View
223
Download
0
Category
Tags:
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
Featured articles: "The Launch of the Charles W. Morgan," "Mystic Seaport Receives Prestigious NEH Award," "Contrasting Aspects of Maritime Life in Black and White" and more.
Citation preview
FALL
| W
INTE
R 2
011
FALL
| W
INTE
R 2
013
Launching the
Charles W. Morgan
You harbor dear memories of your time here. Help your friends and loved ones do the same. Get $5 off and an exclusive 13-month Mystic Seaport wall calendar for FREE when you purchase a Mystic Seaport gift membership — give a year of free unlimited admission, a free subscription to Mystic Seaport Magazine, special discounts at Latitude 41˚ Restaurant, our stores, and on classes and camps.
To purchase a gift membership (or just a calendar), call 860.572.5339 or visit the membership section of our website, www.mysticseaport.org/join
give a mystic seaport membership.
Gift wrap four seasons of fun.
TM
Fa l l / w i n t e r
2013
FALL / WINTER 2013 | Mystic Seaport Magazine | 3
C O N T E N T S
3
IN THIS ISSUE
SEASCAPES ...................................… 4
ADVANCEMENT NEWS .................. 5-7
MUSEUM BRIEFS ....................... 8-10
LAUNCHING THE MORGAN ....... 11-15
SHIP MODEL DONATION .......... 16-17
Q & A ............................................. 18
MY MYSTIC SEAPORT .................... 19
ON BOOKS ................................ 20-21
FROM THE COLLECTIONS .............. 22
ON THE COVER: ROB WHALEN, LEAD SHIPWRIGHT ON THE CHARLES W. MORGAN RESTORATION PROJECT, MAKES A TOUCH-UP ON THE WHALESHIP BEFORE THE LAUNCH ON JULY 21, 2013.
11
8
TM
CONTACT US
VISITOR INFORMATION: 860.572.5315 • 888.973.2767
ADMINISTRATION: 860.572.0711
MEMBERSHIP: 860.572.5339
PROGRAM RESERVATION: 860.572.5322
MUSEUM STORE: 860.572.5385
MARITIME GALLERY: 860.572.5388
VOLUNTEER SERVICES: 860.572.5378
Please go to the Museum’s website for information on the Fall/Winter/Spring schedule
ADDRESS: 75 GREENMANVILLE AVE. P.O. BOX 6000 MYSTIC, CT 06355 -0990 WWW.MYSTICSEAPORT.ORG
Mystic Seaport magazine is a publication of Mystic SeaporT
President STEPHEN C. WHITE
executive vice presidents SUSAN FUNK MARCY WITHINGTON
Editor Göran R BUCKHORN editor@mysticseaport.org
PRODUCTION Susan HEATH
contributorsAlexandra AlpertTrudi BuseySarah CahillFred CalabrettaElysa EngelmanChris Freeman
Philip KuepperDan McFaddenCarol Mowrey Erin Richard Jonathan Shay Ken Wilson
DRAWINGS Evelyn Ansel (Vignettes) Jeff Crewe Bill Ruggieri/680 Design
Göran R BuckhornPhil Butta / Mystic River Press Christine Corrigan / the Westerly SUNChris Freeman
Dennis MurphyAndy PriceChris WhiteMYSTIC SEAPORT PHOTOGRAPHY ARCHIVES
PHOTOGRAPHY
Design Dayna Carignan, MYSTIC SEAPORT Karen Ward, THE DAY PRINTING COMPANY
&
and to
The famous documentary filmmaker Ric Burns, who was the keynote speaker at
the Launch of the Charles W. Morgan, opened his memorable speech on July
21 with the words, “There is nothing more magical than a ship…” Simple enough,
but Burns immediately connected with his audience, some 5,000 people strong,
who simultaneously nodded in agreement. With the Charles W. Morgan poised
proudly behind him on the shiplift in the Shipyard, we all understood where he
was headed. His talk was to be all about her beauty and her significance, and the
fact that we are, without doubt, bonded by
our intense commitment to her. But he went
one important step further by adding that the
magical power of “the compounded human
alchemy” was responsible for her restoration
and her rebirth. Burns had us in the palm of
his hand – and he delivered.
We listened attentively to the filmmaker
turned philosopher and poet. He spoke to us
and to the ship; he spoke to the other 2,700
whaleships now all gone, save one. He spoke
to all Morgan descendants, some present and
some not, but all understanding that together,
Mystic Seaport and the Charles W. Morgan
represent America and what life was like back
then and what it can become.
The magic of the ship, all ships perhaps,
dominated the pre-launch comments and
our thoughts drifted to our personal connec-
tion to vessels that we love, both large and
small, and the magic they play in our hearts and minds. Let’s admit it: the magic
is powerful and it’s one of the most compelling aspects of Mystic Seaport. I think
of the Emma C. Berry and Estella A.— perhaps for you it would be the L.A. Dunton
or Sabino or Brilliant—but regardless of the vessel, we are moved by her form,
her function, and her potential.
We see in the Morgan her potential to go back to sea, to be alive as a ship. That
potential, seen in the vessel on the shiplift, coupled with Ric Burns’s words, cre-
ated the magical energy of what will always be known as The Launch, all made
possible, he commented, by the “sheer stubborn seaborne love and wizardry” of
the Museum staff. There is such importance to our work and our vision. All of the
speakers that morning made it abundantly clear.
Some time ago in the Mystic Seaport Magazine, we answered the important
question: “Why sail the Morgan?” The answer still resonates: The Morgan’s voyage
will illuminate the whaleship’s history for audiences that never before have been
privy to her life; it will bring public history alive via a compelling adventure; it will
emphasize the innovative and influential nature of the maritime tradition; and it
will stimulate relevant conversations about the changing world.
Come see the magic of the Morgan and understand the potential.
S E A S C A P E S SPECIAL EVENTS at MYSTIC SEAPORT
SEPTEMBER 15 to Dec. 31 — 34th Annual International Marine Art Exhibition OCTOBER 5 — Fall Beer Tasting
6 — Argia Twilight Cruise
12 to 14 — Chowder Days
17 — Adventure Series begins
18 — Sights & Frights begins
19-20 — PILOTS Weekend
31 — Trick-or-Treat
NOVEMBER 9 — Charles W. Morgan Day
23 to April 14, — Marine Artists in Winter 2014
29-30 — Field Days
29 to Dec. 8 — Members’ Double Discount Days
30 — Lantern Light Tours begins
DECEMBER 14 — Santa Claus is Coming!
22 — Community Carol Sing
26 to — Holiday Magic Jan. 1, 2014
JANUARY 2014 8 — Maritime Author Series begins
FEBRUARY 2014 15-17 — Winter’s Aweigh
APRIL 2014 12-13 — Educators’ Weekend
STEPHEN C. WHITE President
| Mystic Seaport Magazine | FALL / WINTER 20134
RIC BURNS GIVING HIS MEMORABLE SPEECH. STEPHEN C. WHITE IS SEATED ON THE LEFT.
The Museum grounds will be closed to visitors between January 2 and February 14, 2014. Please check our website for hours of operation for the Collections Research Center, Museum Stores, the Maritime Art Gallery, and Latitude 41° Restaurant during that period. Museum Administration, Education, and other departments will continue to operate on standard business hours. www.mysticseaport.org
In Honor of the 1841 Charles W. Morgan
K
and to
A D VA N C E M E N T N E W S
On Friday evening, June 28, members of
the America and the Sea Society gathered
at the Maritime Art Gallery at Mystic Sea-
port for a cocktail reception to meet some
of the individuals from the organizations
that have built whaleboats for the Charles
W. Morgan’s 38th Voyage.
Earlier on that Friday, a group of stu-
dents, or apprentices, from the Appren-
ticeshop in Rockland, ME, arrived at Mystic
Seaport aboard a 29-foot whaleboat which
they had constructed. This was especially
newsworthy when you consider that they
had rowed and sailed it to Mystic, a 300-mile
voyage that started on June 16 in Rockland.
The students’ comments were inspir-
ing and pointed to the unique chance this
experience provided for them. They rarely
get to use the boats they build, but in this
case, they had the possibility to undergo
firsthand what whalemen in the nineteenth
century encountered in a whaleboat on the
open sea. Opportunities like these will also
be offered to the crew of Charles W. Morgan
when she goes to sea again in 2014.
MEETING THE WHALEBOAT BUILDERS
To find out more about the America
and the Sea Society, please contact
Annual Fund Manager
Elizabeth Benoit at 860-572.5302
ext. 5144, or email
Elizabeth.Benoit@mysticseaport.org
WELCOME STONERIDGE!
FALL / WINTER 2013 | Mystic Seaport Magazine | 5
Mystic Seaport is proud to
welcome StoneRidge, a con-
tinuing care retirement com-
munity in Mystic, as the new-
est member of our Community
Partner Program. This spring,
the leadership team at Stone-
Ridge stepped forward and
agreed to support the peren-
nial Adventure Series at Mys-
tic Seaport. For sixty years, this
popular winter program has
brought dynamic and engag-
ing speakers to Mystic Seaport
to share their compelling stories
with our members and friends.
This season’s series, “In the
Wake of the Whale and Other
Environmental Issues,” begins
in October and covers topics
from studying narwhals in the
Arctic to rowing alone across
the Atlantic Ocean. For the final
presentation in the series, on
April 17, 2014, Dana Hewson,
vice president for Watercraft
Preservation and Programs at
Mystic Seaport, will team up
with the captain of the Charles
W. Morgan’s 38th Voyage.
In addition to their partici-
pation in the Community Part-
ner Program, StoneRidge has
also become a Plankholder in
the monumental restoration
and 38th Voyage of the Mor-
gan. Their generous support
will augment a grass-roots com-
munity effort organized under
the name “Sail the Morgan
2014.” This group of members
and friends in the community
has set forth a challenge and
an invitation to help raise $1.5
million toward the funding
needed for the ship’s voyage
next year. To date, and with the
help of StoneRidge, “Sail the
Morgan 2014” has raised nearly
$400,000.
