4.8.11 We were pleased to have a second visit today by poet Randall Horton. Randall is on of six poets working with poet Elizabeth Alexander to write about sites on the Connecticut Freedom Trail. It's all part of New Haven's Internatinal Festival of Arts & Ideas Freedom's Journey series of pre-festival events. Ours is May 21:
NEW LONDON Saturday, May 21. 12pm
Event Location: Custom House Maritime Museum, 150 Bank Street, New London
CT Freedom Trail Site: Custom House, New London
Poet: Randall Horton will read his original poetry about the Custom House and the Amistad story.
The reading takes places following the New London’s Public School’s annual Hope Week Parade and the Custom House’s third annual Chowda’ Fest. Tours aboard the Schooner Amistad will take place in the harbor.
During June 2011, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas will present an immersion experience entitled “Freedom’s Journey,” which encompasses a series of performances, ideas discussions, and tours that address the topic of the Civil War and the cultural heritage within the state of Connecticut. The International Festival of Arts & Ideas is collaborating with cultural organizations and heritage sites throughout the state to explore the Connecticut Freedom Trail this spring through the poetic imagination.
All will convene during the Festival on June 23 for “Freedom’s Journey: Poetic Reflections on African American Legacies,” with Robert Stanton, an early proponent of the Connecticut Freedom Trail, who is currently Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior and former Director of the National Park Service.
4.8.11 Today we committed to forming a Lighthouse Kids Sea Shanty Chorus!
4.7.11 The current exhibition at Hygeinic Gallery reminded us that, across the street from the Custom House, portrait artist Michael Peery has his studio. We invited Michael over this week to discuss a possible commission: for quite some time, we have wanted to have a portrait painted of museum founder Lucille Showalter. Discussions are now underway. Michael is shown, above far left, with NLMS president George Sprecace.
4.2.11 Our two construction workers from Senkow Builders have done a great job. The temporary railing and new bulkhead stairs to the sub-basement are beautifully and sturdilly-made and have remedied some important issues related to fire and lofe-safety issues. The great news is that the City of New London has voted to provide $10,000 in CDBG monies to help finish up the project.
4.5.11 Thank you, Laura Marcuso of the Norwalk Historical Society, for the long-time loan of this lovely sofa. While in the late-Empire style and more ornate than our building, it dates from about the same years - the mid-1830s.
4.6.11 Today was our much-anticipated trip to Salem, Massachusetts! It all went beautifully thanks, totally, to the terrific planning of NLMS trustee Jennifer Hillhouse, who, I regret, I missed in all the photographing. Above are photos from our visits to the Friendship, the 1819 U.S. Custom House, and the Peabody Essex Museum.
The document at top was one of the best surprises of the trip. In the display at the 1819 Custom House was something very similar to our treasured 18th-c Bond Book, only Salem's from the next century. The National Park Service guide explained the books were used to record bonds posted for ships' cargo before customs duty was paid.
At far left is the Custom House, once workplace of Nathaniel Hawthorn. Near left is Carolyn Lewes using the touch-screen introcuction to Salem Maritime Park. Below left is head docent Bill LaRoue, who gave a brief introduction to Salem on the bus heading north.
4.5.11 We are very happy to have Tobey Leske back working at the Custom House. About a year ago, working with Brian McCarthy, Tobey pulled together our Squalus exhibition. This year, we've given him another display to work on. We want to create a history of the Thames River Harbor exhibition, so when people come to the museum, they see in a flash just why New London is a significant maritime center.
Research on this exhibit has been going on at the Custom House for some time. Prior to Tobey's involvement, Archie Chester and Fred Calabretta both weighed in to create a preliminary time line and series of potential themes.
Tobey's task is to crunch all this imformation (and research on his own), and then blend the plan with what we have in our collection.
At left, collections manager Rob Bowman helps Tobey go through materials in the Collection Room.
And speaking of Mr. Bowman, he has begun selecting & writing up an Object of the Week, that we will feature both in weekely e-mail blasts and on the Web site.
2.4.11 Our new exhibit opened this evening: Connecticut Valley Camera Club - Maritime Photographs - on view through April.
Below left is our friend Sheila Werthheimer and friends installing the exhibition.
1.4.11 Tonight was the first NLart First Friday nights of downtown art gallery openings. Unfortunately this summer, we decided not to participate. The museum simply is too big to be managed by a single volunteer (or two), especially on a Friday night.
