Inside Mystic Seaport

November 2009
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Mon, 9 November 2009

Shiprights at the Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard begin removing the ceiling planks from the hold of the Charles W. Morgan. With the ceiling planks removed, they can get to many of the ships frames that need to be replaced.

Direct download: 04_Ceiling_Plank_Removal_Begins.m4v
Category: Charles_W_Morgan -- posted at: 11:11 AM

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Thu, 15 October 2009

Inside Mystic Seaport - Nautical Nightmares: Blood of the Mutineers

Nautical Nightmares: Blood of the Mutineers

A Premier Halloween Event in Connecticut.

2009 Performance Dates:
October 16-18, 23-25 and 29-31

A vengeful captain, a villainous mutineer, a witness driven mad and a jury of the damned...this autumn, join us for our Halloween production, Nautical Nightmares: Blood of the Mutineers. Search the darkened village for clues to the captain's unrest. But beware! This village is haunted by a secret that only its ghostly victims can bring to light.

Tours begin nightly at 6:15 p.m and leave every 15 minutes.

NOTE: Nautical Nightmares tours will begin at the Museum's North End entrance (by Seamen's Inne). For easiest access, please park in the North parking lot and proceed through the walkway to the North gate entrance for check-in and ticket purchase on performance nights.

This event is not recommended for children under 12. Nautical Nightmares is not wheelchair accessible as it includes several steps.

Tickets: Adult: $19, Youth (Ages 4-18): $18
Member Adult: $17, Member Youth (Ages 4-18): $16

A $2 per-ticket handling fee will be applied to all reservations.

Advance reservations are strongly recommended. Tickets available online or by calling 860.572.5322.

Direct download: Nautical_Nightmares__Blood_of_the_Mu.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 12:29 PM

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Tue, 6 October 2009

Overhead Trolly

To aid the shiprights working in the hold of the CHARLES W. MORGAN, an overhead trolly system was installed.

Direct download: 03_Overhead_Trolly.m4v
Category: Charles_W_Morgan -- posted at: 3:44 PM

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Wed, 9 September 2009

Inside Mystic Seaport - Restoring an Icon: The CHARLES W. MORGAN Exhibit

Last fall saw the hauling ashore of the mighty Charles W. Morgan in the Museum's Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard for a planned three-year restoration. Climb aboard the world's last wooden whaleship and learn more about the unprecedented restoration of this American icon in the Shipyard Gallery's newest exhibit, Restoring an Icon: The Charles W. Morgan.

Learn all about the tools and timbers and the skills and stories that are part of the preservation of this National Historic Landmark vessel. And while the Morgan may be a product of the 19th century, Mystic Seaport is up-to-the-minute, providing an interactive cell phone audio tour to guide you through the exhibition.

Direct download: Restoring_an_Icon__The_CHARLES_W._MO.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 11:34 AM

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Mon, 31 August 2009

Inside Mystic Seaport - Fish & Ships Seafood Festival

Fish & Ships
A Labor Day Weekend Seafood Festival

September 5-7, 2009

Saturday - Sunday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Monday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Celebrate the bounty of the sea at Mystic Seaport's second annual Labor Day Weekend seafood festival. Sample a variety of fresh seafood from local docks including steamed lobster, grilled fish and scallops, our famous New England clam chowder and an icy cold raw bar with clams, oysters and jumbo shrimp. And for the landlubbers, our Grill-on-the-Green offers burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches. Additional a la carte items, as well as beer and wine are also available.

Spend the last official weekend of summer taking part in 19th-century games on the Village Green, climbing aboard tall ships and exploring exhibits. Get out on the water aboard our steamship Sabino and gaze at stars under the Treworgy Planetarium dome.

Museum admission is required to attend the seafood festival. Cost of food is additional.

Direct download: Fish__Ships_Seafood_Festival.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 12:14 PM

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Fri, 7 August 2009

Inside Mystic Seaport - Be a Kid Again

Be a kid again at Mystic Seaport. On Mondays in August, adults pay children's admission prices to the museum.

Stroll through our 19th-century seafaring village or watch the restoration of the last American wooden whaleship, Charles W. Morgan.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you come down and re-live some of your favorite childhood memories with us.

For more information, visit:
http://www.mysticseaport.org

Direct download: Be_a_Kid_Again.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 2:57 PM

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Thu, 23 July 2009

Inside Mystic Seaport - Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous 2009

Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous 2009
Featuring Little Vigilant
July 25 - 26, 2009
Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Downriver Parade, Sunday at 12:45 p.m.

Come to Mystic Seaport for a gathering of classic vehicles just like any other, except this one happens to take place on the water!

The Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous is a dazzling display of high-quality antique vessels built before 1965, including cruisers, sailboats, runabouts, launches and more. An award competition recognizes excellence in restoration, authenticity and workmanship.
Dressed and in pristine condition, approximately 40 classic vessels create a colorful gathering along the Museums waterfront all day Saturday and Sunday morning for your viewing pleasure. Sunday at 12:45 p.m., watch as the vessels make their way down the Mystic River in a jubilant, costume- and music-filled three-mile parade.

This year we feature Little Vigilant, a vessel designed for Drayton Cochran and built by Abeking and Rasmussen in 1950. During this time, Mr. Cochran brought the Concordia plans to A&R beginning a long standing relationship between the two organizations resulting in the construction of more than 100 Concordia Yawls.

The 70' Little Vigilant was based on a larger vessel, Vigilant, a 100' sardine carrier style boat built in the 1930s. She was designed by Walter McGinnis to be able to navigate the inland waterways of Europe, and has a fold down rig and removable wheelhouse to enable this. Mr. Cochran used her for 6-8 weeks each summer in European waters, traveling as far as the East coast of Africa and the Baltic. She recently underwent an extensive rebuild and now operates out of New Bedford, MA.

Direct download: Antique__Classic_Boat_Rendezvous_20.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 12:33 PM

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Tue, 30 June 2009

Inside Mystic Seaport - Maritime Mystery

Be a part of Mystic Seaport's first ever whodunit!

Follow clues through the 19th-century sea-faring village as you uncover a plot that has the village people in its grip. Investigate clues, gather evidence, interview 'suspects' and see if you can find the culprit behind it all!

Family friendly. Recommended for older children, teens and adults. Approximately 1-hour in length.

Saturdays, July 4, 11, 18, 25
6:30pm & 7:00pm admission times

Saturdays, August 8, 15, 22
6:00pm & 6:30pm admission times

Saturdays, August 29 & Sept 5
6:00pm admission time

Pricing: Groups of 1-2 $16 per person Groups of 3-4 $15 per person Groups of 5-6 $14 per person

Hurry! Be the first to experience this new adventure and figure out 'who dun it'!

Direct download: Maritime_Mystery_1.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 6:04 PM

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Tue, 2 June 2009

Inside Mystic Seaport - 30th Annual Sea Music Festival

30th Annual Sea Music Festival

June 11-14, 2009

Evening Concerts: June 11-13 at 7 p.m.
(Concert tickets required)

Daytime Entertainment: June 13-14, Noon - 5 p.m. (Museum admission required)

Mystic Seaport is proud to host its 30th annual Sea Music Festival, one of the worlds premier sea music events. More than 5,000 people gather each year to hear a solid core of performers carry on classic musical traditions of the golden age of sail. We have featured music from maritime cultures around the world, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, Australia, Iceland, Poland, Netherlands, France, Canada and Africa, as well as native peoples within the United States.

For more information about Mystic Seaport or the 30th Annual Sea Music Festival, visit www.mysticseaport.org

Direct download: 30th_Annual_Sea_Music_Festival.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 12:39 PM

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Thu, 21 May 2009

Inside Mystic Seaport - Rosenfeld Collection

The Rosenfeld Collection, acquired in 1984 by Mystic Seaport, is one of the largest archives of maritime photographs in the United States. This Collection of nearly one million pieces documents the period from 1881 to the present. Images are captured in a variety of formats, from glass plate negatives to color transparencies, and from glossy prints to photographic murals. The Collection represents the evolution of photographic technology and developments in the maritime industry over the last century.

The Rosenfeld Collection is built on the inventory of the Morris Rosenfeld & Sons photographic business, which was located in New York City from 1910 until the late 1970s. The firm grew as Morris' sons David, Stanley, and William joined the business. Although they became famous as yachting photographers, the early work of the Rosenfelds included assignments for such firms as the New York-based entities of the Bell System (currently known as AT&T, Western Electric, and Bell Telephone Laboratories) from the 1910's through the 1940's.

Even though the Rosenfelds maintained a busy schedule, they always made time for yachting photography. As a result, the America's Cup Races are fully represented from 1885 to 1992. The early America's Cup images, from 1885 to 1910, are from separate collections acquired by Morris Rosenfeld. These collections of remarkable glass plate images are the work of Arthur F. Aldridge, Charles Edwin Bolles, James Burton and Edwin J. Carpenter. It should be noted that these collections also contain images of subjects as varied as socialites participating in leisure activities, steam yachts, battleships, and riverboats on the Ohio River.

The America's Cup races, starting in 1920, were exhaustively covered by the Rosenfelds themselves. As a family of photographers, they quickly became a part of the America's Cup tradition. The respect they received from some of the greatest yachtsmen of the day gave them unusually close access to races, and the result is a remarkably dynamic and often intimate view of the sport.

