Category: News

This fall Mystic Seaport proudly launched its new education website Mystic Seaport for Educators (MSE). Designed by the Museum and a growing community of educators, the dynamic, interactive site brings the treasures and resources of Mystic Seaport out of the Museum and into classrooms and homes across the country.

During the MSE planning phase, Project Manager Krystal Kornegay Rose and Mystic Seaport staff worked with more than 140 educators, parents, and students in a series of 56 co-creation workshops. Their ideas and feedback helped shape the development of MSE. The project represents a shift from delivering information in a static, one-way manner to a more participatory learning model that fosters shared authority, merging the expertise of Museum staff with the standards-based needs of classroom educators.

The site provides primary source material and other resources for teachers to use through the following features:

• Artifact Articles: Brief information and context about an artifact in the collection. Includes questions for deeper thought and other classroom ideas.
• Living Documents: Documents of the past come to life with sound, transcripts, and informational pop-ups.
• Active Maps: Geospatial representations of objects and manuscripts from the Museum’s collection. Feature includes classroom ideas.
• Resource Sets: Thematic “packages” that include samples of each type of website feature (artifact articles, living manuscripts, maps, lectures, and interviews) all connected by a central theme.
• Lectures and Scholar Interviews: Audio recordings of popular lectures at the Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime Studies at Mystic Seaport, as well as MSE teacher-scholar interviews.

Creating MSE Content

The content featured on the website is created through the MSE Resource Creation Professional Development Program, an innovative project that uses the expertise of educators from public and private schools as well as homeschool families. Each summer up to 10 MSE Fellows work with Mystic Seaport staff to create content for the website. While taking part in this development program Fellows are required to: attend orientation programs that include collections tours, oral history workshops, film and video workshops, research workshops and a resource creation workshop; choose what to research from a pre-compiled list of artifacts and documents; research and study items in the Museum’s collection, working closely with curators and other staff, to create MSE website features and an MSE Educator Profile; work with Mystic Seaport staff to create content and features, following detailed instructions for each website feature (staff support is readily available); and attend one Museum field trip. Upon editing and approval by Museum staff, the teacher’s website features and educator profile are published. All MSE content that is created continues to be developed by educators and Museum staff and fresh content will be added regularly.

MSE Fellows are chosen through a competitive application process distributed to school networks in early spring. Recent content creators include Sally Motycka, Stonington High School; Emily Schimelman, Hamden Hall Country Day School; Laurie Hartnett, Mystic Middle School; Kathleen Neumann, The Morgan School; Peter Emanuel, The Williams School; Macy Kleinfelder, The Williams School; Carol Ambrosch, Ledyard Center School; Terry Samokar, Ledyard Center School; Henry Kydd, East Lyme High School; Jason Hine, Mystic Seaport staff; Thea Hudson, Colby College & East Lyme High School (student); Vera Cecelski, Mystic Seaport intern and Williams-Mystic alumni; and Paul Goodwin, professor emeritus of History at the University of Connecticut and Mystic Seaport volunteer.

The next phase of the MSE project is focused on gathering user feedback and making subsequent improvements to the site, as well as promoting the site through monthly professional development programs. Focus group sessions are planned for December, led by the project’s evaluator, Dr. John Fraser of New Knowledge, and versions 2.0 and 3.0 are in the works.

Congratulations are in order for James T. Carlton, professor of marine sciences and director of the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program at Mystic Seaport, who has been named the 2013 recipient of the California Academy of Sciences Fellows’ Medal. Carlton was awarded the Academy’s highest honor during the Fellowship’s October meeting.

Based in San Francisco, the California Academy of Sciences is a world-class scientific and cultural institution that is committed to leading-edge research and educational outreach. According to a press release, the Academy awards the Fellows’ Medal to “especially prominent scientists who have made outstanding contributions to their specific scientific fields.” Medalists are nominated each year by the Academy Fellows and confirmed by the Board of Trustees.

“I was very honored and surprised to receive the Fellows’ Medal from the California Academy of Sciences, one of the country’s leading scientific institutions. I am deeply humbled to be in the company of the other scientists who have been Medalists,” said Carlton.

