Mystic, Conn. (December 22, 2021) – NASA has selected Mystic Seaport Museum as one of a diverse group of Museums, science centers, libraries, and other informal education organizations from around the country designated as a NASA Informal Education Community Anchor.
The designation recognizes the Museum and its Treworgy Planetarium as a community resource and provides a $24,266 grant to bring space exploration to traditionally underserved areas and broaden student participation in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The Museum will address the local needs of middle school students in Eastern and Southern Connecticut by using and sharing NASA STEM engagement learning resources and opportunities.
“We are grateful to NASA for selecting our Museum to participate in this program, which will enable us to further our institutional goal of increasing outreach to underserved communities and diverse audiences,” said Brian Koehler, supervisor of the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport Museum. “We are excited to create new opportunities where students can experience the feelings of discovery and confidence that space exploration and STEM engagement is all about.”
The grant will enable Planetarium educators:
To develop new hands-on STEM programs for middle school students in three formats: virtual, in-school, and on-site
To purchase the equipment and supplies needed to deliver these programs to students
To provide a series of these programs at no cost to select underserved community partners
Mystic Seaport Museum is one of only 21 recipients selected from across the United States. It is one of only two Community Anchors in New England.
The new programs will be rolled out in fall 2022.
Media Contact
Dan McFadden
Director of Communications
Mystic Seaport Museum
860.572.5317 (o)
860.333.7155 (m)| dan.mcfadden@mysticseaport.org
About Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime Museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” The Museum’s grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT, and include a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, exhibit galleries, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. The Museum strives to create an environment where visitors experience history in ways they have not before. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org and follow the Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
Earlier this fall, the Museum named Sarah Armour to be captain of schooner Brilliant, the Museum’s iconic sail training vessel. As she prepares for her first full season skippering the boat, we thought this would be a good time to sit down and ask her about what it is like to be captain of Brilliant, and what she is looking forward to in 2022.
What is your background prior to this job?
I’ve spent most of the last decade working in youth sail training, traditional sail, and experiential education. Before stepping into the role of captain of Brilliant, I was grateful to spend a season working as mate, where I really got to know the program and the vessel. Before coming to Mystic Seaport Museum, I worked on a number of other sail training vessels including SSV Geronimo, Pride of Baltimore II, Sloop Clearwater, and Lady Maryland. I have a degree in Earth Systems Science from Cornell University, where I focused on applied ecology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental education.
Two young crew members work out schooner BRILLIANT’s position.
Why did you choose to become Brilliant’s captain?
Where to begin… I can’t imagine saying “no” to this boat. I once heard another captain say, “When Brilliant calls, you answer,” and I certainly felt that way when I had the opportunity to be the mate of Brilliant. As I step into the role of captain, I expect to learn a great deal, and it is a privilege to be in the position to do so. When I consider the six captains that proceeded me in that role, I am aware of how big the shoes are and I consider it a real honor to continue their efforts. I love being Brilliant’s captain because I love being the caretaker of a vessel with such prestige and pedigree, and a program that I have seen impart tremendous influence upon students, peers, and colleagues alike.
As captain, what are you trying to impart to the crew on each cruise?
This is such a good question. Of course, I want everyone onboard to grow into their role as a full-fledged crew member, confident in their role on deck alongside their shipmates. However, I also want folks onboard to have an experience that is beyond the sailing. Living onboard any boat with 11 other people is full of challenge, and I love seeing a crew come together to figure out the specific ways they will work, live, and have a good time on board. It is truly a special thing to work towards something that is bigger than yourself, and Brilliant provides those experiences in spades.
What is it like to sail on Brilliant?
Brilliant really wants to be sailed. The boat sails gracefully in a light breeze, yet is eager to take off in stiffer wind. When it is blowing, you can expect Brilliant to really heel over (which leaves me consistently in awe of the cook). Beyond the fun and the thrill of sailing the boat, I think Brilliant is a great platform for learning and developing seamanship skills and we find that both experienced and inexperienced sailors can really get a lot out of their time on board. I find that Brilliant’s rig design and size lends itself well to learning, and, as their time on board progresses, I am confident in handing over many aspects of vessel operations to students and guest crew.
Was there a special moment last season?
Oh, there were so many! I’m always excited when a new group figures out how you sail a 61-foot schooner onto the anchor (and back off of the anchor the next morning), and that is a special moment that is repeated just about every week. A couple of specific memories come to mind: We had a particularly fantastic sail in Fishers Island Sound on day two of a five-day trip in June, short tacking with our two fisherman staysails. This requires significant teamwork and communication, and all of us on the professional crew were super impressed! Early on a Monday morning in August, we gybed just off the anchored Pride of Baltimore II while their crew and ours waved emphatically at one and other. It was pretty sweet. I also love any opportunity to sail with students through the night, as we were able to do on our longer trips.
