, develop imaginative ways to reach and engage a range of audiences.

With a postgraduate degree in a relevant subject, you should already have material published (or in preparation for publication). However, your area of specialisation is less important than your keenness to work with a range of unique 2 and 3-D materials, using them to bring alive Britain's imperial and maritime history for people of all ages and cultural backgrounds.

Private Ocean Liner Memoriabilia Collection Hosted by Cruise Lines

Norfolk Brings Maritime Memorabilia to New Terminal

Editorial Comment: Funny, they didn't make an arrangement with a museum.

Who owns abondoned documents?

Recently a large group of documents belonging to Todd Shipyards Corporation were discovered in the possession of the IKEA corporation who had purchased the former shipyard property. The documents along with other abandoned Shipyard property was found by Carolina Salguero, the founder of PortSide NewYork, a waterfront themed cultural and educational institution.

Salguero recovered the documents but then it appears Todd Shipyard wanted them back. You can read more about the story New deal snatches maritime documents from the trash heap, but my question is, why does Todd Shipyards have a right to the documents. They clearly deserted them, moved away without taking them, and then made no effort to recover them. IKEA did not even know they existed, so why would they not then belong to PortSide New York? And thinking further...how many documents do we hold that were abondoned and added to our collections only after having been found by a third party?

Grant News!

Mystic Seaport has received a grant for $150,000 from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation to create a prototype Cultural Heritage Digital Library. This Library will focus on the maritime studies field, and also provide a framework around which other Cultural Heritage fields could build similar libraries. Building upon the successful implementation of the G. W. Blunt White Digital, this unique digital library will provide non-technical access to the type of electronic resources requested by maritime scholars in a recent study conducted by the G. W. Blunt White Library and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

While the exact configuration of The Cultural Heritage Digital Library will be determined in consultation with partner institutions, it will be international in nature and may consist of:

a) A Resource Discovery tool to collect, annotate and provide access to existing electronic maritime resources

b) A Multi-institutional Manuscript Collection Description Repository

c) A Digital Collection of historic maritime newspapers

d) A Repository for Electronic maritime materials with no other home, including curricula, grey literature and a maritime heritage studies journal.

Paul O’Pecko, Vice President for Collections and Research is the Project Director, responsible for setting the direction of the project, fund-raising for its continued success, convincing potential partners of the need to participate and presenting results at conferences.

Kelly S. Drake, Associate Director for Collections Access and Research is the Project Manager and will be in charge of the actual creation of the Library with input from institutional partners.

The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation provides financial assistance to educational, cultural, scientific and religious institutions. The Board of Trustees’ current practice is to award grants primarily in the areas of private higher education, secondary education, graduate theological education, health care and public television.

Follow Up

More info on the North Carolina Maritime Museum issue: Squall Lines

PEM Appoints Library Director

According to an article in the Salem News, Sidney Berger, 62, a faculty member at Simmons College and a former curator at the American Antiquarian Society, was selected to be the first Ann C. Pingree director of the Phillips Library. He will begin his new post in June.

The job of library director, which has not existed since before the 1992 merger of the Essex Institute and Peabody Museum, will be a senior-level staff position and "a clear-cut indication of the role and importance of the library," Monroe said.

Decisions about future changes and directions for the Library will be made after Berger takes his new position.

Position: Executive Director Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver Maritime Museum
Type: Full Time
Salary Range: Open
Web: www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com
The Vancouver Maritime Museum is the principal maritime museum on the Pacific Coast of Canada and one of a few major maritime museums on the west coast of North America. It interprets the story of Canada's great Pacific port and is home to the famous RCMP ship, St. Roch. The Museum is well-known for its excellent programs and exhibits, strong membership and corporate support, as well as its family friendly focus and dedicated staff. It is in this exciting and challenging environment that we have a pivotal role for a new
Executive Director - Help chart a new course for this venerable museum.
We are seeking an experienced leader to provide new direction and reinvigorate the day-to-day operations of the museum. You will build on our strengths as the museum moves forward, poised to make a significant contribution to the educational, maritime and tourism communities of the Greater Vancouver area in BC.
With a strong background in operations and change management, combined with an enthusiasm for public institutions, you will be ideal for this role. Experience in the maritime sector is desirable although not essential.
Vancouver is a place in which you can feel at home: it is Canada's gateway to the Pacific and consistently rated as one of the top places to live in the world. With approximately 2.3 million people in the metropolitan area, this growing, multicultural city is proud to be hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Closes 2/9/07
Send letter, resume and salary requirements to:
Application Email: director@vancouvermaritimemuseum.com
Application Address:
Director
Vancouver Maritime Museum
1905 Ogden Avenue
Vancouver, British Columbia V6J 1A3 Posted January 24th