Carlton has directed the Williams-Mystic Program since 1989 and is a professor of Marine Ecology. His research focuses on the environmental history of coastal marine ecosystems, including invasions of non-native species and modern-day extinctions in the world’s oceans. His research sites include the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the Hawaiian Islands, Argentina, and South Africa. He is the only scientist to receive the Interagency Recognition Award from the U.S. Federal Government for his national and international work to reduce the impacts of exotic species invasions in the sea. Carlton is currently Lead Principal Investigator on a National Science Foundation-funded study on the marine life being transported across the Pacific Ocean by the marine debris generated by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

In addition to being a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, Carlton is founding Editor-in-Chief of the journal Biological Invasions, a Pew Fellow for Marine Conservation, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1995, he was named an “Ocean Hero” by the Smithsonian Institution. Carlton received his undergraduate degree in paleontology from the University of California, Berkeley; his Ph.D. in ecology from the University of California, Davis; and did his postdoctoral work at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

MYSTIC —The New England Museum Association (NEMA) has elected Susan Funk, executive vice president of Mystic Seaport, as president of its board of directors. The election was held at the organization’s 2013 Annual Meeting on November 15 as part of the group’s 95th annual conference in Newport, Rhode Island.

“We’re very excited to have Susan on board,” said NEMA Executive Director Dan Yaeger. “Her leadership and commitment to the organization will help take us to the next level of success in serving the museum field.”

Funk oversees and coordinates the activities of the Museum’s Education, Exhibitions, Maritime Studies, Curatorial, Watercraft, Human Resources, and Visitor Services departments. She is responsible for operational and strategic planning, program evaluation, and participation in trustee committees, and management of all Museum functions associated with the Mystic Seaport visitor experience. Funk coordinated Mystic Seaport’s successful accreditation self-study for the Association of American Museums (AAM) in 2004-2005. She is active in the field serving on the NEMA board and regularly serving as an AAM Museum Assessment Program reviewer and accreditation site committees. In July 2005 she participated in the Getty Institute’s prestigious Museum Leadership Institute.

“Susan’s new role with NEMA validates her leadership in the field, and underscores how fortunate Mystic Seaport is to have had her on the staff all these years,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport.

Funk most recently joined the Museum in 1994. In total, she has been employed at Mystic Seaport for 25 years.

Funk was elected unanimously by more than 400 NEMA members in attendance. She is eligible to serve two one-year terms as president under the organization’s bylaws.

About the New England Museum Association

For 95 years, the New England Museum Association has been the region’s only organization serving museums of all sizes and the people who work for and with them. NEMA’s mission is to strengthen museums in the region through research, professional development, thought leadership, advocacy, and initiatives that build the social capital of museums within their communities. To achieve this mission, NEMA fosters communication and ethical conduct, promotes excellence in museum operations, and encourages support for the museum field. Programs include an annual conference which attracts more than 900 museum professionals, a series of workshops, a series of leadership events, and special projects such as the Museum Diversity Initiative, which seeks to align museums with an increasingly multicultural society.

POMFRET, CONN.  – The Association for the Study of Connecticut History (ASCH) has honored “The Rockets’ Red Glare: The War of 1812 and Connecticut” with two awards. The Bruce Fraser Award, recognizing the finest public history presentation in the state in 2012, was presented to the Lyman Allyn Art Museum, where the exhibition was displayed from July 2012 through January 2013. The Betty M. Linsley Award, recognizing the best work on Connecticut history published by a historical society in 2012, was presented to the New London County Historical Society for the companion book to the exhibit, of which Glenn Gordinier, the Robert G. Albion Historian at Mystic Seaport, was the primary author.

“The Rockets’ Red Glare” was created by a partnership of the New London County Historical Society with Mystic Seaport, the Stonington Historical Society, the New London Maritime Society, and the Lyman Allyn Art Museum to commemorate the bicentennial of the beginning of the War of 1812. The organizations worked together in creating the exhibition, the book, and a website. Fred Calabretta, curator of collections at Mystic Seaport, was the guest curator for the exhibit, and Mystic Seaport Exhibit Designer Jeff Crewe was the exhibit’s designer. The exhibition showcased historical objects from each of the partners’ collections. The 12’ x 18’ American flag that flew over Stonington during the attack by the British navy in 1814, a treasured artifact in the Stonington Historical Society collection, was a highlight of the exhibition.

In presenting the Bruce Fraser Award, ASCH Chairman Peter Hinks commented on the exemplary nature of the exhibit, saying, “Working with a limited but exciting pool of documents and artifacts that included the famous Stonington Battle flag from 1814, the designers smartly deployed all to stage a rich narrative of a Connecticut assailed and transformed by the era’s naval, commercial and political frays.”