As Dr. Sylvia Earle, the re-
nowned oceanographer, has
stated about the Morgan: “[She
is] a ship from the past with a
message for the future: protect,
preserve, and cherish the sea and
its inhabitants.” We are grateful
to StoneRidge for their support,
encouragement, and enthusi-
asm. Mystic Seaport could not
ask for a better partner in the
community.
The Adventure Series runs
from October to April on the third
Thursday of each month. To learn
more and to purchase tickets, go
to www.mysticseaport.org
Chris Freeman is Director of Development.
MELINDA CARLISLE, CO-CHAIR OF “SAIL THE MORGAN 2014,” HANDS OVER A TRUNNEL RECOGNITION PLAQUE TO PAMELA KLAPPROTH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STONERIDGE (ON THE RIGHT).
and to
and to
MYSTIC SEAPORT RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS NEH AWARD
A D VA N C E M E N T N E W S
| Mystic Seaport Magazine | FALL / WINTER 20136
Just a few days after the successful launch of the Charles W.
Morgan in July, Mystic Seaport received more good news: the
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced that
it would award the prestigious Chairman’s Special Award to the
Museum. This $450,000 grant will help fund a suite of engaging
public programs and new exhibits revolving around the upcoming
ceremonial 38th Voyage of the Morgan next summer.
Titled “Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers,” this was one of only
two nationwide projects to receive the designation of a Chairman’s
Special Award in this competitive grant cycle, the highest possible
funding level. The grants in this funding line, named “America’s
Historical and Cultural Organizations: Planning and Implementa-
tion Grants,” support museum exhibitions, library-based projects,
interpretation of historic places or areas, websites, and other project
formats that NEH reviewers and officials determine will “excite and
inform thoughtful reflection upon culture,
identity, and history.”
The five anonymous reviewers serving on
the advisory panel all rated the project “Excel-
lent.” One called the project, “Far and away, the most comprehensive
and exciting public-history/museum/humanities project I have
ever had the privilege to review.” As NEH program officer Christina
Cortina wrote in her summary of the panel’s assessments, “Reviewers
unanimously agreed this ‘groundbreaking’ project was deserving
of a Chairman’s Special Award. They were very impressed by the
‘exceptional’ advisors and praised the ‘brilliant array of program
formats’ designed to deepen the humanities content. We commend
the excellent work of your team in conceptualizing the project and
writing an engaging proposal. The NEH is very pleased to support
this project.”
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National
Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in
history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by
funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation.
In order to receive NEH funding, the “Voyaging in the Wake
of the Whalers” grant proposal needed to demonstrate that the
project would build on sound humanities scholarship, deepen
public understanding of significant humanities questions, involve
a team of humanities scholars in all phases of development and
implementation, appeal to broad audiences, approach a subject
analytically and interpretively through an appropriate variety
of perspectives, and encourage dialogue and discussion.
In addition, in order to receive funding at the higher level
of a Chairman’s Special Award, the Museum’s proposal
needed to convince the expert reviewers, NEH staff, and the
NEH Chairman that the project “will be unusually signifi-
cant and appealing,” with “exceptionally broad reach nationally.”
The project activities include dockside activities, exhibits, and
educational programs exploring four main humanities themes:
the changing perceptions about whales, the perils and profits of
the whalehunt, the whaleship as global crossroads, and the impact
of whaling on American culture. The project period runs for three
years, beginning in September 2013, and will include scholarly
input, audience evaluation work, and staff training.
“We are very grateful to NEH for their financial and intellectual
support of this exciting project. NEH funding in the planning and
implementation stages enables the Museum to maximize the
impact of the Morgan’s story through exhibitions, interpreta-
tion, and the commemorative 38th Voyage,” said Susan Funk,
executive vice president at Mystic Seaport.
Dr. Elysa Engelman is the Museum’s exhibits researcher/developer.
(TOP AND BOTTOM) CONCEPT DRAWINGS FOR THE DOCKSIDE EXPERIENCE DURING THE MORGAN'S 38TH VOYAGE, BY EXHIBIT DESIGNER JEFF CREWE. (CENTER) CONCEPT DRAWING FOR THE UPCOMING GALLERY EXHIBIT, BY BILL RUGGIERI OF 680 DESIGN.
and to
Newly appointed Vice President for
Advancement Elisabeth Saxe speaks
to Mystic Seaport Magazine.
Why did you choose fundraising as a profession?
As an intern in the late 1970s at New
York City Ballet, I had the opportunity to in-
teract with inspiring philanthropists, many
of whom founded some of New York’s most
notable cultural institutions. Their dedi-
cation to charitable endeavors made an
imprint on me and I chose to devote my
career to connecting those who are phil-
anthropically minded to important causes.
Where did you work prior to Mystic Seaport?
I have always worked in the non-profit
sector. Most recently I served as director
of institutional advancement for Westport
Country Playhouse, my second time work-
ing there as I had previously led their $30.6
million Campaign for a New Era, which
successfully concluded in 2005. I was direc-
tor of development at Caramoor Center for
Music and the Arts, a beautiful 90-acre site
and home to a renowned music festival in
Katonah, NY, and was part of the found-
ing team of Stepping Stones Museum for
Children in Norwalk, CT. My affiliation with
School of American Ballet in New York City
launched my non-profit career in the early
1980s. I held my first professional fundrais-
ing post there as director of special events
and membership.
What attracted you to Mystic Seaport?
As it is among the preeminent maritime
history museums in the nation, I have al-
ways respected Mystic Seaport, so when I
was approached to take on the role of vice
president for advancement, I felt it would
be an honor to be part of the leadership
team during this transformational era for
the Museum. The field of public history is
vitally important. The Museum does an
impressive job making the past relevant to
a broad and diverse audience—this deeply
resonated with me. Taking the Morgan to
sea and all the content being developed
around this project is truly thrilling. Also,
the potential for the 38th Voyage to have a
long-lasting impact on the national scope
of Mystic Seaport seemed like a vital en-
deavor and I wanted to lend my expertise
to the amazing team of professionals and
volunteers who had such an exciting vision.
Do you have any specific plans for the
advancement effort at the Museum?
There is a strong advancement effort
in place here upon which to grow. The
Annual Fund is our top priority. It is truly
the building block to keep Mystic Seaport
thriving. We are endeavoring to expand the
Annual Fund and add to the devoted core of
philanthropists who are currently so gener-
ous. Of course, we are still fundraising to
complete the restoration of the Morgan and
to take her to sea. Other important capital
improvements that will enhance and enrich
the visitor experience are on the horizon.
All will be part of the advancement effort.
What are your interests outside of work?
Like so many of my colleagues here at
Mystic Seaport, one of my favorite pastimes
is sailing. I practice yoga regularly and enjoy
“gentle” hikes in the Berkshires with my
family, which includes a blue merle sheltie
named Luna.
ELISABETH SAXE IS NEW VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT
At Mystic Seaport, an ocean voyage is per-
haps the best metaphor for a major capital
campaign. When setting out to sea for any
substantial offshore passage, we all hope for fair
winds and following seas. We know, however,
that we must be prepared to face foul winds and ill tides. We set out ,
confident of our destination, yet uncertain how our voyage will unfold.
During the campaign to restore the Charles W. Morgan and take her
to sea once again, we have had our share of both “fair and foul winds.”
We have also had the company of good shipmates who have pulled
together to bring us through. At this point in the campaign, slightly
more than 900 members and generous philanthropic friends have
contributed $10.4 million of the $12 million necessary to sail the Morgan
in 2014. Gifts have ranged from a leadership gift of $2 million to three
consecutive gifts from young Matthew H., who has contributed $34.25.
The restoration of the hull is completed and the vessel is once again
afloat on her keel; the same keel that was laid down at the Hillman
Brothers Shipyard in New Bedford 172 years ago. Four and one-half
years of passionate labor, tons of live oak framing, and thousands of
board feet of longleaf yellow pine planking have made the Morgan
seaworthy once again. We now seek to raise the balance of $1.6 mil-
lion to enable us to rig her, fit her out, and sail her on her 38th Voyage.
A grass-roots effort to once again sail the Morgan is underway
alongside our traditional campaign. A special group is setting forth
both a challenge and an invitation to all the friends of the Morgan to
raise the remaining funds to take her to sea next year. Thus far, under
the flag of “Sail the Morgan 2014”, they have raised nearly $400,000 in
support of the 38th Voyage.
If this campaign is indeed a voyage, we are homeward bound, the
headlands of our home port just rising into view over the horizon.
For the Morgan, the conclusion of this voyage of restoration will in
fact take her homeward bound—first out again on the open sea, for
which she was built, and then on to revisit New Bedford, MA, where
she first set sail in 1841.
King Neptune is calling the Morgan back to the sea and your sup-
port will be her fair winds and following seas.
CHARLES W. MORGAN POST-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN UPDATE
FALL / WINTER 2013 | Mystic Seaport Magazine | 7
A D VA N C E M E N T N E W S
A new exhibit opened this fall at Mystic Seaport with the work of
two American photographers, who have documented very differ-
ent aspects of life on the water in black and white photographs.
The exhibit features the work of Milton Moore, who documented Cape
Cod fishermen during the 1970s, and Barry Winiker, who photographs
luxury cruise ships.
Milton Moore’s show is titled “Working Men, Working Boats: Images of
the Cape Cod Fishery in Its Heyday.” Moore is currently a news designer
at the newspaper The Day in New London, CT. He produced this body
of work thirty years ago, while working for the Cape Cod Times, and has
recently restored and digitized these historic images. The photographs
have a timeless feel, capturing techniques that date back before the
1970s. Moore explains, “When I look at these photographs now, these
images of men hauling nets and dredges no longer seem connected to
my own hand, but are like some family heirloom I have always known.
