End of Summer Doesn’t Mean the End of Fun

Yeah, those hazy lazy days of summer are winding down. All the more reason to take advantage of warm sunlit days while flip-flops and shorts are still in vogue. 

Mystic Seaport has the antidote for any end-of-summer blues you may be feeling.  Take any one or more of the list below and you’ll feel better. This may even be a situation where an overdose is a good thing!

Here are prescriptions  we recommend you fill:

• Refills remaining – 1: Music for the ears, purchased hors d’oeuvres and drinks from Spouter’s Tavern.  Must be taken Sundays 8/27 upon free entry to Mystic Seaport grounds  between 5-8 p.m.
• Register for some dog therapy. This can be done either by watching or participating with your pet in Mystic Seaport’s first ever dog parade on Thursday, August 27^th at 5 p.m. No charge.
• Dosage on the above may be increased on Dog Days Weekend, August 28-29.  Museum admission necessary to receive full benefits of dog demonstrations in areas of search and rescue, K-9 police work, hunting skills and dog therapy.
•  Learn about those hard-working tugs in Mystic Seaport’s  TUGS! exhibit and you may feel your job isn’t so tough after all. Relax by the pool and navigate a miniature tug yourself.
• Simply spend a day at Mystic Seaport.  It will cure just about anything!

If the above prescriptions don’t do the trick, we’ll keep you posted on exciting things to look forward to in September and October at Mystic Seaport.

This blog was written by Trudi Busey — herself a victim of a Mystic Seaport overdose!

Ever-changing Exhibits

I learned something new today.

Working at Mystic Seaport you would think I’d be keenly aware that all the permanent and changing Museum exhibits don’t just happen overnight. Well, I DO realize that —  but this morning was an eye-opening education.

Jeff Crewe, a key member of the Museum’s Exhibits Department, spoke about all the research, brainstorming, planning and teamwork that goes on before the ultimate construction of an exhibit. It’s an awesome process with a singular goal – to have the exhibit engage, entertain and educate visitors during their visit and make them want to visit Mystic Seaport more often.

Jeff likens making an exhibit to film-making: it must have appeal and reach the right audience; there are actors (interpreters who man an exhibit); and there’s a script (explaining the exhibit). The big difference is that an exhibit has about 15 minutes or less to keep a visitor interested, whereas a film has up to two hours to do that. Hmm.

Bet you never thought about that either.

There’s a term called ‘museum fatigue’ that refers to a feeling of too much information to absorb by reading only. At the risk of sounding partial, I don’t think that affliction is likely to happen at Mystic Seaport.  From games on the green, building a wooden boat, drawing your own map, learning to tie sailors’ knots, boarding amazing vessels, taking a carriage ride or a steamboat ride, gazing at the star-studded universe….the list goes on and on. The only museum fatigue you might have is physical exhaustion from a great day at Mystic Seaport!

I hope when you do visit, that you’ll think a bit more about the exhibits Mystic Seaport has provided with you in mind. Come not just once, but over and over again. Exhibits are always changing.

This post was written by volunteer Trudi Busey. Just try and catch up with her as she explores all Mystic Seaport has to offer!

“Texting” – 1800s Style

So you think “texting” is just a modern day phenomenon? Not so.

Okay, so it wasn’t called ‘texting’ back in the mid-1800s, but rather the language of the fan.  Whether myth or truth (an ongoing argument) it is said that in the era when hand-held fans were widely used as cooling instruments, they were also used to transmit furtive messages, mainly of a romantic nature.  The way a lady positioned her fan conveyed her unspoken message to a gentleman of interest.

Scrimshander, Bill Graves, well known around Mystic Seaport for his scrimshaw passion and artistry,   recently showed a group of us items from his personal scrimshaw collection. One item was a beautiful, delicate-looking fan made from ivory. Perhaps it was once used in a 19^th-century version of Twitter!