Internships: Martha's Vineyard Museum

Curatorial Intern Edgartown, Massachusetts
Martha's Vineyard Museum
Applications Contact person: Jill Bouck
Application due date: 2007/March 30
Salary range: $9 per hour
Web Address: www.marthasvineyardhistory.org
Curatorial Intern: The curatorial intern will work extensively with the curator and assistant curator on a variety of tasks such as the overall operation of the 18th century Cooke House on the MVM campus, exhibit care and maintenance, environmental monitoring, collection care, security, registration and collection storage. The curatorial intern will lead interpretational tours of the Cooke House as well as campus-wide tours for visitors of all ages and assist in training other interns and volunteers to do the same. The intern will also work with other museum staff, interns and volunteers on a variety of museum-related tasks and ongoing summer education programs. Candidates for this position should have a strong interest or background in museum studies, education and history and enjoy working with the public.
Application Process:
To be considered for an internship position, you will have to submit a complete application package to the MVM by March 30, 2007. This application package includes:
- Martha's Vineyard Museum Intern Information Sheet(see MVM website for form)
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- Most Current Contact Information (phone number and email)
Upon receiving the application packet, MVM staff will send an email acknowledgement. A telephone interview will be necessary for the finalists.
Please send the completed application packet to:
Martha's Vineyard Museum
Attn: Internship Committee
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA. 02539 Posted January 24th

Internship: Martha's Vineyard Museum

Library/Archive Intern Edgartown, Massachusetts
Martha's Vineyard Museum
Applications Contact person: Keith Gorman
Application due date: 2007 March 30
Salary range: $9 per hour
Web Address: www.marthasvineyardhistory.org
The Library/Archive Intern will work closely with the librarian, library staff and volunteers, and visiting researchers at the Gale Huntington Library. The Library's special collections include 50,000 photographic images, 500 maps, and 550 linear feet of manuscripts, logbooks, diaries, and scrapbooks. The Library maintains a small non-circulating collection of monographs that relate to the Museum's focus on Martha's Vineyard history and culture. It functions as the Vineyard's primary cultural and historical repository. Thus, the Library responds to research and reference queries from around the world. While gaining a solid understanding of the basic operations of a research library, the intern will also learn a number of important archival concepts and skills. Candidates for this position should have a strong interest and background in American history and/or some experience working in a research library setting.
Application Process:
To be considered for an internship position, you will have to submit a complete application package to the MVM by March 30, 2007. This application package includes:
- Martha's Vineyard Museum Intern Information Sheet (see website for form)
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- Most Current Contact Information (phone number and email)
Upon receiving the application packet, MVM staff will send an email acknowledgement.
A telephone interview will be necessary for the finalists.
Please send the completed application packet to:
Martha's Vineyard Museum
Attn: Internship Committee
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA. 02539 Posted January 24th

Internship: Wisconsin Maritime Museum

Curatorial Internship, Summer 2007 Manitowoc, WI
Wisconsin Maritime Museum
The Curatorial Intern will focus on exhibits research, production and maintenance; however, responsibilities may also include conservation and collections management work. The intern’s primary projects will relate to work on the Museum’s permanent gallery and upcoming temporary exhibits, and may include identifying and researching potential items for exhibit, coordinating incoming loan items, and script writing. The intern works directly with the Curator or a department head responsible for the project, under the supervision of the Curator. Projects will involve various Museum resources such as ship's plans, photographic, and art archives; film and manuscript collections; three-dimensional artifacts, historic small boat collection; or the Museum's World War II submarine U.S.S. COBIA.
Qualifications: Must have excellent research and writing skills, be self-motivated, and able to work independently with little supervision. Preference will be given to candidates enrolled in history, museum studies or public history programs.
Compensation is $7.50 per hour for up to 320 hours of paid work; start date and work schedule are flexible.
Please send cover letter, resume, and references by February 28, 2007 to: Michelle Hill, Wisconsin Maritime Museum, 75 Maritime Drive, Manitowoc, WI 54220; or via email to mhill@wisconsinmaritime.org. Posted January 28th

Australian Register of Historic Vessels

The Australian National Maritime Museum launched the nation's first Australian Register of Historic Vessels on February 1.