Time contains both to the photographs and the photographer. It is as
easy for me to imagine these photographs as records from the 1930s as
to conjure the cold winds and shifting light of the days when they were
made. Much has been swept away.”
Barry Winiker’s show is titled “Sun Ships: Modern Cruising.” Winiker’s photographs of luxury
ships contrast with the rugged environment of fishermen. His fascination with the photography
of cruise ships and ocean liners began in 1980, when he boarded a passenger ship in New York
and discovered a world of style, design, and function. His photographs from the past three
decades record passenger activities and architectural and design elements on board. Winiker
describes his approach: “My views from the deck are documentary and informative, as well as
interpretive. They are concerned as much with architecture and design as they are with weather
conditions, time of day, and play of light and shadow. The wealth of shipboard visual information
is enormous — it is a subject that inspires, challenges, and offers immeasurable possibilities.”
The exhibit opened on September 13 on the second floor in the Stillman Building.
Jonathan Shay is Director of Exhibits at Mystic Seaport.
CONTRASTING ASPECTS OF MARITIME LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE
ABOVE: SPIRAL STAIRCASE ON CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE’S CARNIVAL LEGEND, FROM 2002.
BELOW: SHADOWS HIGHLIGHT THE GRACEFUL WALKWAY ON THE CUNARD LINE’S QUEEN ELIZABETH II, FROM 1981.
ABOVE: A 900-POUND TUNA, WHICH LANDED ON A HAND-LINE, IS SLOWLY HOISTED UP TO THE PACKING HOUSE ON MCMILLAN WHARF IN PROVINCETOWN.
LEFT: ON BOARD RENIVA, THE CAPTAIN AND CREW HAUL A FULL TRAWL NET TO THE RAIL TO POSITION IT FOR THE WINCH.
| Mystic Seaport Magazine | FALL / WINTER 20138
M U S E U M B R I E F S
M U S E U M B R I E F S
CONTRASTING ASPECTS OF MARITIME LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE
FALL / WINTER 2013 | Mystic Seaport Magazine | 9
The state of Connecticut
has designated the 2013-14 ac-
ademic year to be the “Year of the
Charles W. Morgan.” The desig-
nation affords students across
the state and country a unique
opportunity to learn about Con-
necticut maritime history, the
significance of the whaling in-
dustry, and the importance of
the state’s maritime heritage. The
“Year of the Charles W. Morgan”
features educational resources
and programming that teachers
can use to cover a range of sub-
ject material. These educational
activities will offer students access
to engaging history and science
education through vibrant on-site,
online, and in-school activities.
The special educational op-
portunities available during the
“Year of the Charles W. Morgan”
include:
Thematic lesson plans: Schools
have access to a suite of flexible
online thematic lesson plans
that teachers can incorporate
into their existing curriculum
and that will help them meet
some of the Common Core State
Standards.
Videos: We have developed
a series of short (2-3-minute)
videos about the Morgan and
related 19th-century whaling
trades for teachers to use in
their classroom.
Music on the Morgan: This in-
teractive music program traces
maritime music history and the
Morgan’s place in it.
Period Performances: The
“Year of the Charles W. Mor-
gan” features two new 45-min-
ute period performances that
relate to the Morgan and whal-
ing. Karlee Turner Etter (in
the picture) will portray Lydia
Landers in 1895. Mrs. Landers
accompanied her shipmaster
husband on the Morgan’s sev-
enth voyage (1863-1867) and
was the first woman to travel on
the Morgan. The second role-
player, Jason Hine, will portray
Conrad Geller, a common sailor
on board the Morgan’s 28th,
29th, and 30th voyages. He will
speak directly about what life as
a whaler was like.
Primary source workshops:
Students can participate in pri-
mary source workshops related
to the Charles W. Morgan that
hone their historical and criti-
cal thinking skills and meet key
aspects of the Common Core
State Standards.
Virtual educational program-ming: Using Skype technology
and state-of-the-art equip-
ment, students can participate
in virtual programs from the
deck of the Charles W. Morgan
and from our Collections Re-
search Center.
Professional development for teachers: Teachers can partici-
pate in professional develop-
ment related to the Charles W.
Morgan. The Museum’s profes-
sional development programs
provide teachers with behind-
the-scenes tours and thematic
workshops that correlate our
vast collections and exhibits
with classroom curriculum and
align with state and national
standards.
All of these educational ma-
terials are housed on our new
Online Learning Community
website, which is geared toward
enhancing access to our collec-
tions and other educational pro-
grams using today’s technology.
The website features thematic
resource sets, articles about ar-
tifacts in our collections, “living”
documents, active maps, educa-
tor profiles and projects, online
lectures, scholar interviews, and
much more.
Sarah Cahill is Director of Education at Mystic Seaport.
For information, please contact the Mystic Seaport Education Office: Krystal.Kornegay@mystic seaport.org or 860.572.0711 ext. 5025. Please visit the website at olc.mysticseaport.org
MYSTIC SEAPORT GOES TO CUBAAfter hearing Paul Hendrickson talk at the Museum’s Maritime
Author Series in April 2012 about his book Hemingway’s Boat (2011),
I was inspired to travel to Cuba. With the expertise of Dana Hewson,
Mystic Seaport vice president and Clark Senior Curator for Watercraft,
the Museum organized a trip to Cuba in March this year for a group
of 17 members. The highlight of the trip was visiting Ernest Heming-
way’s home, Finca Vigía, where his boat Pilar is on display and about
which Hendrickson wrote so beautifully in his book. Other highpoints
included hearing the choral group “Cantores of Cienfuegos” sing
“Shenandoah” (you can find them on YouTube), as well as sharing
great experiences with the Cuban people. It was a humbling experi-
ence that gave us an insight into a forbidden part of the world that we
will probably see transformed in our lifetime.
Thank you to those who traveled with Mystic Seaport and helped
make this trip so memorable.
Mystic Seaport will return to Cuba in the spring of 2014 for a
maritime history tour with Dr. Eric Roorda, who is the author of
Cuba, America and the Sea (2006) and co-director of the Museum’s
Munson Institute.
Alexandra Alpert is Director of Membership and Volunteer Services.
For more information, please visit – www.mysticseaport.org/members or email the Membership Department at membership@mysticseaport.org
KICKING OFF THE “YEAR OF THE CHARLES W. MORGAN”
M U S E U M B R I E F S
In November 2011, Mystic Seaport en-
tered into a PPA (Power Purchase Agree-
ment) with Altus Power of Greenwich, CT,
to construct a solar array on the roof of the
Rossie Mill, where the Museum’s Collections
Research Center and boat storage area are lo-
cated. Altus Power worked for several months
to secure the approvals and permits necessary
to construct the system. By December 2012,
all the approvals were in place. Construction
then began in January and was completed
in April. The system was inspected and ap-
proved by Connecticut Light & Power and
came online May 21, 2013.
How it works: Every minute, enough of
the sun’s energy reaches the earth to meet
the world’s energy demand for one year. So-
lar modules capture this energy through a
number of solar cells. Light is absorbed by
the semi-conductors located inside the solar
cells and converted into electrical energy.
This process generates direct current (DC)
electricity which is routed to an inverter that
converts the electricity generated by the solar
modules into alternating current (AC). This is
the form of electricity used in lighting, heating,
and cooling systems.
The system on the roof of the Rossie Mill,
which consists of 963 solar panels connected
by over four miles of wire, has a designed ca-
pacity of 200 kilowatts. This equates to about
20 percent of the annual electrical demand of
the Rossie Mill.
Ken Wilson is Director of Facilities.
It was a banner year for launches at
Mystic Seaport. In addition to the Charles
W. Morgan’s return to the water, the Mu-
seum launched another large item this
past summer: a new and improved web-
site. The brand new www.mysticseaport.
org premiered the first week of June, greet-
ing web visitors with compelling imagery
and videos, user-friendly navigation, more
news, an enhanced calendar of events, and
My Trip. The latter is an online organizer
that lets visitors plan their next visit by us-
ing the “Add to My Trip” buttons to save
vessels, exhibits, and anything else they
don’t want to miss to their personalized
itinerary, which can be viewed or printed
at any time.
An image gallery showcasing different
aspects of Mystic Seaport is the main focal
point of the site’s new homepage. Below
the fold, three new elements are featured:
a calendar of upcoming events and two
news feeds—one sharing the latest Mystic
Seaport news and one highlighting mari-
time news from around the world.
The Museum’s social network activity is
now featured on the site’s new Connect page.
From Tweets to blog posts, the webpage –
which somewhat resembles a digital news-
paper– displays a constantly updated view
of Mystic Seaport’s social media presence.
Additionally, website navigation is now on
the top of each page and features extra-deep
main menus so the entire site can be explored
just by pointing at the menu on any page.
While improved functionality was a ne-
cessity for the new website, so was a fresh
look. Photo galleries, larger-sized images,
and videos have a key presence. On select
pages, viewers can watch Mystic Seaport
moments that have been captured by the
Museum’s Film & Video Department and
also attend events online by watching live
streaming videos. One such event was the
Morgan launch, which garnered more than
11,000 views during the live broadcast.
The next time you’re online, stop by
the Museum’s website. Follow the lead of
the navigation menu and learn, join, shop,
connect, support, and research the collec-
tions. It may not be quite the same as a real
visit to Mystic Seaport, but it provides an
enjoyable, user-friendly, and informative
experience of its own.
Erin Richard is the Web Content Manager at Mystic Seaport.
Anne Butler was presented with the 2013
William C. Noyes Volunteer of the Year Award
at the Mystic Seaport Celebration of Volunteers
event in July. Butler, of Jamestown, RI, began
volunteering at the Museum in May 2008 and
has since contributed more than 10,000 hours.