A broad spectrum of competitive sailing is also reflected in the Rosenfeld Collection. Images of children participating in sailing lessons are housed next to views of maxi-boats competing on the international circuit.

The world of powerboating, both competitive and recreational, received equal attention from the Rosenfelds. The development of powerboat racing in America is chronicled in the Collection. Of particular interest to powerboat historians is the Collection's extensive coverage of early Gold Cup and Harmsworth Trophy Races.

Due to the chronological arrangement of the negatives in the Collection, the evolution of sail, hull and engine design across the span of more than a century can be observed by the researcher.

Today, the Rosenfeld Collection is stored in a climate-controlled vault in the new Mystic Seaport Collections Research Center. Image content as well as photographers' notes from the prints and the negative sleeves are currently being catalogued and entered into the museum's computer data base. Approximately ninety-seven thousand images have been catalogued by Rosenfeld Collection staff, assisted by volunteers. Sixty-seven thousand images, captured from both prints and negatives, are available in video disc form for research purposes.

Currently the Rosenfeld Collection staff is involved in the preservation of negatives and prints. The goal is to transfer all of the historic images, many of which are presently in acidic storage housing, into archival storage containers. This task will help to retard the deterioration common to all photographic materials.

Mystic Seaport encourages the use of the Collection for research purposes. Inquiries are handled through staff researchers by letter, fax, email, or scheduled office appointment. Fees are charged for research services.

Reproductions of Rosenfeld images are available to the public, for both personal and commercial uses. Prints generated by the Mystic Seaport Photography Department are used for a variety of purposes, including book illustrations, corporate brochures and promotions, exhibitions, and personal and scholarly research. Print reproduction fees and image use fees for commercial uses, will be quoted upon request.

Rosenfeld Collection images are also available for exhibitions and permanent installations. Selections from an inventory of over one hundred and forty 16" x 20" matted and framed photographs are available for exhibitions and traveling shows.

Please note that Rosenfeld Collection fees and reproduction revenue go into a Museum fund for the preservation of the existing collection.

Direct download: Rosenfeld_Collection.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 3:53 PM

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Wed, 15 April 2009

The Move to the Shipyard

Following her de-rigging, the Charles W. Morgan is moved ever so carefully from her home on Chubb's Wharf down to the Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport. Shipyard Director, Quentin Snediker explains the process of safely moving a vessel of this size in such a small body of water.

Direct download: The_Move_to_the_Shipyard.m4v
Category: Charles_W_Morgan -- posted at: 1:13 PM

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Tue, 31 March 2009

The Voyage Begins

The Charles W. Morgan embarks on a voyage of restoration at the Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport. Shipyard Director, Quentin Snediker explains what is done to prepare the ship for the historic journey.

The Charles W. Morgan is the last surviving wooden whaling ship from the great days of sail. Built in 1841 in New Bedford, MA, the Morgan had a successful 80-year whaling career. She made 37 voyages before retiring in 1921, and was preserved as an exhibit through the efforts of a number of dedicated citizens. After being on display in South Dartmouth, MA, until 1941, she came to Mystic Seaport, where each year thousands of visitors walk her decks and hear the fascinating story of her career as a whaling vessel, historic exhibit, film and media star, and a porthole into America's rich history.

Over the last three decades, the Charles W. Morgan has undergone two regimes of partial restoration along with annual maintenance. Despite these efforts, the inevitable effects of time on the wooden fabric of the vessel's structure demand additional extensive restoration. If left unchecked, these deficiencies will threaten the structural integrity of the Morgan and her use as a primary artifact in Mystic Seaport's interpretive programs.

Direct download: 01_The_Voyage_Begins.m4v
Category: Charles_W_Morgan -- posted at: 3:41 PM

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Tue, 31 March 2009

Charles W. Morgan, The Last of Her Kind

Of all the exhibits at Mystic Seaport, the most treasured is the wooden whaleship Charles W. Morgan. Built in 1841 at the yard of Jethro and Zachariah Hillman in New Bedford, Massachusetts, she has outlived all others of her kind.

After her whaling days ended in 1921, the Morgan was preserved by Whaling Enshrined, Inc. and exhibited at Colonel Edward H.R. Green's estate at Round Hill in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts until 1941. In November of that year the Morgan came to Mystic Seaport where she dominates the waterfront at Chubb's Wharf. In overall length 113 feet, with a 27-foot 6-inch beam and depth of 17 feet 6 inches, the Morgan's main truck is 110 feet above the deck; fully-rigged, she is capable of carrying approximately 13,000 square feet of sail. The huge try-pots used for converting blubber into whale oil are forward; below are the cramped quarters in which her officers and men lived for years at a time.

At the Museum, the Morgan has been given a new lease on life; however, her future vitality depends on continual preservation. A major program of restoration and preservation was begun in 1968 to repair her structurally, and during the course of this work, it was decided to restore her to the rig of a double-topsail bark, which she carried from the early 1880s through the end of her whaling career. She appears as she was during most of her active career.