The initial objective of the online register it to assemble a broad picture of Australia's historic boats and ships - indicating the various types, their numbers, their distribution, the uses they serve and their condition.

At launch, the database contains an initial list of 100 vessels - ranging from an early Australian surfboard and an Indigenous one-person fishing raft to a Murray River paddle steamer, a Newcastle collier and a former Royal Australian Navy destroyer.

Any owner wishing to nominate a vessel for inclusion in the Register will find the assessment criteria, helpful information and a Nomination Form on the Register web pages.

I haven't played around in the database much but from what I've seen it's a very rich source of information on the vessels that are included.

Heads up

I don't have the full story, but it would be irresponsible and counter to the Compass's mission not to mention the latest happening regarding Independence Seaport Museum. It appears that during the month of January the Museum sued past director Johns S. Brown for stealing 2.4 million.

A better summary of the situation is at: the Sea-Fever blog (which I've never noticed before but will now follow)


The following are a few links to some of the stories:

Former Museum Chief Denies Stealing Millions

John S. Brown has 99 Problems

Position Announcement:: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum seeks a proven museum professional to manage the production, installation and maintenance of the Museum's exhibits. As a member of the exhibit development teams, the specialist will participate in exhibit design and planning. Responsibilities also include cost estimation for ongoing maintenance and exhibit fabrication and the annual department budget; graphic design, fabrication and assistance with installation of all Museum signage.

See Job Detail.

One Month Later...

Today being February 1st it seemed a good time to get back to blogging. The reason I've been 'gone' is due to the Holidays, the kids being home for winter break and ... the G. W. Blunt White Library move and inter-Collection Intigration. For those of you not familiar with recent events at the Library what follows is a brief run down.

It all began in February of last year when, as a cost saving measure Mystic Seaport offered veteran employees a buy-out option. Out of 40 some staff members in the Collections Area, 12 took the option leaving each Collection thinly staffed. The Library had only 3 full time employees, Ships Plans 2, Curatorial 5, Photgraphy 3...well you get the idea.

And so it was decided that the best way to move forward was to combine forces, reorganze along functional, rather than collection, lines and move the Library into the vast spaces of the Collections Research Center.

...we are now in the midst of that great move but things have settled down enough, both at work and at home that I feel we can get this blog going again.

What have missed? Well aside from the big happening down at Phili, which I'll cover later, not too much. The biggest omission, I think, was Joe's Follansbees audio book and I'll get that story and link up today (getting an error message on the page now).

Kelly

PS Its good to be back

Transatlantic Destinies: Connections and Disconnections Across

Call for Papers
Northeast American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies
October 25-28, 2007
Dartmouth College, New Hampshire

The Theme for the 2007 NEASECS Conference at Dartmouth College memorializes the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the English slave trade. Transatlantic Destinies also acknowledges all aspects of the transformation of the transatlantic social sphere including the exchange of ideas, the resistance of European colonies to the motherlands, European exploration and native resistance, and the increasingly unified
circulation of culture and capital across the largest natural trade routes known up to this point.

As in any NEASECS conference, papers and panels are sought in all areas of eighteenth-century studies.

Please submit 1-page proposals for panels or papers and a brief c.v. by January 15, 2007 to:

Peter Cosgrove, Conference Chair
English Department
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH 03755
Peter.W.Cosgrove@dartmouth.edu

Web Address: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~neasecs07/

PEM Recieves High Praises

Muzine reviewed the new Peabody Essex and gave it a great review and makes some good points for other maritime museums.

The Enduring Relevance of Maritime History

We've all been on a diet at one time or another. Many of us have also tried low carb diets.

Now Michael R. Eades,M.D. turns to maritime sources to illustrate the long established effects of an all meat diet. Dr. Eades cites the journal of Frederick G. Schwatka, aka Misc. Vol. 163 at the G. W. Blunt White Library of Mystic Seaport, which records an 1878-1880 search for Franklin during which the crew of the schooner Eothen switched to an all meat diet.

For the full story check out A critical look at nutritional science

Caught, Canned, and Eaten: The Story of San Pedro's Fishing and Canning Industries

According to the DailyBreeze.com the Los Angeles Maritime Museum will unveil a permanent exhibit on San Pedro's vibrant fishing industry and port-town culture.

The interactive exhibit will include murals, gear used by local fishermen, home movies from the Fishermen's Fiesta, classic television commercials ("Charlie the Tuna"), films of sardine and mackerel fishing and cannery equipment salvaged from Terminal Island.