It is not unusual to find Butler working seven
days a week, and at present she is volunteering
in the Shipyard, the Exhibits department, and
the G. W. Blunt White Building, which holds the
National Rowing Hall of Fame, the rowing exhibit
“Let Her Run,” the archive of the Cruising Club
of America, the exhibit “Adventurous Use of the
Sea,” and a small selection of images from the
Rosenfeld Collection.
“It came as a big surprise and I am very proud
to have been chosen,” Butler said. “By now, I
have volunteered in every department at the
Museum, and it’s great fun.”
During the winter, Butler and a small group
of volunteers in the Shipyard make between
10,000 and 12,000 hulls for the high season’s toy
boat building for children. “I do love working in
the Shipyard,” Butler said.
“Consistency is Anne Butler’s code of work
ethic, and she represents the true spirit of the
Corps of Volunteers. Her multi-faceted efforts in
so many departments remain the marvel of staff
and fellow volunteers throughout the Museum,”
said Rhoda Hopkins Root, associate director of
Volunteer Services.
The William C. Noyes Volunteer of the Year
Award was established in 1998 by Bettye Noyes
in memory of her late husband and is annually
given to a volunteer who “best personifies Bill
Noyes’s example and the ‘true spirit’ of a Mystic
Seaport volunteer.” At the award ceremony in
July, special recognition was also given to vol-
unteers Kit Werner and Barry Boodman and
to Arleen Anderson, graphics specialist at the
Museum’s Exhibits department.
JOIN US ONLINE
SOLAR POWER SYSTEM INSTALLED ON THE ROSSIE MILL
10 | Mystic Seaport Magazine | FALL / WINTER 2013
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR: ANNE BUTLER
ANNE BUTLER, STEVE WHITE, AND, ON THE FAR RIGHT, BETTYE NOYES.
THE SHIP RITE
The Launch of the Charles W. Morgan on July 21, 2013
On her maiden voyage, the Morgan
rounded the Horn and gained the Pacific.
Gone three years and four months,
she made homeport,
her hold a cornucopia
of 2,400 barrels of oil,
10,000 pounds of whalebone.
The year was 1841.
This year, 2013,
she is launched again,
to sail for pleasure,
then lie anchored, as testament,
to the men who built her,
to the shipwrights who have restored her,
to the 80 years she sailed,
to the 1,000 men who sailed her,
to the 37 voyages,
to the boats launched from her,
to the oil, rendered,
from the blubber by her tryworks,
to her surviving the fire
from the wreckage of the Sankaty,
that struck her in New Bedford’s harbor;
all this, then, testament
to the very ship of her,
her planed planks bearing
the shipwrights’ handprints,
whose fingertips shaped her
to restoration with their work,
the touch of love in the work of their hands,
that pressed her, again,
into the embrace of oceans.
~ Philip Kuepper
Philip Kuepper, a former employee of the Mystic Seaport Bookstore, is a poet living in Mystic. Philip has had his work published in Poetry, The Washingtonian Monthly, RFD magazine, The New York Times, Promise Magazine, and The Mystic River Press.
FALL / WINTER 2013 | Mystic Seaport Magazine | 11
from the Launch of the MorganVOICESRob Whalen, lead shipwright on
the Charles W. Morgan restora-
tion, could finally exhale when
the vessel was successfully and
officially launched. Rob is quick to give credit
to the many talented shipwrights and volun-
teers whose skills, hard work, and dedication
have given new life to the Morgan. Rob says
he has learned a lot of new things through-
out the five-year restoration process. When
every last detail of the ship’s rebirth is com-
pleted, Rob anticipates having more time
to do something else he enjoys—cooking!
Tireless Museum volunteer, Julia Doering,
began her “Morgan connection” in 1999 as
a novice volunteer interpreter aboard the
historic whaleship. During the vessel’s resto-
ration, Julia returned to supervise a volunteer
crew totaling 25 men and women, all eager
to be involved in revitalizing the Morgan to
her original majesty. Julia stresses, “Because
we were working on a historical artifact, it
was imperative that volunteers be assigned
to specific jobs, based on their individual
talents and abilities.” As a PILOT and a donor
to the Morgan restoration, Julia deservedly
feels pride in a job well done and satisfaction
in helping reach a monumental goal.
Mystic Seaport mem-
bers John and Claire
Bolduc, of Gales Ferry,
CT, are excited about
the 38th Voyage of the Charles W. Morgan.
They have kept up with the vessel’s restora-
tion progress via videos and newspaper and
magazine articles. “To us the magnitude of
the project is awesome on all counts; we
could not miss the Launch day.”
“I first boarded the Morgan back
in 1968,” says Donald Peacock,
chairman of Lynx Educational
Foundation, Nantucket. “It was
important for me to be here today to share
this historic event. My son, Alexander, is a
rigger on the Morgan and the ship is a won-
derful educational tool. By the way, our foun-
dation’s schooner Lynx was rigged at Mystic
Seaport this past spring.”
Chris Kretch, from St. Michaels, MD, finds
the entire history of the Morgan fascinating.
He had a very special reason for attending
the Launch. Chris built one of the whaleboats
that the Morgan will carry when she sets sail
next year. He learned his boat building skills
at the Great Lakes Boat Building School in
Cedarville, MI. It’s easy to see why Chris is
excited about the Morgan’s planned voyage!
Sean Patrick Kelly hammered the “golden
nail” into the Morgan’s shutter plank, the last
plank to close up the ship. Sean admits that
he wasn’t a skilled shipwright, but wander-
lust, curiosity, and a love of history drew him
to Mystic Seaport. He took the opportunity
to learn new skills and be part of the Charles
W. Morgan restoration. Sean did most of the
fastening and feels he could now “pretty
much build a boat.” He says the comradeship
and the “graffiti” his fellow Shipyard workers
wrote or drew on the wooden scaffolding
kept things fun.
David Benvenuti, of Waterford, CT, has been
a Museum member for five years. He first
boarded the Morgan on a Cub Scout field
trip. His strongest recollection was the eye-
opening sight of how sailors lived aboard a
ship. As a woodworker himself, David can
appreciate the fine quality of workmanship
on the restoration project.
Prior to joining the Charles W. Morgan res-
toration project, shipwright Matt Barnes,
a Connecticut native, had spent two years
studying at the International Restoration
Yacht School in Newport, RI, then he worked
at Morris Yachts in Maine. Matt describes
Master Shipwright Roger Hambidge as a
good teacher with whom he worked on the
whole front section of the Morgan. For Matt,
installing the Morgan’s Golden Billet Head
was an unforgettable experience.
Michelle Norelli, a Mystic Seaport member
and a first year PILOT, had a sentimental
reason for attending the Morgan Launch
celebration. Her recently deceased husband,
Neil Norelli, called the Charles W. Morgan his
favorite ship. For Michelle, attending Launch
day was partly to honor her late husband’s
love for the Morgan, and partly to locate the
commemorative bench given to the Museum
in his honor.
Nate Nevins, from Voorhees, NJ,
who visited the Morgan in the
mid-1930s when she was still at
Colonel Green’s estate, was eager
to view the whaleship just before
the Launch. “It feels so special to see her
again, and to meet some of the wonder-
ful people who have made the Morgan so
beautiful for coming generations,” says Nate.
Jean-François Viguié, from Se-
yssinet-Pariset, near Grenoble,
France, is not a stranger to Mys-
tic Seaport. Now a retired engi-
neer, a sailor, and a fanatic about
wooden boats, he first visited the Museum
in 1987. In the summers of 2008 and 2009,
Jean-François signed up as a Museum vol-
unteer to work both as an interpreter and
in the Shipyard. As a special guest of the
Museum, he was thrilled to be here for the
Launch. “The Museum is a special place for
me,” Jean-François says. “I was here in the
beginning of the restoration work of the Mor-
gan, and it was wonderful to be back for this
big event and to see her return to the river.”
Interviews conducted by Trudi Busey who is a volunteer at Mystic Seaport.
“
12 | Mystic Seaport Magazine | FALL / WINTER 2013
By DAN McFADDEN
I want everyone who has touched her,
every paid craftsman and unpaid
volunteer who has treasured and
cherished her and who has lovingly
brought her back to sail again into New Bed-
ford Harbor to know that they will be with
me as I swing the bottle. Along with these
amazing craftsmen, I will also swing the
bottle with all of those who had the foresight
in 1925 to want to preserve this great ship.
They would indeed be astounded to see her
now. I am truly humbled by this honor.”
T H E L A U N C H O F T H E
CHARLES W. MORGANJ U LY 2 1, 2 0 1 3
With those words, Sarah Bullard,
the great-great-great-granddaughter of
Charles Waln Morgan, smashed the cer-
emonial bottle across the bow to chris-
ten the Charles W. Morgan on Sunday,
July 21, 2013. The breaking of that glass
stands as the proud moment when the
Morgan started her journey back to sea.
This day had been long in the making.
The ship had been out of the water in the
Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation
Shipyard since November 2008 for the
most comprehensive restoration she has
had since she arrived at Mystic Seaport
TOP: A WHALEBOAT FROM PHILADELPHIA'S INDEPENDENCE SEAPORT MUSEUM PASSES BY THE MORGAN AS PART OF A PARADE OF WHALEBOATS BEFORE THE LAUNCH. ABOVE: THE MYSTIC FIREBOAT SPRAYS RED AND BLUE WATER TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH. PHOTO COURTESY OF PHIL BUTTA/MYSTIC RIVER PRESS.
FALL / WINTER 2013 | Mystic Seaport Magazine | 13
T H E L A U N C H O F T H E
CHARLES W. MORGANJ U LY 2 1, 2 0 1 3
TOP: SARAH BULLARD CHRISTENS THE WHALESHIP.