Awarding the Linsley prize, Hinks praised Gordinier’s expert guidance as well as the insight of numerous scholars. Speaking of the project, he remarked that the collaboration made it possible: “Key to the exhibition’s merit is its modeling of how a consortium of some of the state’s numerous local historical societies can combine their resources, knowledge, and energies to serve the people of the state through commendable public history.”

The project also received a Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History at their annual fall meeting in September.

The book and exhibition were supported by grants from Connecticut Humanities, the Coby Foundation, and the Edgard and Geraldine Feder Foundation. Creating the website was funded through a grant from the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut.

MYSTIC — Mystic Seaport honored world-class sailor Gary Jobson with the Museum’s America and the Sea Award on November 5, 2013. Presented annually by Mystic Seaport, the award recognizes an individual or organization whose contribution to the history, arts, business, or sciences of the sea best exemplify the American character. Jobson received the prestigious award at a black tie gala held in his honor at The Pierre in New York City.

The America and the Sea Award honors and celebrates those who embrace the scholarship, exploration, adventure, aesthetics, competition, and freedom the sea inspires. Distinguished past recipients include founder of WoodenBoat publications Jon Wilson (2012), former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman (2011), oceanographer and deep sea explorer Sylvia Earle (2010), maritime collector and yachtsman William I. Koch (2009), president and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corporation, Thomas B. Crowley Jr. (2008), Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian David McCullough (2007), and famed yacht designer Olin Stephens (2006).

Jobson has spent much of his life sailing the world’s oceans. He is a decorated sailor, television sailing commentator, Emmy winner, sailing lecturer, sailing coach, and author. A great friend and supporter of Mystic Seaport, he has collaborated on producing documentaries on sailing and sailors with the Museum’s Film and Video Archives, including Unfurling the World: The Voyages of Irving and Electa Johnson. The documentary shares the adventures of the famous sailing couple who completed seven round-the-world voyages between 1933 and 1958 and later in life traveled throughout the inland waterways of Europe. Jobson, in partnership with Mystic Seaport, hosted the Mystic, CT, premier of the film in April, 2012.

Jobson’s talent, enthusiasm, and dedication to the art of sailing have inspired expert and novice sailors around the world. A champion sailor, he was awarded his first trophy, the Powell Trophy, in 1966 and won the America’s Cup with Ted Turner in 1977. In 1999 he won the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy, U.S. Sailing’s most prestigious award. He has also won the infamous Fastnet Race and many of the world’s ocean races.

“Few people have had such an extraordinary impact on the sport of sailing as has Gary Jobson,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “His contribution goes far beyond the awards and accolades on the race course: Gary is a gifted teacher and storyteller whose generosity and commitment has been an inspiration for many people inside and outside of the sailing community.”

Over the past 35 years Jobson has given more than 2,000 lectures around the world. From 2010-2012 he served as President of U.S. Sailing and he is currently the Vice President of the International Sailing Federation. In 2003, he was inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame and in 2011 into the National Sailing Hall of Fame. He was elected President of the National Sailing Hall of Fame in January, 2013.

A prolific author, Jobson has written 18 books on sailing–newest publications include Gary Jobson: An American Sailing Story (Nomad Press, 2011) and Nantucket: A Sailing Community (Nomad Press, 2012)–and he is also Editor-at-Large of Sailing World and Cruising World magazines. He has been ESPN’s sailing commentator since 1985 and most recently covered the 34th America’s Cup for NBC.

As a lymphoma survivor, Jobson has a strong affiliation with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He has been the National Chairman of The Leukemia Cup Regatta program since 1994 and actively works to raise funds and awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. To date, these events have raised more than $44 million. In 2012 the University of Maryland Medical School established the Gary Jobson Professorship in Medical Oncology.

A resident of Annapolis, MD, Jobson and his wife, Janice, have three grown daughters and two grandsons.

MYSTIC — This past week Mystic Seaport had the honor and pleasure of hosting a visit from the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, Mr. Koji Sekimizu. Escorted by Eric Dawicki, the president and CEO of the Northeast Maritime Institute of Fairhaven, MA, Mr. Sekimizu toured the whaleship Charles W. Morgan and the Museum’s Collections Research Center.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships. Headquartered in London, the IMO has 170 member nations and a full-time staff of 300.

