1. 8 11 Ocean Blue Memory, 2009, 60" x 60",by Elizabeth Enders is on view tonight through February 19, 2011, at the Diane Birdsall Gallery in Old Lyme.
1.6.11 The Custom House Maritime Museum reopened today. WINTER HOURS:are in effect
January through March, when the museum is open four days per week, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, from 1 to 5 PM, or by appointment.
Call 860-447-2501.
We have a lot of things planned for 2011 and need your help to get things going! There's to be a Lighthouse Weekend in July, exhibit of vintage dive gear, Benedict Arnold 'Burning of New London' event. We need YOU to help researching, giving tours, writine grants--you name it!
Please call Susan or Bill at 860-447-2501 to hear about our plans and where you might help!
1.6.11 Today in The Day we read about our friend diver Charles Buffum of Stonington and Craig Harger of Colchester, who were about to give a press presentation on their discovery, in local waters, of the early 19th-century wreck of a ship commanded by famed captain Oliver Hazard Perry.
Immediately we gave Charlie a call and now the duo is set to repeat their talk here, at the Custom House Maritime Museum, Thursday, January 20, at 7 PM (reception 6:30). Read about their recent discovery of what they believe to be Perry's Revenge in the January 6 issue of The Day. Read more about the find HERE.
1.6.11 The evening saw a wonderful celebration at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy -- the launch of the Eagle's 75th anniversary year. A number of past captains were in attendance as well as USCG museum curator Jennifer Gaudio, who created a special exhibition about the Eagle for the event.
We just happen to have a new documentary on the Eagle in our Museum Shop.
Below left is the daily view we have of the Eagle in the wintertime from the alley next door to the Custom House.
1.17.11 It has taken some doing, but by the first of the year, things were finally in place for us to start cataloging the museum's collection. And then, as if by magic, photographer Rob Bowman showed up with his camera! Rob, a new volunteer at the Custom House, has taken on the daunting task of mastering the collections computer software, Pastperfect, and starting in on the project.
1.23.11 We always love to have music at the Custom House and today we succeeded mightily with two very special programs: a violin and viola recital by the students of Irene Rissi, and a piano recital by Jose Garcia Leon, a professor at the University of New Haven.
Above, Irene's students tune up before the recital.
At left, Jose greets his fans after the performance.
Pianist Jose Garcia-Leon is a first prize winner of numerous national and international competitions, including the Artist International Competition of New York. Born in Seville, Spain, after graduating with highest honors from the Conservatorio Superior de Sevilla, Jose moved to New York where he completed a Doctorate in Musical Arts at the Manhattan School of Music. He is currently Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Assistant Professor of music at the University of New Haven.
1.20.11 Great news: fresh from New York's Don't Tell Mama, singer Gary Baillargeon has agreed to a return engagement at the Custom House -- a pre-Valentine performance on Sunday, February 13. Watch our Web site for details. See Gary, below.
Left: Jay Kane and son Jon of Shoreline Diving at the exhibit opening of Vintage Deep-Sea Dive Helmets on Thursday night.
1.20.11 The year's Third Thursday program started strong with amature divers Charlie Buffum and Craig Harger discussing their discovery of Oliver Hazard Perry's ship, the Revenge, off Watch Hill, a ship which had been 'lost' for 200 years. They told the harrowing tale of the discovery, which they then kept a secret for five years!
We paired the talk with a mini exhibit of vintage deep-sea dive gear from the collections of two friends of the Custom House: Jay Kane, of Shoreline Diving in Noank --a commercial diver, and Ed Uditis, a amature diver who lived for a time in the Caymen Islands. Both are passionate about dive history.
2.5.11 February is Black History Month. Well, at the Custom House Maritime Museum, we teach about black history every day of the year.
Two significant stories that--in part-- took place at the Custom House illustrate the change in public opinion concerning slavery at two different points in 19th-century Connecticut. The stories are the Amistad incident in 1839 and the Benjamin Jones case in 1858.
In fact, due to these two stories, last summer the Custom House Maritime Museum became the first & only Connecticut site on the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, an Obama initiative launced to connect these necessarily secret and fragmentary sites.
As a part of this national Underground Railroad program, it is now our job to find links to other Abolitionist sites in the state and thereby extend the Network.
So we were somewhat taken aback to see that the new Connecticut Freedom Trail brochure, set to be released at a special ceremony in Hartford on February 17, includes information about the Custom House and the Amistad incident, but nothing about Benjamin Jones. We're doing our best to correct the matter before February 17... but, so far, we cut no ice in Hartford.
2.5.11 It's that crazy Hygienic time-of-year and today we're hosting a team from the Mayfly Playhouse: At 8am Saturday morning, the casts received their scripts and, under their director's guidance, now have until 5pm to rehearse the play into performance shape. The curtain rises at 8pm, to present seven world-premier plays, never seen before in this one-night-only performance. The Mayfly Playhouse returns to the Crocker House Ballroom, with entrance at 35 Union Street in New London CT.