RIGHT: “THIS IS THE FIRST TOTALLY GOOD THING I HAVE DONE IN TEN YEARS!” RIC BURNS TOLD THE ASSEMBLED CROWD. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTINE CORRIGAN/ THE WESTERLY SUN.
in 1941. While her topsides have been ad-
dressed several times over the years—the
first instance was in the 1880s—this project
focused primarily on restoring areas of the
vessel from the waterline down to her keel
and structural work in the bow and stern.
Much of the material below the waterline
dated to her original construction in 1841.
After a morning thunderstorm that soaked
the grounds and shook the neighborhood
with a huge thunderclap—the clash appro-
priately striking just as an offering of rum was
poured for Neptune in the Shipyard—the
skies cleared and the sun came out to set the
stage for a perfect summer day as the crowds
started to pour through the Museum gates.
While people had the opportunity to view
the launch from several locations around the
Museum, the focus was in the Shipyard and
the proceedings got underway at 1:30 p.m.
with a concert from the U.S. Coast Guard
Band. The assembled crowd included visi-
tors, members, donors, and dignitaries—
including a sizeable contingent from New
Bedford, the site of the Morgan’s construction
and longtime homeport. The accents over-
heard in the crowd ranged from the Deep
South to Downeast Maine, and it was not
uncommon to hear how people had driven
12 hours or more to be there.
The ceremony commenced at precisely
2 p.m. with the singing of the National An-
them, followed by an invocation by Rev. Ann
Aaberg of the Mystic Congregational Church.
Bearing the good news of a state grant of
$500,000 for the restoration, Gov. Dannel P.
Malloy took to the stage to explain why he felt
the State of Connecticut needed to be behind
the project. “This ship behind me stands
as evidence of who we once were, and the
role we once played in the founding of this
nation, of the development of the Industrial
Revolution, and all that has transpired since
those days,” he said.
Earlier in the week, the U.S. Senate passed
a resolution honoring the Museum for its
achievement. The measure’s co-sponsor,
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, was present and
| Mystic Seaport Magazine | FALL / WINTER 201314
read the text for the audience. Citing the
ship’s importance to the nation’s maritime
heritage, the resolution officially designated
the ship an “Ambassador to the Whales” and
praised the goal of next year’s 38th Voyage
to “reinterpret the Charles W. Morgan as
a vessel of scientific and educational ex-
ploration whose cargo is knowledge and
whose mission is to promote awareness of
the maritime heritage of the United States
and the conservation of the species the
Morgan hunted.”
The keynote speech was given by film-
maker Ric Burns, whose PBS documentary
Into the Deep chronicled the history and
influence of whaling in America.
“This is the first totally good thing I have
done in ten years!” he exclaimed to great
applause.
Burns delivered a moving and inspiring
address that examined the Morgan’s role
as a connection to our shared history as a
seafaring nation, the avatar of the magic
and mystery of ships and the sea, and a
reminder of our evolving relationship with
the natural world.
“This one ship has embodied, made
possible, made real, and brought alive the
experience of whaling as no other single
artifact on the planet,” he told the crowd.
Burns described the Morgan project as
more than a restoration. “We have trans-
formed an instrument of commerce, of kill-
ing and rendering, into a source of wonder
and imagination and knowledge and un-
derstanding,” he said. “Once it went out
across the world and brought back profit.
Now it sails here, both really and in our
imagination, and brings back another kind
of treasure far more valuable–information
about worlds past, present, and to come.”
All eyes were on Sarah Bullard as she
stepped up on the platform under the bow
to christen the vessel. The bottle she carried
contained a blend of waters from oceans
around the globe where the Morgan had
ventured during her 37 whaling voyages.
Jim Carlton, the director of the Williams-
Mystic Program, coordinated the gathering
of samples from as far afield as Mauritius,
Argentina, and the Azores to represent the
Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. Waters
from her original and current homeports
of New Bedford and Mystic were added
as well. The samples were blended in an
informal ceremony the day before; with
staff members who have made significant
contributions to the project each taking a
turn to carefully pour the samples into the
special, easily breakable bottle. A touch of
rum was added for good luck.
As those waters cascaded off the bow of
the ship in the wake of Bullard’s swing, U.S.
Rep. Joe Courtney shouted, “Mr. Nosewor-
thy, please commence the launch!”
And with that, the launch was on.
Shipyard staff member Scott Noseworthy
pressed the button to instruct the motors
THE SHIPYARD STAFF POSES FOR A GROUP PHOTO THE MORNING OF THE LAUNCH.
FALL / WINTER 2013 | Mystic Seaport Magazine | 15
Dan McFadden is Director
of Communications at
Mystic Seaport.
on either side of the shiplift to lower the
platform holding the ship into the river,
a very slow and precise process that was
calculated to take about 20 minutes.
Museum President Stephen C. White,
who emceed the day’s events, stepped
forward to warn the audience with some
humor, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is going
to be a slow watch. Those of you who came
prepared for the big splash or the run down
the ways will be severely disappointed.”
“To fill the time,” as White put it, a
number of individuals from the Museum
community and beyond had the oppor-
tunity to speak. Jon Mitchell, the mayor
of New Bedford, spoke of the importance
of the Morgan to his city and the building
excitement around her homecoming next
summer, Mystic Seaport Executive Vice
President Susan Funk read excerpts from
the Morgan’s log books, and White read a
poem, “Building Her,” by Maine poet Phil-
lip Booth, dedicated to the Shipyard staff.
Rob Whalen, the lead shipwright on the res-
toration, shared his thoughts as the ship slowly
inched down into the water behind him.
“We got her done,” he said giving credit
to the staff, volunteers, and donors who had
contributed to the project. “What makes
all this happen is teamwork, and I thank
you for that.”
Finally, the moment arrived and Ship-
yard Director Quentin Snediker gave the
signal to fire the cannon: the Morgan was
afloat on her own bottom for the first time in
nearly five years. While it might not have had
the drama of a huge splash, the celebration
was no less intense. Cheers erupted up and
down the river, horns blew, the bells of the
town’s churches tolled, and the Mystic Fire
Department’s new fireboat sprayed the sky
with red and blue water.
State Sen. Andrew Maynard, who ear-
lier spoke eloquently about his memories
of the Morgan as a young boy growing up
in Noank, seized the podium and led the
crowd in three cheers for the ship: “Huzzah!
Huzzah! Huzzah!”
The moment was shared by far more
than those who were fortunate to find a
space in the Shipyard. It seemed like the
entire community turned out to see the
event as thousands of people lined the
nearby shores of the Mystic River and a
huge flotilla of kayaks, canoes, dinghies,
motorboats, sailboats, and more filled the
water. Present in the crowd were several of
the new whaleboats built for the Morgan
for her 38th Voyage in 2014. The old saw is
appropriate here: you could almost walk
from one side of the river to the other, there
were so many boats.
In fact, the launch had a global au-
dience as the ceremony was broadcast
through a live video feed available on the
Museum’s website. By Monday morning
more than 11,500 people had viewed the
feed either live or on demand. People from
around the country, and indeed around
the world, tuned in—including a couple
of viewers from Finland and a contingent
from New Zealand.
At the end of the day, once the crowds
dispersed, the band packed up, and visitors
had their last look at her afloat, the Morgan
was back where she belongs, quietly se-
cure in her berth, rising and falling to the
tide and movements of the Mystic River,
sensitive to wind and current, and ready
to begin preparations for the next chapter
in her illustrious career, which will see her
go back to sea to sail once again under her
own canvas, a sight not seen since 1921.
Huzzah, indeed.
For more photos, video, and the entire text of Ric Burns’ speech, visit www.mysticseaport.org/morganlaunch
By FRED CALABRETTA
Since the earliest days of Mystic Seaport, the growth and
refinement of the Museum’s world-class artifact collection
has relied primarily on the generosity of private donors.
This important trend continues through the present day, as it did in
2012 when a phone call brought a remarkable offer. A model builder
located in the very landlocked city of Lubbock, Texas, offered us an
entire collection of ship models as a gift.
Griffith “Grif” Henson, an avid modeler, developed a love of sailing
ships as a teenager in 1957, when he visited the east coast and saw
the USS Constellation and the replica ship Mayflower II. He began
A TEXAS-SIZED GIFT OF MODELSbuilding ship models and continued doing so as he pursued his
education. He entered the teaching profession in 1963 and retired
in 1999 after more than 30 years as a college history professor.
His retirement allowed him to focus on his love of ship model
construction, and his “fleet” eventually numbered more than 50
boats. The models include colonial vessels, clipper ships, packet
ships, early naval vessels, slave ships, and other vessel types repre-
senting about 400 years of maritime history. They range in size from
a nine-foot model of Titanic to a nine-inch early naval gunboat. All
but one of the models in the collection are built from scratch, and
many are based on the plans of preeminent maritime historian
Howard I. Chapelle.
| Mystic Seaport Magazine | FALL / WINTER 201316
TOP: A TRUCKLOAD OF CAREFULLY PACKED MODELS.
FAR LEFT: THE SLAVER DILIGENTE.
CENTER: THE PACKET SHIP NEW YORK.
RIGHT: U.S. NAVY GUNBOAT, CA. 1804.
THE SHIP RITE
The Launch of the Charles W. Morgan on July 21, 2013
On her maiden voyage, the Morgan
rounded the Horn and gained the Pacific.
Gone three years and four months,
she made homeport,
her hold a cornucopia
of 2,400 barrels of oil,
10,000 pounds of whalebone.
The year was 1841.
This year, 2013,
she is launched again,
to sail for pleasure,
then lie anchored, as testament,
to the men who built her,
to the shipwrights who have restored her,
to the 80 years she sailed,
to the 1,000 men who sailed her,
to the 37 voyages,
to the boats launched from her,
to the oil, rendered,
from the blubber by her tryworks,
to her surviving the fire
from the wreckage of the Sankaty,
that struck her in New Bedford’s harbor;
all this, then, testament
to the very ship of her,
her planed planks bearing
the shipwrights’ handprints,
whose fingertips shaped her
to restoration with their work,
the touch of love in the work of their hands,
that pressed her, again,
into the embrace of oceans.