According to the Museum website the exhibit opens today.

Congrats to Museum Director (and Compass editor) Marifrances Trivelli and her crew for putting together a news worthy exhibit on an overlooked aspect of local maritime history.

New Book Alert

Shipbuilders, Sea Captains, and Fishermen: The Story of the Schooner Wawona

Joe Follansbee, of MHN fame, has a new book out. While I haven't read it yet, it has been ordered and hopefully Joe will make an East Coast author's tour sometime and sign it!

Here's the blurb from the back cover: "Discover the history of the three-masted schooner Wawona and the quirky adventures of her captains and crews in the North Pacific. Shipbuilders, Sea Captains and Fishermen reveals the innovations of Wawona's builder, H.D. Bendixsen. Capt. Ralph E. "Matt" Peasley, "the big overgrown kid," became the most famous ship captain in America. Capt. Charles Foss called on the heavens for a breeze by wearing his wife's hats. And the crew caught hundreds of tons of cod in the stormy Bering Sea while secretly fermenting shipboard wine with canned fruit and sourdough starter. Complete with detailed illustrations, historical photographs, and great stories, Shipbuilders, Sea Captains and Fishermen recreates a world that ended with the last sailing ships."

It's the canned fruit and sourdough wine that really peaks my curiosity!

Position Announcement: Director of the Library

The Mariners' Museum is seeking a dynamic and innovative leader to direct the operations of the Museum's 78,000+ volume research library and archives. The director is a member of the senior leadership team and is expected to provide overall vision for the library in accordance with the Long Range Plan and mission of the Museum, act as a communicative mentor and effective leader for the library staff, identify and utilize opportunities for new technologies, be a spokesperson and advocate for the library-both internally and externally, and network with the library community. In addition, the director will be involved in planning and development of a new library as part of the whole Museum campus. Individual must have a Masters of Library Science from an ALA-accredited program and at least 5 years previous related experience in a research library with demonstrated increased responsibilities including supervisory experience, superior communication skills, and experience in community networking. Previous experience with a building program preferred. This position offers a salary commensurate with experience and an excellent benefits package.

Intrepid Update

The mud that held up the USS Intrepid move has been removed from beneath the aircraft carrier but plans to move her have not yet been announced.

The Intrepid, a legendary Pacific war campaigner that survived torpedoes and five kamikaze plane attacks, is overdue for rehabilitation after sitting idle for 24 years at the Hudson's city-owned Pier 86.

Full story.

Maritime Heritage Center Proposed for Bay City

An editorial in the Bay City Times promotes the planned development of a maritime museum.

According to the editorial Bay City officials, Dow Corning Corp., the Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and Bay Future propose to build a Maritime Heritage Center on 8.5 acres of the 48-acre Uptown at RiversEdge property, just south of downtown Bay City.

A proposal to fund an initial study comes before the City Commissioners this week.

Quick News Item:

Smuggling, Iron and Sugar: Millersville University Students in Atlantic Project with Bermuda Maritime Museum

MILLERSVILLE, Pa., Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- History and archeology students from Millersville University of Pennsylvania plan to spend next summer at the Bermuda Maritime Museum to research smuggling, iron and sugar during the 18th century....link to full article.

Position Announcement: Executive Director Michigan Maritime Museum

The Board of Directors for the Michigan Maritime Museum is seeking a skilled Executive Director who will lead the Museum forward as it builds on its strengths and charts its future direction. The successful candidate will demonstrate skills and expertise in leading an organization through thoughtful change; managing day-to-day operations; effectively communicating with the staff and public; employing creative marketing strategies; administering the budget and financial records; encouraging volunteers; conducting fruitful fundraising activities; and promoting exceptional customer service.

For more information see complete description

CFP: 28th Annual Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival Symposium

Mystic Seaport 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, 2007. Audiovisually illustrated presentations are welcome. Papers selected must be submitted in final form by May 7th.

Graduate students encouraged to submit a proposal.

Speakers will receive lodging and meals 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

Online Exhibit - Ladies Who Launch

Press Release:

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

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

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

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

Salem Crew List Database Online

Between 1799 and 1879 over 7900 voyages to foreign ports sailed from Salem, Massachusetts. Prior to sailing the shipmaster, or captain of each vessel was required to file a crew list containing information about the vessel's destination and its crew. This website provides an index to those crewlists. Containing over 75,770 names, it also provides access to crew members based upon age, complexion, birthplace and residence place.

Search the database!