In January 1974, after removal from her former sand and mud berth, she was hauled out on the lift dock in the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard for inspection and hull work as needed. Her hull proved to be in remarkably good condition, with only a new false keel, shoe and some planking being required. She is now a floating exhibit with her living spaces and hold open for the visitor to see.

The Charles W. Morgan was formally designated a National Historic Landmark by order of the Secretary of the Interior on November 11, 1966.

Direct download: 01_Charles_W._Morgan_The_Last_of_Her_Kind.m4v
Category: Charles_W_Morgan -- posted at: 3:40 PM

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Tue, 10 March 2009

Inside Mystic Seaport - Treworgy Planetarium

To you, they're pretty. To sailors, they were the difference between life and death. And in the Planetarium at Mystic Seaport, you can get a lesson in celestial navigation using the stars, planets and heavenly bodies of the season. The Planetarium itself was designed specially for Mystic Seaport by Armand Spitz in 1960.

Daily Programs
Each season the Planetarium daily program shows you how to locate and identify the stars, planets and constellations in the sky at that time of year. These live programs last about 30 minutes and include a few basic points about using the stars for navigation. Slide projectors in the Planetarium are used to show images of special interest. Different programs and presentations are offered throughout the year, from "Finding Your Way By the Stars" to "Night Lights for the Holidays."

Inside the Planetarium
The stars and planets are projected overhead onto the surface of a thirty-foot diameter dome. About 750 can be shown. The planets, sun and moon are projected by individual lights. Other special effects that can be projected are: a geo-centric view of the Earth, circles, triangles, meridians and coordinate grids for navigational purposes.

Lobby Exhibit
The lobby of the Planetarium holds a permanent exhibit on 19th century navigation. From the ceiling hangs an orrery, or a mechanical scale model of the solar system. In addition, an interactive computer makes astronomy and navigation come to life. The celestial navigation exhibit in the lobby is divided into six stages. By going through the exhibit, one can learn how sailors in the years before GPS found their destination.

The Orrery
On the ceiling of the Planetarium is an Orrery or mechanical scale model of the solar system. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are shown. The sun should be at the center, but cannot be shown because of the compressed-distance scale used in the Orrery. Made to the same scale as the planets, the sun would be over seven feet in diameter! Pluto is too far from the sun, on this scale, to be included.

Direct download: Treworgy_Planetarium.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 2:58 PM

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Fri, 13 February 2009

Inside Mystic Seaport - Point Judith Fishing Fleet

Explore the lives and stories of Point Judith's hard-working fishermen in this new addition to Mystic Seaport's signature exhibition, Voyages: Stories of America and the Sea.
Fishing communities around the country face changing times that threaten their livelihood. Like many, the Point Judith fleet in Rhode Island struggles with increased government regulations, unpredictable markets, and the financial burdens of a shifting economy. The fragile balance also suffers from a decline in support facilities and a lack of young people entering the industry.

Yet the Point Judith fishermen, known for their adaptability, survive. Located on the westernmost tip of Narragansett Bay, where the boundaries of cold- and warm-water fish meet, they target multiple species. Many vessels hold a variety of licenses, and depending on catch limits, seasonality, and market prices, they can change gear and equipment as necessary. Almost all methods of fishing are still employed within this single port.

There are many ways to preserve our fisheries heritage. In 2005, Mystic Seaport began restoration of Point Judith's Roann, one of the last wooden commercial fishing vessels of her kind. Markham Starr, a photographer and shipwright who worked on the Roann project, recognized a vanishing legacy and sought to capture the spirit of these men and women for whom fishing is more than a job; it is a way of life.

Learn more about the life of a New England fisherman through the exhibit's photographs and slideshow.

Direct download: Point_Judith_Fishing_Fleet.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 10:05 AM

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Fri, 12 December 2008

Inside Mystic Seaport - Lantern Light Tours

It's Christmas Eve, 1876. The shipbuilding industry isn't what it once was in Greenmanville, so the town is putting on a benefit production. They couldn't have chosen a better show, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. But things are not going as planned. Tonight, one prominent businessman must face the choices of his past.

Lantern Light Tours are scheduled primarily Thursday through Sunday evenings. Each tour is an hour long moving performance and is not recommended for children under four. Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly for Friday and Saturday performances.

Tours begin at 5 p.m. and leave every 15 minutes. Handicapped accessible tours are available each evening.

Tickets: Adult: $25, Youth (4-18): $18, Member Adult: $23, Member Youth (4-18): $16
A $2 handling fee will be applied to all tickets. Purchase tickets online or call 860.572.5331 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Direct download: Lantern_Light_Tour.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 12:32 PM

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