~ Philip Kuepper
Philip Kuepper, a former employee of the Mystic Seaport Bookstore, is a poet living in Mystic. Philip has had his work published in Poetry, The Washingtonian Monthly, RFD magazine, The New York Times, Promise Magazine, and The Mystic River Press.
Grif Henson had long been com-
mitted to the idea of finding a suitable
home for this impressive collection.
This prompted him to contact Mystic
Seaport. Although space limitations
and the practical burdens of profes-
sional collections care require the Mu-
seum to be selective about acquisitions,
we were intrigued by his offer.
Two aspects of the collection made
it an especially good fit for the Museum.
First, several of the model categories,
such as colonial-period ships, packet
ships, slavers, and early naval vessels,
fill gaps in our existing collection. Sec-
ond, the constant 1/8th scale of the
models—a factor Grif views as the
collection’s most important feature—
also made it very appealing. Existing
models in the Museum’s collections
were acquired from many different
sources over a period of more than 80
years. They were also built in a number
of different scales, which can be a bit
confusing for some of our visitors when
several are displayed in close proximity.
In the future, any display of a combina-
tion of the Henson models will allow
visitors to appreciate their similarities,
differences, and comparative size in
accurate scale.
After reviewing photos and ad-
ditional details, the Collections staff
confirmed interest in the collection.
Grif was enthusiastic about our response
and very pleased when the details for the
transfer were finalized. With Grif’s coop-
eration, Collections Manager Chris White
scheduled the pickup in Texas after the
threat of winter weather and between other
major projects at the Museum.
While Chris has transported many arti-
facts in the Collections Department truck,
the task of safely packing 50-plus models
and transporting them 2,000 miles posed
an interesting challenge. Chris began by
carefully measuring the truck’s cargo area.
He then created a scale drawing and cut out
individual pieces of paper–in scale–repre-
senting each of the models. We were pleas-
antly surprised—and relieved—when the
completed arrangement seemed to confirm
the truck could accommodate the entire col-
lection. Still, because of different methods of
taking measurements, different size bases,
safe spacing of the models, and other fac-
tors, Chris viewed the eventual loading of his
cargo with some understandable concern
and uncertainty.
The date for departure from Mystic Sea-
port was set for June 2 and Chris was ac-
companied by his wife Carla. They arrived
back in Mystic on June 13.
The Museum’s use of the models in fu-
ture exhibits promises to fulfill Grif’s vision
for them as teaching tools. In addition, we
expect a number of them will travel again
in coming years as they are loaned to
other museums in support of our active
outloan policy. This will extend their
reach and benefit to an even broader
audience.
The Museum’s collecting focus cen-
ters on American maritime history, and
although some of the Henson models
seem to fall outside this emphasis, they
are actually a good fit. The British-built
Titanic, for example, was bound for New
York and carried many American pas-
sengers. Another British ship in the col-
lection, the Mayflower, reflects the story
of immigration to America. Two other
ships, Columbus’s Santa Maria and a
Viking ship, represent the discovery of
North America by Europeans.
The models are temporarily stored in
CSR, the Musem's original Collections
building located on Hinckley Street.
Here they will receive the same treat-
ment given to all objects fabricated from
organic materials; they will spend sev-
eral weeks in our “CO2 bubble,” ensuring
they do not harbor any Texan insects,
before they are placed in permanent
storage in the Collections Research Cen-
ter in the Rossie Mill. Chris noted that
among his favorites in Grif’s collection
are the small and almost frail-looking
early naval gunboats, several of which
are propelled by oars. It could be that their
small size is part of their appeal – space is
a prized commodity in collections storage.
Finally, this remarkable gift may not
be the end of the parade of Grif Henson’s
ships to Mystic. He has indicated he plans
to continue to build models and has kindly
offered to build them “on demand” for us,
based on our additional needs and requests.
A TEXAS-SIZED GIFT OF MODELS
FALL / WINTER 2013 | Mystic Seaport Magazine | 17
Fred Calabretta is Curator of Collections & Oral Historian at Mystic Seaport.
TOP LEFT: MODEL MAKER GRIFFITH HENSON. TOP RIGHT: A NAVAL ROW GALLEY, 1814. MIDDLE: THE MODELS – INCLUDING THE 9’ TITANIC – TEMPORARILY STORED IN THE RECEIVING AREA OF THE MUSEUM’S CSR BUILDING. BOTTOM: COLLECTIONS MANAGER CHRIS WHITE CAREFULLY HANDLES A MODEL FOLLOWING ITS 2,000-MILE TRIP.
Jeanne Potter, who has been
director of the Maritime Gal-
lery at Mystic Seaport since
2005, is busy launching art
exhibits year round. The Maritime
Gallery, which is known around the
U.S. for its contemporary marine art,
is located just outside the Museum's
grounds, overlooking the beautiful
and historic Mystic River. It is easy
to understand why artists are drawn
to the Mystic area to find inspira-
tion. Mystic Seaport Magazine asked
Jeanne some questions:
What is your background? Are you an artist yourself?
Yes, I’m an artist and have spent
my career divided between gallery
management, teaching art, book
design, and creating my own art.
I was lucky as a middle and high
school student to take art classes in
drawing and painting at the Carnegie
Museum of Art in Pittsburgh where I
grew up. I received my BFA and MFA from
Syracuse University School of Visual Art
with additional studies at the Art Students
League in NY and master courses with Burt
Silverman, Raymond Kinstler, and Philip
Pearlstein. My prior gallery experience in-
cludes corporate art buying and art gallery
management. I was a professor of painting
and drawing and an administrator at a col-
lege in Washington, DC. All these skills have
helped me in my current role as the director
of the Maritime Gallery.
Please tell us about the different art exhibits and other events you are organizing. Where do you find the artists?
We have five annual exhibitions in the Gallery, which was a gift
to Mystic Seaport by Rudolph J. Schaefer III. Additionally, we hold
exhibitions and have an Artist-in-Residence program at the Ocean
House Hotel in Watch Hill, RI. Our signature event of the year is the
Annual International Marine Art Exhibition. Now in its 34th year, it
features more than 100 of the finest marine art works from around
the world. Other shows during the year include Modern Marine
Masters, Maritime Miniatures by Maritime Masters, and Plein Air
Painters of the Maritime Gallery, where invited artists paint on the
grounds of Mystic Seaport. We also have a very popular program
called Behind the Canvas, featuring Maritime Gallery’s artists giving
personal demonstrations and lectures
about their work.
Most of the 125 maritime artists
who exhibit in the Gallery come to us
through the International Show where
artists are juried against their peers.
This is when we may accept any new
artists and also reevaluate the artists
we currently represent. The Gallery
standards are very high. We have a
number of artists who have been with
the Gallery for more than 30 years. We
also feature and award emerging new
marine art talent.
The Maritime Gallery has a special
“Patron Membership.” What are the
benefits of becoming a Patron?
The Maritime Gallery Patron Pro-
gram is a special program for discrimi-
nating marine art collectors. It is a way
for patrons to meet and mingle with
artists and fellow collectors. Patrons
pay annual dues to attend two private preview
openings, may purchase Gallery works at a
discount, and receive a Family Membership
for Mystic Seaport, along with Gallery and
Museum publications. They also receive dis-
counted rates around the Museum.
Some people are collecting art as an invest-
ment. What is the market for marine art
these days?
The market for marine art is good, but it has
changed over the years. People have always been fascinated with
the sea, so naturally we are attracted to images that pay homage
to it. Marine art began as a historical documentation of ships, sea
battles, and maritime events. Now, marine art is collected for a
variety of reasons, and contemporary marine art in particular has
become extremely popular over the last 20 years. A popular subject
for contemporary marine artists is documenting major sailing
events such as the America’s Cup, which began in 1851, and all
the glory and romanticism that surround it. Our award-winning
Maritime Gallery artists create the entire spectrum of marine art
with paintings, scrimshaw, sculpture, and ship models. Marine art
is a good investment as it holds its value and has timeless appeal.
I always tell our clients to purchase what they love and buy the
best they can afford.
Q&Awith
Art Gallery Director
Jeanne Potter
Q & A
| Mystic Seaport Magazine | FALL / WINTER 201318
“I n March of 1987, I began my Mystic Seaport experience,” says Adele McGuire, of
Noank, CT. “During the summer season, I greeted visitors from far and wide at
the Museum’s Main Gate. At that time, the ‘gate’ was a pilot house, just like the one we
are using now for selling tickets to our steamboat Sabino.” At present, during off season,
Adele is “the voice of Mystic Seaport,” when for three days a week she staffs the Museum’s
switchboard. Starting in mid-May and until Columbus Day Weekend, you will find Adele
at the Sabino ticket booth.
What is your Mystic Seaport?I enjoy the friendship of many long-time employees as well as newer employees. I also feel
privileged to meet visitors from all over this country and, in fact, the world! And if spending
my days at one of the most gorgeous places in the southeastern Connecticut has something to
do with it, too — you are correct. Please, stop by to say “Hello” or even take a ride on Sabino,
one of our beautiful National Historic Landmark vessels.. . .Jeanne Gade, from Old Saybrook, CT, began working as the Director of Human Resources
at Mystic Seaport in January 2013.
What is your Mystic Seaport?My Mystic Seaport is our people. I knew when I started here that I would be meeting a whole
new group of interesting people. However, I had no idea just how diverse this group would be.
Everyday is another opportunity to learn new things from our dedicated staff and volunteers
through their stories and experiences. Not everyone can say that they spend their workday
in a place they absolutely love. But if you look around, you’ll see that sentiment is shared on
the faces of all the wonderful people who make Mystic Seaport the special place it truly is.. . .“My first job ever was working at the Museum’s Visitor Reception Center (VRC) for a
summer while I was in high school,” says of Melissa Barnes, North Stonington, CT. Fast
forward some years: this summer and fall, she is working in the Interpretation Department
as a seasonal employee in various exhibits.