2.3.11 The much-anticipated Making Kids Books class with illustrator Jon Buller began tonight and will run Thursday evenings through the month of February.
1.24.11 This year, New London Main Street will feature New London Harbor Light on the city's light-pole banners. The colorful banners will be displayed on 130 select locations throughout New London's Historic Waterfront District beginning this spring.
The new design celebrates the New London Harbor Light, the New London Maritime Society, which as you know recently assumed ownership of the light, and New London's rich maritime history. To learn more about becoming a sponsor, please contact Gillian Lambert at 860.857.3673 or [email protected].
2.8.11 NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, in partnership with Murrain Associates, Inc., and the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS), today launched Voyage to Discovery, a new website and education initiative highlighting untold stories of African-Americans and the sea. The website can be accessed atwww.voyagetodiscovery.org.
The website is part of a broader NOAA initiative to build public awareness about the legacy of African-American maritime heritage and engage a broad spectrum of Americans in the stewardship of the country’s coastal and ocean resources through education, archaeology, science and underwater exploration.
2.5.11 We're in The Day, click>HERE Thank you Tom M!
2.8.11 The morning began with a visit (shown left) from Stephanie Morton and her English as a Second Language students from Benny Dover Middle School. Head docent Bill LaRoue provided the tour.
Working at the museum below:Robert Bowman paused to show other museum volunteers the teremndous progress he is making cataloging our collections. Rob is photographing and entering data on every object in the museum collection using our new PastPerfect database, the funding of which was provided by an AT&T technology grant.
2.14.11 This week is almost solidly booked with Lighthouse Kids classes. We are grateful to a generous donation from Dominion Nuclear, which allowes us to bring sea chantyman Geoff Kauffman to all eight SEMI classes over this week and next to teach the kids about sea music and work songs.
At left is Geoff with Lighthouse Kids from Jennings School.
As it is Black History Month, we also talked again about the Amistad story. Certain aspects of the story made better sense to the class now that they understand more about aids to navigation and navagational tools, such as the compass and sextant. That lead to a discussion of navagating by the sun and stars, which lead Geoff to sing "Follow the Dipping Gourd."
2.13.11 At the immediate right is XXX XXXXX, who last week brought us further information about the Mende Bible, a bible translated into the African language of the Amistad captives which was presented to former President John Quincey Adams by Cinque Peh. President Adams helped persuade the US Supreme Court to free the group of captives led by Cinque, who revolted aboard La Amistad. Cinque presented the book to Adams prior to his return back to Africa to the area now called Sierra Leone.
XXX XXXX , a recent transpklant to New London, is a direct descendent of President Adams.
2.13.11 When singer Gary Baillargeon proposed bringing his cabaret act back to the Custom House Maritime Museum the weekend before Valentine's Day, how could we refuse? His marvelous performance last summer brought in a standing-room, only, crowd.
He did the same here again last weekend.
Gary's show, Love Is..., charts the arc of a romance through love songs and standards and his own witty, sweet commentary. Gary performed the same act last fall to rave reviews at New York City's Don't Tell Mama.
We paired Gary's dreamy singing with a rather delicious repast: hors d'oeuvres, champagne and fine chocolates.
Our stellar volunteer corps again sprang into action. I confess to being a frustrated caterer, and personally grilled some meat for the hors d'oeuvres over logs in the living -room fire place!
Below, at far left is Kathy Gaynor tending bar. From left, below, are George Sprecace, Archie Chester, Ivan Metzger, Brandy Baltimore, John Desjardins and Barbara Tamulevich - volunteers all.
2.23.11 Busy day, bisected by a lunch-time presentation to the Niantic Rotary at the wonderful Flanders Fish Market. Thank you for inviting the Custom House Maritime Museum to speak before your friendly & enthusiastic group--and to have lunch.
2.23.11 In the morning, we were happy to welcome the actress/educator Tammy Denease Richardson to the museum today--her first visit to the Custom House. For over a decade, Tammy worked with school groups at the Connecticut Historical Society in conjunction with their major Amistad exhibition. Tammy portrayed Margru, a young girl aboard the Amistad, explaining to school groups the story of the Amistad captives from the young girl's perspective.
Tammy was happy to see the Amistad exhibition she knew so well saved and reinstalled at the Custom House. We hope to work with Tammy later this spring, and have her bring her Margru character to life for us.
2.23.11 We've had some great guests on the TV show this month. Last week, Jane Glover, founder and director of our neighbot and partner, the Kente Cultural Center, speaking about the Center's ongoing programs and special Black History Month events. Today's TV guests were divers (at left) Ed Uditis and Jay Kane talking about diving and the vintage dive helmets they've loaned to the museum--which are on view through March.