We have some lovely new seaweed print notecards (see below) in the Custom House Museum Shop. If you are a member, you recieve 10%off all shop purchases. Our esteemed antiquarian William Apt also recently replenished our stock of vintage marine and New London hisistory books. Please stop in and take a look.
Also of April 1, we are back on our high-season schedule -- We now are open every day (except Monday) Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 5 PM. Hope to see you at the Custom House!
4.14.11 Another welcome anniversary is the annual Sea Scout Maritime Education Open House held at Branford House, UCONN-Avery Point. At the far left is NLMS president George Sprecace, who manned a table for the Custom House.
We were happy to see our Sea Scout friends, especially Amanda Belassi, (the young woman in dress uniform), who is about to end her first year at Mass Maritime Academy. Amanda will be doing a special project with us later this spring having to do with New London Harbor Light.
Near left is old friend George Spragg, who brought the boat he crafted over the winter--an intriguing forward-rowing contraption. George brought the boat to add local color to the Scout event.
4.12.11 If you've followed the saga of our pennant, it is one of ups-and-downs, but basically one of triumph in the face of adversity. Donor & trustee Alice Houston, left, has performed the latest miracle amputation--trimming & restitching the knotted, frayed end of our magnificent pennant so it now reads NLMS (no not New London Main Street) New London Mairitime Society -- in fact, we had and used those initials FIRST.
4.8.11 It's Spring and actually nice to see we've developed a few patterns in recent years. This morning we hosted our annual visit from the Connecticut Marine Model Society. This is the third year these modelmakers have met at the Custom House in April in advance to their annual exhibition. The annual Ship Model Conference and Show takes place on Saturday, April 30, from 10 am to 4 pm at the Port N' Starboard Convention Center at Ocean Beach. Find out more from [email protected].
4.7.11 The good news is that several more groups have joined the Lighthouse Weekend, which takes place the first weekend of July. Edward Baker, director of the New London County Historical Society, has located one of the original 1760 tickets from the lottery run to erect the first lighthouse in New London. That ticket will be on view at the Shaw Mansion in July.
Another friend, Groton mayor and historian Jim Streeter, reports the Avery Point Lighthouse will be open all-day both Saturday & Sunday July 2 & 3. He will loan a scale model of the Avery Point light to the Custom House for the summer.
4.22.11 We gratefully thank the Connecticut Humanities Council for their strong vote of confidence in us! Today we received a generous grant to help fund All Things Lighthouse at the Custom House. The money will support a new lighthouse exhibition, the Sentinels on the Sound weekend celebration of New London's lighthouse heritage - July 1 hrough 3, and our Lighthouse Kids program with the New London Public Schools.
New London Maritime Society's partners in the weekend include area lighthouses: Avery Point Foundation, Ledge Light Foundation, Noank Historical Society (Morgan Point), Mystic Seaport, Stonington Historical Society (Stonington Light); and other organizations: Bike New London, Fort Trumbull State Park, Hygienic Art, New London County Historical Society, New Londn Main Street, Studio 33, the US Coast Guard and the US Coast GuardMuseum among them. Watch the Sentinells on the Sound Lighthouse Weekend Web page for details.
4.19.11 Visiting from Virginia, author Stephen Grant was April's Third Thursday speaker (on Tuesday, the 19th).
4.31.11 Your museum director ended the month extending a hand in friendship to the lighthouse keepers of Block Island, Rhode Island. This was Preserve Rhode Island's annual preservation weekend. In the summer, the island is just a short ferry ride from New London. In fact, the City of New London & the Custom House are well-positioned to serve as a true hub to visiting many of the lighthouses on Long Island Sound.
4.26.11 Only one couple has been married in the Custom House and on Thursday they were back again, with inlaws in tow visiting from the West Coast. The least we could do it show them around. Here are the Spinellis last week in the lantern of New London Harbor Light.
4.20.11 We are so extremely lucky to be supported by the Connecticut Humanities Council. First, CHC sponsored an ad for us in Connecticut Explored magazine (see far left). Then we got word that the Custom House Maritime Museum received a grant for $15,000 to support All Things Lighthouse -- a revamped museum exhibition, the July 1-3 lighthouse symposium, and our work with the schools--Lighthouse Kids! This is a tremendous boost to the museum and what we can offer the community. Thank you, CHC!