What is your Mystic Seaport?My Mystic Seaport is the wonderful people working here! From the people at the VRC,
where I first started, to the whole Interpretation Department, everyone working at the Mu-
seum is kind, supportive, and knowledgeable. While being in “training” to be a member of
the demonstration squad, I could always rely on getting help from a staff member. Still, if I
don’t know the answer to a question from a Museum visitor, I can always direct the person
to a colleague who knows the answer. It’s the staff who make this a special place to me.
The Launch of the Charles W. Morgan on July 21, 2013
On her maiden voyage, the Morganrounded the Horn and gained the Pacific.
Gone three years and four months,she made homeport,
her hold a cornucopiaof 2,400 barrels of oil,
10,000 pounds of whalebone.
The year was 1841.This year, 2013,
she is launched again,to sail for pleasure,
then lie anchored, as testament,
to the men who built her,to the shipwrights who have restored her,
to the 80 years she sailed,to the 1,000 men who sailed her,
to the 37 voyages,to the boats launched from her,
to the oil, rendered,from the blubber by her tryworks,
to her surviving the firefrom the wreckage of the Sankaty,
that struck her in New Bedford’s harbor;
all this, then, testamentto the very ship of her,
her planed planks bearingthe shipwrights’ handprints,whose fingertips shaped her
to restoration with their work,the touch of love in the work of their hands,
that pressed her, again,into the embrace of oceans.
~ Philip KuepperPhilip Kuepper, a former employee of the Mystic Seaport Bookstore, is a poet living in Mystic. Philip has had his work published in Poetry, The Washingtonian Monthly, RFD maga-zine, The New York Times, Promise Magazine, and Mystic River Press.
ADELE McGUIRE JEANNE GADE MELISSA BARNES
FALL / WINTER 2013 | Mystic Seaport Magazine | 19
MY MYSTIC SEAPORT
O N B O O K S
| Mystic Seaport Magazine | FALL / WINTER 201320
O N B O O K S
A lthough rowing — or as it is
called in America, crew — is a
minor sport compared to other team
games, each and every year sees a new
book published about this aquatic
activity. Nevertheless, it is rare to be
able to add a new title to the niche genre of rowing history. Amongst the
authors and the books which are still in print in this group, and worth
mentioning here, you will find: David Halberstam’s The Amateurs (1986),
Daniel Boyne’s two books The Red Rose Crew (2000) and Kelly: A Father,
A Son, An American Quest (2008), and Christopher Dodd’s Pieces of Eight
(published in Great Britain in 2012).
To this small but splendid collection of authors and their books can
now be added Daniel James Brown and The Boys in the Boat – Nine
Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
(Viking, 2013, 404 pp.). As the subtitle tells, Brown’s book is about the U.S.
eight with coxswain who went to fight for honor and glory at the 1936
Olympic rowing regatta on lake Langer See at Grünau, outside Berlin,
where these young American oarsmen became Olympic champions
by a slim margin.
All Americans love a tale about underdogs, especially if the underdogs
are Americans, and at the center of this compelling story is Joe Rantz,
one of the boys in the crew, whom Brown met at his neighbor Judy
Willman’s house. Judy was Joe’s daughter, and when Joe was diagnosed
with cancer, he lived with her his remaining days. Listening to the old
oarsman’s account, Brown realized that the story of these Olympians
is not as commonly known as, for example, Jesse Owens’s, whose four
golds at the Berlin Games seriously challenged Nazi ideology.
While rowing in the 1930s was regarded as a sport for the privileged
few, Joe and his oarsmen comrades at the University of Washington
were the sons of farmers, fishermen, and lumberjacks. Although Brown’s
narrative is about all the boys in the boat —their route from freshmen
rowers on Lake Washington to Olympians on Langer See, a three- to
four-year voyage not always on an easy, straight course—it is the human
story of young Joe’s life struggles of Dickensian dimensions during the
Depression that grabs the reader.
Assisting the crews, known as the “Huskies,” was a remarkable group
of rowing men: University of Washington’s head coach Al Ulbrickson,
known as “the Dour Dane,” freshman coach Tom Bolles, who later
became a successful coach for Harvard crews; and boat builder George
Pocock, the Englishman whose father had built boats for the “wet-bobs”
at Eton College. George Pocock helped to coach the Husky boys, using
the same techniques he used to build the best racing shells in America:
a philosophical approach and a sharp eye. It is as Brown writes: “Great
crews are carefully balanced blends of both physical abilities and
personality types.”
BY DANIEL JAMES BROWN • Reviewed by GÖRAN R BUCKHORN
The Boys in the Boat Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
However, when Ulbrickson had found the perfect combination of
nine men, they still had to beat the arch-rival crew from University of
California-Berkeley, coached by Ky Ebright, whose previous crews had
represented the U.S. in the 1928 and 1932 Olympic Games, becoming
champions in both events. Then Joe and his mates had to overpower the
“snobs” from the East Coast at the 1936 IRA Regatta at Poughkeepsie;
this was a time when an incredible number of 90,000 spectators gathered
on the shores of the Hudson to watch the races. In the Pocock-built
Husky Clipper, the Huskies prevailed (told by the author in a beautiful
race report). Later winning the Olympic trials in Princeton, it seemed
the Washington crew had their trip to Berlin in the bag, but not before
good people in Seattle and in the boys’ hometowns managed to raise
$5,000 in a few days for their tickets.
In their first heat at Grünau, the Americans managed to keep the
British eight at bay, forcing them to a repechage heat, an extra race
which they won, taking them to the final, where strong crews from
Germany and Italy were all game for the Olympic medals. It was the
British boat, stroked by the eminent “Ran” Laurie and coxed by Noel
Duckworth – two of my rowing heroes – that the Huskies feared most.
In the final race, in front of Der Führer and other Nazi dignitaries, the
Husky Clipper sneaked up from the far back of the field to snatch the
gold medal, leaving the silver to the
Italians, the bronze to the Germans, and
the Brits with nothing, coming in fourth.
Daniel James Brown is a clever
author, and it is a grand story he is
telling. He is not a rower himself,
which is probably good, because he
has made sure that a non-rower can
easily follow the Husky boys when they
catch a crab or feel the pain like they do
after a hard race on Lake Washington.
Rowing purists may notice a few places
where Brown’s knowledge of the sport is lacking, but it was evident,
even before the book came out in June, that it would be a success: the
film rights have been bought by the Weinstein Company, and when I
met Brown at an event, he told me that a screenwriter is working on the
script. I am ready to line up outside the movie theatre to be enchanted.
Göran R Buckhorn, editor of the Mystic Seaport Magazine, has rowed
in Sweden, England, and the United States, but truth be told, he never
excelled at the oar. He sometimes calls himself a rowing historian and
is one of the Directors of the Friends of Rowing History and a member
of BARJ, British Association of Rowing Journalists.
E D I TO R ' S P I C K S
21FALL / WINTER 2013 | Mystic Seaport Magazine |
O N B O O K S
Scrimshaw – The Whalers’ Art in the Age of SailMystic Seaport has
recently published a new book, Scrimshaw and Provenance, by Dr. Stuart M. Frank, Senior Curator Emeritus of the New Bedford Whaling
Museum. Scrimshaw and Provenance, subtitled A Third Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists, presents 406 biographical sketches of the men and women who produced scrimshaw on shipboard and ashore, participating in a homegrown occupational folk art. For the history buff and the general reader, it is eminently readable and delivers intimate glimpses into the burgeoning seafaring prowess of Young America.
Scrimshaw is the whalers’ indigenous occupational art from the Golden Age of Sail: engraving, carving, decorating, and building things out of sperm whale teeth and other byproducts of whaling, including baleen (so-called whalebone), walrus ivory, and skeletal bone. Typically a shipboard pastime practiced by common seamen, ship’s carpenters, officers, and captains during idle hours at sea, it was also the occasional pursuit of the wives and children who accompanied whaling captains to sea, of sailors in the Navy and merchant trades, and even of some adventurous passengers
who were inspired by the enthusiasm of sailors around them. The artists, mostly self-taught amateurs, came from all six inhabited continents, forming polyglot ship’s companies whose workmanship exhibits a broad spectrum of the protocols, cultural proclivities, and stylistic conventions of all the races of mankind. The results were such decorative objects as pictures incised on whale teeth and walrus tusks, as well as practical hand-tools, kitchen implements, canes, workboxes, sewing accessories, chests of drawers, toys, and even inlaid furniture – some made by carvers for their own use at sea, but most made as souvenirs and gifts for loved ones back home.
“Until a few years ago the identities and careers of the young men and women who created this distinctive, mostly American folk art were entirely unknown,” Stuart Frank writes. “Thanks to increasing interest in this compelling genre (beginning with President Kennedy, the most famous collector of scrimshaw), and thanks to the participation and collaboration of collectors, curators, and enthusiasts on three continents, we have gradually come to know who these artists were, where they came from, and something about the genesis of their aesthetically worthwhile and historically significant artistic output.”
On that point, the late scrimshaw historian Norman Flayderman, author of Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, wrote, “It has become unmistakably evident within these past two decades that the unique nautical folk art of scrimshaw has dramatically increased in popularity as a maritime antique artifact, and that this popularity has been greatly owed to devoted students and scholars whose information received ever greater circulation in publication. Certainly, the most influential among them all and the most widely read and published, has been Stuart Frank, who is due highest acclaim for his years of research and
accomplishment!”Frank, who has been
at the New Bedford Whaling Museum since 2001, is the founder and director of the Scrimshaw Forensics®
Laboratory and was previously executive director of the Kendall Whaling Museum. Before that, he was Research Associate at Mystic Seaport, which published his two companion volumes, Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists (1991) and More Scrimshaw Artists (1998).