For all you men out there who say understanding women is difficult – be thankful you no longer need to decipher messages sent via the language of the fan! For example:
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• The lady appears briefly on the balcony, slowly fanning herself, and then quickly goes inside, shutting the balcony = “I can’t go out.”
• The lady appears briefly, excitedly fanning herself and quickly goes inside, leaving the balcony open = “I’ll go out soon.”
• Resting the fan on her lips = “I don’t trust you.”
• Fanning herself with her left hand = “Don’t flirt with that woman.”
• Passing the fan from hand to hand = “I see that you are looking at another woman.”
• Running her fingers through the fan’s ribs = “I want to talk to you.”
• Carrying the fan closed and hanging from her left hand = “I’m engaged.”
• Ditto from her right hand = “I want to be engaged.”
• Quickly and impetuously closing the fan = “I’m jealous.”
• Hitting any object with her fan = “I’m impatient.”
• Dropping the fan = “I belong to you.”
• Half opening the fan over her face = “We are being watched over.”
• Or alas – slowly fanning herself = “Don’t waste your time; I don’t care about you.”

Myth or truth? Who’s to say for certain. Personally, I’m rather relieved that Facebook, Twitter and even good old-fashioned face-to- face word conversations have long since replaced the language of the fan!

Blog written by Trudi Busey

A piece of scrimshaw from the Museum's collection

(Scrimshaw was the name given originally to tools fashioned in the 1700s from the byproducts of whales. Later the term encompassed the artistic handiwork crafted by seamen whalers during their idle time aboard ship. Designs were scratched primarily into bones and teeth of sperm whales with coloring of the etched design provided by candle black, soot or tobacco juice. The Voyages exhibit found in Mystic Seaport’s Stillman Building exhibits a portion of the Museum’s vast collection of scrimshaw.)

Fresh Off the Easel – Plein Air Painters Deliver Again

One day last week, I was on kind of a “scavenger hunt” on Museum grounds. My job was to find some of the 27 award-winning artists who were chosen to participate in the annual Plein Air Painters event at Mystic Seaport.  I didn’t have to go far.

Across from the Galley Restaurant was Howard Park. The focal point of his oil painting was the waterfront scene immediately in front of him, but off in the distance the Morgan still made her presence known on his canvas. As I sat next to him on the bench, I marveled at this artist’s talent and concentration despite my interruption and questions; his paintbrush never stopped working.

 Howard Park is no stranger to Mystic Seaport. He has lectured at the Museum’s Maritime Gallery and over the years has had many of his paintings exhibited there. Still, like other artists I met, he considers it a “treat to paint on campus” and feels honored to be among those chosen for the annual Plein Air Painters event.

"Seaport Scene" by Howard Park

Moving on, I found artist, Neal Hughes, fine tuning his oil painting of the Life Saving Station. In my eyes, it never looked so good! This is the 3^rd year that Neal has been a part of Plein Air Painters. He teaches oil art classes in Moorest, NJ, and says he enjoys meeting fellow artists at Mystic Seaport. He feels that the Museum grounds offer many great choices in where and what to paint.

"Tilghman Island Sunrise" by Neal Hughes

After watching over the shoulders of these talented artists, I, for one, am looking forward to viewing their completed works at the Museum’s Maritime Gallery. The exhibit will be featured there until the end of August. Undoubtedly some paintings will have been sold, but perhaps you will still find just the Plein Air painting you’ve been looking for to complement your home or office décor.

Mystic Seaport’s Maritime Gallery is open daily from10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Do yourself a favor. Come take a look.

Blog posted by Trudi Busey.

The WoodenBoat Show Returns to Mystic Seaport

In June many people’s fancy turns to thoughts of the WoodenBoat Show at Mystic Seaport. Well, get ready – it will be back June 25-27.

For wooden boat aficionados (or not) – this show lives up to its billing as “the most dynamic wooden boat show in the country” by WoodenBoat Magazine. As many of today’s boats are now made of fiberglass, these wooden boats are in a beautifully different category of their own. The owners’ pride shines as bright as the finish on their boats, and many are delighted to have visitors board their prize possessions.

The 19^th annual WoodenBoat Show features both contemporary and classic boats of every class – power, sail, oar and paddle.  Also on tap are workshops where you can learn some tips and skills on building and/or preserving wooden boats.

Under the tent, vendors of all things nautical will entice you with unique gifts or boaters’ necessities that you’d be hard-put to find in your average store.

As a car dealer would say, this is a “cream puff” of a show.  Mark your calendar now:

The Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport, June 25-27. We’ll see you here!

