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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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.

Bush to Deliver Commencement Speech at Merchant Marine Academy

From chron.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Article: Journal for Maritime Research

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

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

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