Aida – The Finest Shallow-Draft Yawl A Book of VoyagesFor anyone who is interested in wooden boats, Aida: N.G. Herreshoff’s
Finest Shallow-Draft Yawl by Maynard Bray (published by the Herreshoff Marine Museum and NOAH Publications, 155 pp.) is a must-read and must-buy book.
Built in 1926, and first named Gee Whiz by the first owner, Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr., she was later named Aida by the second owner, Henry White, who named her after his son Nelson’s wife. (Aida and Nelson White’s youngest son, George, is now the Chairman of the
Museum’s International Council.) In 1967, the boat ended up in the hands of Anne and Maynard Bray, fourth owners of this 33-foot yawl. In his book about Aida, Maynard Bray tells how easy she is to sail and maneuver and writes about her design, the five owners, maintenance, Doug Hylan’s restoration work in 2007-2008 (with a lot of informative photos), and her six-day voyage from Brooklin, ME, to Shelter Island, NY, after she had been restored to her former beauty. This was the first major refurbishment of Aida since she was launched. Aida’s specifications: LOA – 33'6", LWL – 27'0", Beam – 9'2" and Draft – 3'0".
Like the boat, the book is a beautiful piece of art with many lovely photographs by Maynard Bray and renowned marine photographer Benjamin Mendlowitz.
After the book had been published, Aida was donated to Mystic Seaport and arrived just in time for this summer’s WoodenBoat Show. She now graces the Museum’s waterfront.
Patrick O’Brian (1914-2000), famed author of twenty novels in the Aubrey-Maturin series, collected and edited A Book of Voyages, originally published in Great Britain in 1947, and recently published in the U.S. for the first time. In this entertaining collection of voyages from seventeenth- and eighteenth-century travel books, O’Brian
offers a range of stories from empires and continents, such as the journey of the “exceptionally beautiful” Lady Craven through the Crimea to Constantinople; Philip Thickness’s “general hints” to those traveling through France; a whaleboat voyage from St. Helena to Brazil by some deserters who resorted to cannibalism to survive; a voyage to Greenland (actually Spitsbergen) in 1630; and Colonel Norwood’s voyage to Virginia in 1649. All these narratives are fascinating travelogues, even though some of them feel a little short. In the foreword, O’Brian writes that his intention with this collection is to give the reader pleasure, a goal he indeed fullfilled.
TO ORDER THESE OR OTHER BOOKS, please call 860.572.5386. or email
msmbookstore@eventnetwork.com
DON’T FORGET YOUR 10% MEMBERS’ DISCOUNT! MEMBERS’ DOUBLE DISCOUNT DAYS NOV. 29-DEC. 8
REMEMBER WE SHIP ANYWHERE!
F R O M T H E C O L L E CT I O N S
| Mystic Seaport Magazine | FALL / WINTER 2013
O n September 3, 1938,
The New London Day
newspaper reported
the arrival of the Chinese junk
Amoy into port “after having re-
ceived a cool reception at Gro-
ton Long Point.” The refusal of
a mooring was rare during the
junk’s lifetime. Since her arrival
in Victoria, B.C., on September
20, 1922, from Shanghai, Amoy
was a profitable curiosity in many
ports and even became home to
a family with three boys.
The original owner was Cap-
tain George Waard, a naturalized
Canadian of Dutch origin, who
spent years at sea and in China.
During those years he became im-
pressed with the construction and
the seaworthiness of the Chinese
Amoy fishing junks. These little
vessels were extremely dry, and in
the roughest weather they could
be seen bobbing like corks in the
stormy Formosa Channel. Cap-
tain Waard had the sixty-five-foot,
three-masted, twenty-three-ton junk Amoy
built in Amoy during the winter and spring
of 1921–1922. She was built by hand using
camphor wood for heavy timbers, Chinese
fir for planking, Foochow pine for masts,
and ironwood for the keel. The caulking was
a preparation of lime and wood oil (a prod-
uct of T’ung nut) called Chunam or shinam,
which was mixed with spent cotton fishing
net. During the junk’s lifetime, it was said
that “no bilge pump is carried, and the little
water that comes in is taken out with a rag.”
Captain Waard, his Chinese wife, their
son Bobbie, and a four-person crew set out
from Shanghai on June 21, 1922. According
to the sensational newspaper coverage of the
time, Amoy was reported to have experienced
a fantastic journey with the greatest thrills
imaginable, surviving two typhoons and three
rudder breaks. It was also reported that she
had a huge unwanted stowaway which, ac-
cording to some reports, made several hearty
“stewed snake” dinners.
By the time they arrived in Victoria, junk
Amoy was poised to be a celebrity. On her
first day, she was boarded by several visi-
tors, including movie stars Mary Pickford
and Douglas Fairbanks, who suggested that
Captain Waard charge admission–he earned
$100 the first day. The vessel began a tour
down the West coast, stopping at various
ports considered profitable, and it was in San
Francisco that the young future captain and
owner Alfred Nilson would find Amoy so fasci-
nating that he quit his job to become her first
mate. He helped take her down the California
coast and through the Panama Canal to the
northeast U.S. coast, where she was sold to
Leroy Lewis of Stratford, CT,
while Captain Waard returned
to a farm in Vancouver.
In May 1926, Captain Nil-
son and his wife, Leroy Lewis,
and a small crew set out on a
three-year round-the-world
cruise from Stratford aboard
Amoy. A few months later, she
was detained by the U.S. Coast
Guard for a breach of protocol
for flying the Chinese flag to
“dress the boat up” while the
U.S. flag remained aloft as well.
The passengers, Chinese stu-
dents from Harvard and MIT,
were held under suspicion un-
til they were able to produce
passports.
Junk Amoy was sold to Nil-
son and continued to have an
extraordinary life under his
command. Captain Nilson
was her biggest champion and
wrote several articles about her
adventures for the magazines The Rudder
and Yachting. During the 1930s and 1940s,
Amoy semi-retired from celebrity and tied up
at New Rochelle, NY, while the Nilson boys
attended school and Alfred Nilson worked
at the radio station WOR as a radio engineer.
Captain Nilson and his family called Amoy
home, “The House with Red Sails,” for more
than 35 years before she was sold in the 1960s.
THE IMAGE, CHINESE FISHING JUNK, AMOY (AC-CESSION NUMBER: 1984.187.15029F), WAS PHOTO-GRAPHED BY MORRIS ROSENFELD IN JUNE 1925.
Carol Mowrey is a Research Librarian at the Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport.
CELEBRITYJUNK AMOY
B Y C A R O L M O W R E Y
The Rosenfeld Collection at Mystic Seaport, well-known for images of the celebrated vessels of the America’s Cup races and other yacht and speedboat races, also contains beautiful imagery of runabouts, fireboats, tugboats, military vessels, and much more. Please visit www.rosenfeldcollection.com
22
T H E S T O R Y A B O U T A P I C T U R E
Aetna Foundation, Inc.
Ameriprise Financial, Inc.
Anchor Capital Advisors LLC
AT&T Foundation
Bank Of America Charitable Foundation
The Boeing Company
The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation
Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.
ExxonMobil Foundation
FM Global
Gartner, Inc.
GE Foundation
General Re Corporation
Goldman Sachs Matching Gift Program
Hartford Chapter 168 Star Touring and Riding
Hartzell Propeller, Inc.
High Temperature Technologies
ING Community Matching Gifts
Iris Enviornmental
Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Medco Health Solutions, Inc.
Microsoft
Monsanto Fund
PepsiCo Foundation
Pfizer Inc.
Pitney Bowes Employee Involvement Fund
PNC Foundation
The Prudential Foundation
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
Tiffany & Co.
Travelers Foundation
United Technologies Corporation
Verizon Foundation
Waters Corporation
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Invest in our Success!
As you consider your annual giving to Mystic Seaport, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, please remember
to ask your employer if they will match your gift.
The following 36 companies gave matching gifts to Mystic Seaport last year:
Your Annual Fund contribution is vital to Mystic Seaport. Gifts to the Annual Fund sustain all we do including
the quality experiential education programs that are a
hallmark of our Museum. Your philanthropy enables us
to have a positive impact on thousands of students each
year. Inspire an enduring connection to the American
maritime experience by making a gift today:
www.mysticseaport.org/support
To learn more about the Annual Fund and our premier gift level, America and the Sea Society call
Elizabeth Benoit at 860.572.5302 ext. 5144
Annual Fund promotes access to all our experiential education programs including Youth Sailing.
Shop online from the comfort of your home at www.mysticseaport.org/shop | Main store: 860.572.5385 or email mysticseaportstore@eventnetwork.com
Bookstore: 860.572.5386 or email msmbookstore@eventnetwork.com | Maritime Gallery: 860.572.5388 or email gallery@mysticseaport.org
Rosenfeld Collection: 860.572.5383 or email rosenfeld@mysticseaport.org
Ho, Ho… Ho lidays!
I n our Mystic Seaport Store we strive to provide matchless gifts: reproductions from the Museum’s collections, select photography from
the Rosenfeld Collection, jewelry, toys, ship models, prints, posters, and other unique seafaring gifts.
Our bookstore offers more than 90 titles published by Mystic Seaport, as well as rare volumes, and
one of the nation’s most complete selection of maritime books.
Next door to our gift shop is the Maritime Gallery, the nation’s foremost art gallery specializing in contemporary marine art and ship models.
Yes, we promise, we have the holiday gifts you are looking for.
Looking for the perfect gift?
TM
FALL
| W
INTE
R 2
011
FALL
| W
INTE
R 2
012 75 Greenmanville Avenue
PO Box 6000
Mystic, CT 06355-0990
Dated Material
Do not hold
U.S. PostagePAID
StandardPermit #369Altoona, PA
Recommended