Mystic Seaport’s Version of Liberty

February is a month chock-full of calendar-worthy days. First, there’s the day the groundhog predicts the remaining days of winter (Can we really trust a groundhog?). It’s also the month when visions of chocolates dance in our heads as Valentine’s Day nears. (Who doesn’t like getting one of those heart-shaped boxes full of yummy candy?) This year, those who vow to abstain from eating candy during Lent have just a few days to savor those valentine sweets before going “cold turkey” for awhile. Then there are the birthdays of presidents Lincoln and Washington, now celebrated together on Presidents Day. (I wonder how they’d feel about that.)
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I think Liberty Days at Mystic Seaport deserve a few squares on the February calendar as well, specifically February 13 and 14 and February 18-21.  Planned to coincide with February school vacation, the program has fantastic activities for kids that will replace  “I’m bored” with “that was fun.”  Kids can choose from a whole menu of interesting things to do and see, including boarding the world’s last wooden whaleship, the Charles W. Morgan or building a paper Dory or wooden boat of their own design. 

Kids, build your own wooden toy boat to take home!

Best of all, during Liberty Days, kids are admitted to the Museum FREE with a paid adult admission, both valid for a second day as well, no coupons needed – just a validated ticket.

Sailors of bygone years would be granted “liberty” or shore leave by the ship’s captain when the vessel arrived in port. This month, plan to come to our port – Mystic Seaport – and take the liberty of exploring all this unique Museum has to offer.

For membership information and more details on Liberty Days, visit our website at: www.mysticseaport.org./libertydays.

 Blog written by Trudi Busey.

An “Attic” Full of Treasures

As a child, did your family or a relative have an attic that called out to you to explore its contents: perhaps trunks full of old things – pictures, keepsakes, clothing and toys stored away because they held too many precious and personal memories to dispose of them? My uncle’s and aunt’s attic was a fascinating place to me as a youngster.

I don’t think we ever outgrow our curiosity about places usually off-limits to us. That’s why I’m so eager to tell you about the guided tours Mystic Seaport is offering visitors.

Explore the Museum “Attic” takes you behind the scenes at the Collections Research Center. You will be amazed at the awesome treasures Mystic Seaport has there which cannot be displayed on a regular basis due to space and other limitations. When I took the tour, I was blown away by the extent and variety of  the Museum’s collections and the history attached to them.

Tours are limited in size and are given at 12:45 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Tour guides will meet visitors outside the Benjamin F. Packard ship cabin exhibit before the group heads across the street to the Collections Research Center.

Don’t miss this opportunity. You will love it!

Blog written by Trudi Busey.

Can Jingle Bells be Far Behind?

It’s a sure sign that the holidays are upon us. This morning I saw Kara Franco Lally and some of her “elves” – Margaret, Amy, Irma and Allen – starting to decorate the South entrance courtyard at Mystic Seaport with sprigs of holly, juniper, pine, larch, spruce and yew. 

Kara, who is garden supervisor/horticulturist for the Museum, stated that all the greens they were using were collected on Mystic Seaport grounds. The Museum store, the Visitor Reception Center and the Seamen’s Friend Society Reading Room were on the “to do” list for decorating today. 

In total, about 16 volunteers help beautify Mystic Seaport for the holidays. Right now, in the greenhouse, they’re hard at work making pine roping, wreaths and other decorations that will be in place for visitors to enjoy this holiday season.

Although folks walking through Museum gates may not be aware of all this pre-holiday busy-ness, the proof is in the pudding.  Visiting Mystic Seaport at holiday time is a  beautiful and unique experience.

 Check out the Museum’s website at www.mysticseaport.org and see the special gifts of the season in store for you and your family.  If you’re an early shopper (and you need to be for these holiday offerings) the fun begins on November 29^th  and carries through on selected days throughout December.

The Season’s Splendor (a Victorian Village Holiday Ride), Lantern Light Tours (a New England Holiday Tradition), crafts and stories for kids, a journey to the zoo in the sky at the Planetarium – so many wonderful choices. A word to the wise – ticketed events sell out quickly.  Don’t be disappointed. Shop now!      

Blog written by Trudi Busey.

Our Door is Open (Even in Winter!)

Raise your hands if you believe Mystic Seaport is only a warm weather destination. WRONG!  Granted, it’s a different experience once your flip-flops and t-shirts are traded for boots, scarves and heavy coats, but the Museum is a special year-round place.

 

There are plenty of things for you to ooh and ah about – besides the spectacular setting overlooking the historic Mystic River. For many of you, Mystic Seaport is just a short trip from  where you live.

 

Over the next few weeks, we’ll take you through our formal exhibits and galleries. (All are heated, an added perk on a cold blustery day.)

 

This winter, there’s no need to suffer cabin fever. Come see us. You and the family can get a taste of maritime history, marvel at the restoration of the Charles W. Morgan whaling ship, stroll the now quiet village streets (buildings are closed for the season, but will re-open in early Spring), and perhaps stop in for a hot drink and a cup of chowder at the Seamen’s Inne, or maybe sample a pastry or a piece of fudge at the Bake Shop.

 

Sound good? You betcha! Check out the daily happenings at our website: www.mysticseaport.org and pick your day to visit. The welcome mat is out.  

This Holiday Season is “Nothing Without Charity”

The magic of the holiday season is something that many people enjoy. Felt in the cheery music and decorations, warm smiles and delicious food, the holiday season overflows with that “magical feeling.”

Holidays for many include spending time with family and friends. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the spirit of the holidays has become more of a commercialized time of year.

Mystic Seaport has just the remedy to warm your hearts and show everyone what Christmas was all about in 1876. 

The town of Greenmanvill is bustling with holiday activity.