Meet Mystic Seaport Staffer Sarah Spencer

Sarah Spencer says “keeping all the balls in the air” is one of the challenges of her position as the Museum’s Group Sales Manager and Location and Production Coordinator. It’s easy to understand that some juggling talents are definitely part of Sarah’s workday.
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1. How long have you been employed at Mystic Seaport?
SS: In June it will be 20 years. I’ve worked in lots of different exhibits – and departments.  I worked in most of the exhibits, including the Print Shop, the Shipcarver’s Shop and the Cooperage; I was lead cooper for several years. I’ve done some roleplaying, and I also spent a summer making oars in the Shipyard and two years transcribing oral histories for Fred Calabretta in the Library.  I’ve been in Marketing and Communications in different positions for about 10 years.  For a Sociology major graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, I’ve had a fun and interesting work career – from New York City, to MIT in Boston to Mystic Seaport.  I feel a fair amount of sadness when I think about my year in New York – I had been a front desk clerk at the hotel located between the Twin Towers. 

Sarah Spencer in front of the Museum's Cooperage building

2. What’s the best part of your job?
SS: I really love the variety despite some of the challenges that may come with it.  My daily planner entries are often crossed out because something else takes precedence. A new filmmaker may need escorting around the Museum or tour buses arrive un-scheduled, or one of our area hotels needs tickets. 

3. What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?
SS: I think probably one of the hardest things is to let it go.  With technology the way it is, one has to really school oneself to not constantly check the email, phone or voicemail in the evening or weekends.  Mostly I don’t want anyone to be disappointed – from the visitor to my colleagues.    

Working with filmmakers presents different challenges, but it can be a delight. The Museum has guidelines regarding when and where they may shoot. No part of the grounds is closed to visitors during filming, so we encourage filmmakers to work either before the Museum opens or after it closes. We also suggest the best time to film is between the months of November and March, when fewer visitors are on grounds. But it’s colder and doesn’t always provide the “look” that they’re seeking.  So, there can be a bit of juggling.  

4.  What’s the funniest or most notable on-the-job experience you’ve had?
SS:  Of late, my involvement with the Ric Burns’ film Into the Deep was a special experience in so many ways. I’m excited for its public debut. On the more humorous side, when I was a tour guide for Lantern Light Tours as we were leaving the Morgan after a scene below, one patron asked, “Is this ship real?” Maybe its authenticity was questioned because the interpreters were in character. It was sort of a strange question. 

5. What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
SS: My husband and I love to travel. We also enjoy winemaking as a hobby. I also just finished the Memorial Day weekend “Angel Ride”, which was a 50-mile bike ride that benefited Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. I felt as if I needed someone to catch me once I arrived at the finish line — it was one long bike ride!    

Sarah was interviewed by Volunteer Trudi Busey and photographed by Andy Price.

Up Close and Personal with “TUGS!”

There’s much to like, much to do, much to see at Mystic Seaport’s newest exhibit, TUGS! Who can predict what will trigger a memory or experience regarding a tugboat?

Before the “official” opening of the TUGS! exhibit in the Museum’s Schaefer Exhibit Hall, I was making a quick overview tour and was impressed with what I saw. To be sure, I will return for a more in-depth look and listen. However, there was one thing that particularly caught my eye, and specifically shows how many people are personally linked to the world of tugs.

There is a spot in the exhibit with 4×6 cards where visitors can write down and share their personal “Tug Tale.” As I read through those that were displayed, I was struck by the wide gamut of feelings and experiences they covered.

Tell your tug tale at our newest exhibit

One person recalled a tug escorting him by the Statue of Liberty, seeing her for the first time. A couple who always loved tugs ended up buying their own pleasure tug and have traveled the Great Loop. Two men remarked about working on tugs at Electric Boat. Another recalls, as a young boy, watching his dad’s ship in Chesapeake Bay being moved out to sea by a tug prior to assuming his naval assignment. And last, but most romantic, a woman recalls her boyfriend telling her he loved her while they were aboard the tug, Robert McAllister.

Maybe you have a “tug tale” to add. Be sure to share when you visit Mystic Seaport’s TUGS! exhibit. For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org/tugs.

Blog written by Trudi Busey