While the IMO is concerned with present-day issues confronting the maritime industry, Mr. Sekimizu discussed with Museum staff the importance of retaining the lessons and knowledge of history.

A native of Yokohama, Japan, Mr. Sekimizu shared the remarkable story of Nakahama Manjiro. Shipwrecked off the coast of Japan when he was just 14 years old in 1841, Manjiro was rescued by the crew of the whaleship John Howland and eventually brought to Fairhaven where he was taken in by the ship’s captain, William Whitfield, and attended school and learned to be a navigator and a cooper.

Japan was a closed country during this period and those who left the nation faced the death penalty upon their return. Manjiro opted to go back to sea and shipped out on the whaleship Franklin, on which he rose to the rank of harpooner. Paid off in 1849, he traveled to California to try his luck in the gold rush.

Manjiro did make his way back to Japan in 1851. Using money he made in the gold fields, he bought a whaleboat and booked passage for Hong Kong. Once off Okinawa, he and two companions were dropped into the water in the boat to make their way to shore. Manjiro was fortunate, his rare experience outside of Japan was of value to the ruling elite and after some months of questioning he was set free and subsequently designated a samurai. When Commodore Perry’s “Black Ships” arrived off Edo, now Tokyo, Manjiro was appointed translator and later participated in Japan’s first embassy to the United States.

Manjiro’s influence on his homeland was significant. He apparently used his know-how of western shipbuilding to contribute to Japan’s effort to build a modern navy. He translated Bowditch’s “American Practical Navigator” into Japanese, and he taught English, naval tactics, and whaling techniques.

His time in Fairhaven is commemorated by the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society, which bought and restored the house he stayed in and promotes cultural ties with Japan. His story will be incorporated into the Charles W. Morgan‘s visit to New Bedford next summer as part of the ship’s 38th Voyage.

Mystic Seaport thanks the secretary-general for taking the time to visit the Museum.

In his new book, The Devil’s Cormorant: A Natural History (U.P. New England, 2013), Richard J. King, senior lecturer at Williams-Mystic–The Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport, looks at this misunderstood and too often maligned bird. Long a symbol of gluttony, greed, bad luck, and evil, the cormorant has led a troubled existence in human history, myth, and literature.

A mixture of lyrical nature writing and salty adventure stories, The Devil’s Cormorant is an exploration of our literary, historical, cultural, scientific, artistic, political, and often comical relationship with the seabird. The book takes the reader to Antarctica, Bering Island, Peru, Japan, Cape Town, Inishmore Island off Ireland, the Columbia River, the Mississippi Delta, Lake Ontario, and the Mystic River in Connecticut.

Cormorants are one of the only animals that can swim hundreds of feet below the surface, fly thousands of feet high, and migrate for thousands of miles. They live next to nearly every major water body on our planet—fresh or salt, river or ocean, urban or desolate, tropical or frigid. They have been prized as a source of mineral wealth in Peru, hunted to extinction in the Arctic, trained by the Japanese to catch fish, demonized by Milton in Paradise Lost, and reviled, despised, and exterminated by sport and commercial fishermen from Israel to Indianapolis, Toronto to Tierra del Fuego. In The Devil’s Cormorant, King takes us back in time and around the world to show us the history, nature, ecology, and economy of the world’s most misunderstood waterfowl.

About the Author

Richard King’s research focuses on the connections between sea voyage narratives and natural history. In addition to The Devil’s Cormorant, he is also author of the interdisciplinary book Lobster (Reaktion/U. Chicago Press, 2011) and is the Series Editor for a forthcoming collection of books about America’s relationship with the sea published by the University Press of New England. King has written numerous popular and scholarly articles, reviews, and interviews in periodicals such as Natural History, Scottish Literary Review, Hemingway Review, Leviathan, and Cruising World. He writes a quarterly column titled “Animals in Sea History” for Sea History magazine. Rich has been sailing on tall ships for more than 15 years, traveling throughout the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as both a teacher and a sailor.

King incorporates creative writing, and the visual and dramatic arts into the Literature of the Sea course at Williams-Mystic. He is a professional illustrator himself, creating ink and watercolor drawings for many of his articles. He has illustrated two children’s books on maritime topics. King also edits the Searchable Sea Literature website which is designed and researched by Williams-Mystic students. He regularly hosts summer research students and encourages undergraduates in any major to contact him about literature of the sea.