Lantern Light Tours celebrates its 30^th year this year, charming the hearts of all in true New England fashion. The holiday production takes visitors through the town of Greenmanville on Christmas Eve, 1876. Joining your guide becomes an adventure as you travel from scene to scene witnessing a story as it unfolds.

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This year’s story focuses on how the shipbuilding industry is not doing as well as it has in the past, and residents of Greenmanville must adjust appropriately. The residents have decided to put on a benefit performance and could not have chosen a better option, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned and a local businessman is forced to face his past. 

A horse and carraige ride is included in your adventure through Greenmanville.

A horse-drawn carriage ride fills the air with jingling bells as visitors continue their lantern-lit journey through Greenmanville. To add to the holiday spirit, a fresh baked ginger cookie is given to everyone attending a performance and the true meaning of Christmas rings in the sounds of townspeople’s voices.

A fresh-baked ginger cookie adds to the holiday spirit.

Grab your hats, scarves and sturdy shoes and join the citizens of Greenmanville as they work together to help their community.

Scheduled performance dates are: December 4-7, 11-14, 18-21, and 27-28. Tours start at 5 p.m. and begin every 15 minutes.

More information can be found at www.mysticseaport.org/lanternlighttours. 

Tickets can be purchased online at https://tickets.mysticseaport.org/mainstore.asp?vid=1#cat1066 or by phone at 860.572.5331.

In keeping with the “Nothing Without Charity” theme, the Museum is requesting that all patrons attending a performance join in the holiday spirit and donate a non-perishable food item for those in need. All donations will go to the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center to ensure that those who need the most support in our community will receive it. Contributing what you can will make the holidays brighter for someone else.

Frozen In

Many of us don’t realize the severity of the winter conditions of the Eastern Arctic. The region’s native people, the Inuit, forge through winter blizzards and temperatures potentially as low as -53 degrees Fahrenheit.

A group of Inuit

Apart from the Inuit, who would be brave enough to venture into this frozen world? American whale ships and their crews, that’s who!

Between 1875 and 1919, Captain George Comer of East Haddam, CT, often sailed to the Western Hudson Bay. Though the conditions were harsh, the region became a second home to Comer, thanks in large part to his friendship with the Inuit.       

Mystic Seaport’s ground-breaking exhibition Frozen In: Captain Comer and the Hudson Bay Inuit, is an exploration of Captain Comer, his crew and the relationships they built with the Inuit. Comer made 14 voyages to Hudson Bay and his fascination with the region’s native people became a passion that helped reveal Inuit culture to the world.      

Through his strong relationship with the Inuit, Comer was able observe and document their culture and way of life. Comer would intentionally freeze his ship into the ice, trapping himself and his crew in Hudson Bay during the winter. This gave him an early start on spring whaling and provided months of close contact with his Inuit acquaintances.      

 

A reproduction igloo found within the exhibit boasts a toasty 30 degrees inside.

Comer collected more than 4,000 Inuit objects, and they now survive among several museum and private collections.  A group of these objects were carefully chosen for the exhibit, including tools, hunting gear and elaborately beaded Inuit clothing.  Also on view are personal mementoes, Comer’s camera and other equipment.  Selections from Comer’s 30 journals, 65 sound recordings, 300 photographs and 300 Inuit life masks are also represented.   

The cabin of the ship was the main gathering place for Comer and his crew.

Some of the country’s most highly-regarded museums loaned items for the exhibit, including the American Museum of Natural History, the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and Yale’s Peabody Museum. Additionally, several other organizations as well as Comer’s descendents loaned objects.  Many of these items have never before been on public display and collectively, they provide a first-ever, detailed view of Comer and his relationship with the Inuit.

By the early 20th century, Comer had become the world’s foremost authority on the Inuit of Hudson Bay. His work has had a lasting impact and his collections offer an extraordinary view of a fascinating whaling captain and traditional Inuit culture.

Don’t miss this chance to learn about the Inuit, their culture and their icy region.  Due to popular demand, Frozen In: Captain Comer and the Hudson Bay Inuit, will remain open through October 2009.

This exhibit will transport you to the Arctic world of Comer and the Inuit. You will find a re-created igloo, (with an entrance you can actually climb through!), a full-size reproduction of the deckhouse where Comer and his crew spent most of their time, ingenuously crafted Inuit objects and striking enlargements of Comer’s remarkable photos.  Three sound and video programs provide visitors with an emotional and dramatic connection to Comer and the Inuit. 

The Charles W. Morgan Embarks on a Restoration Journey

On November 1, 2008, the world’s last wooden whaleship, the Charles W. Morgan, was hauled from the water for the first time in eight years for an extensive three-year restoration. Some of the places which will be restored have not been seen or touched since her initial construction in 1841.

Whaling ships such as the Morgan were home for many sailors during long whale hunts. The Morgan’s longest voyage lasted four years 11 months. Her shortest voyage was ONLY eight and a half months. A crew of up to 35 would work the vessel. The Morgan hunted three varieties of whales – sperm, right and bowhead – all of which were considerably easier to catch compared to any other species, and yielded the oil and bone the industry was looking for. The Morgan could carry up to 90,000 gallons of whale oil. 

 

Above and below are photographs taken after the Morgan’s initial lift. Notice her size and hull shape. The whaleship was an average size for her time period with a length of 105′ on deck and 133′ overall. The width of the boat (beam) is 27.7′. When sitting in the water, her draft (depth into the water) is 12.6′. However, fully loaded, she could draw as much as 17.6′(which is considered her registered depth. The vessel’s displacement is 313.75 tons which equals 627,500 pounds, or the equivalent of about 49 African elephants!

 

Stop by the Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard on your next visit to Mystic Seaport and witness the Morgan’s restoration firsthand. It’s an event not to be missed!