What is your favorite part of being captain of Brilliant?
Sailing a vessel that performs so exceptionally is incredible. Hearing stories from past students and crew is always so cool. Being part of Mystic Seaport Museum and working to thoughtfully preserve and maintain our own 1932 schooner is always interesting. But my favorite part of my job is the summer youth sail training trips. Brilliant is so well set up for this program, they are so fun and I am really looking forward to next June.
BRILLIANT under way on a port tack.
What are your goals or hopes for the 2022 season?
I am so excited for the youth trips in the summer! We’re aiming to do six five-day trips and two ten-day trips, an increase from last season. I am also really looking forward to the fall of our 2022 season, when we will sail down to the Chesapeake Bay where Brilliant will race 120 miles down the bay in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. Some of my favorite sailing has been in the fall on the Chesapeake and I’m really looking forward to sailing Brilliant down there. There will be opportunities for adult guest crew members to sail on board, so if sailing down the coast and into the Chesapeake is exciting to you, join us!
We are also planning to race in the Gloucester Schooner Race, and the Pat West Gaff and Schooner Race.
What makes Brilliant special?
Short answer: There really isn’t a boat like Brilliant.
But here’s the long answer: This vessel has such a storied legacy, from her transatlantic record in 1933 to her current role running one of the oldest sail training programs in the country (since 1953!), Brilliant remains extraordinary. As someone who loves wooden boats, I cannot help but continue to be in awe of the great care in which the boat has been looked after by the Museum for nearly 70 years. Many folks don’t know this, but Brilliant has never had a rebuild! The vessel was built to a standard that I have yet to see matched elsewhere, and that has served Brilliant, her crew, and the museum well.
I am so grateful to the handful of captains that came before me, and it is through their hard work that the vessel and program (and me!) are so set up for success. Brilliant and I owe these men and the Museum a great deal.
For those interested in learning more or registering for a program, please see our schoonerBrilliant page.
Beginning January 17, 2022, Lancer Hospitality will be the primary food and beverage operator of the Mystic Seaport Museum grounds, a 19-acre destination which is comprised of multiple on-site eateries and food outlets, as well as a robust offering of private dining and event spaces. Founded in 1929, Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum, which was created to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past. The museum includes a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities.
“Lancer is excited to infuse our signature brand of imagination and hospitality into the campus and create a distinct culinary offering for this beloved destination”, said Matt King, President of Elior North America Dining & Events and Lancer Hospitality. “Mystic Seaport Museum is one of Mystic’s most visited attractions, and we look forward to bringing the experience to life for all of the senses.”
Lancer will be catering events for the Museum’s internal purposes, as well as its external corporate, group, and private events. The company will also manage weddings taking place on-site at the Museum, at various locations including the Boat Shed at Lighthouse Point, the steamboat Sabino, and the Meeting House. Lancer will be debuting new catering packages on January 1, 2022 that will celebrate the unique space that is Mystic Seaport Museum.
For guest-facing eateries, Lancer will reopen the espresso bar in the Thompson Exhibition Building on January 17, 2022, with a new coffee program, as well as a new grab-and-go artisan menu featuring local makers and bakers. In The Galley- the quick service café on campus- Lancer will be partnering with the Museum to rebrand and reimagine an entirely new and modernized food and beverage experience with expanded evening hours to join the other restaurants in town that have made Mystic a regional hub for food lovers.
“Our Museum is a one-of-a-kind destination that’s beloved by locals and travelers alike. We’re delighted to be partnering with Lancer Hospitality to continue to evolve our guest offerings, and to provide a distinct food experience that matches the breadth of experiential offerings at the institution,” said Peter Armstrong, President of Mystic Seaport Museum.
Latitude 41 Restaurant & Tavern and events in the River Room and the nearby North Lawn will remain operated by Coastal Gourmet through 2022.
Mystic, Conn. — (November 15, 2021) — Beginning January 17, 2022, Lancer Hospitality will be the primary food and beverage operator of the Mystic Seaport Museum grounds, a 19-acre destination which is comprised of multiple on-site eateries and food outlets, as well as a robust offering of private dining and event spaces. Founded in 1929, Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum, which was created to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past. The museum includes a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities.
“Lancer is excited to infuse our signature brand of imagination and hospitality into the campus and create a distinct culinary offering for this beloved destination”, said Matt King, President of Elior North America Dining & Events and Lancer Hospitality. “Mystic Seaport Museum is one of Mystic’s most visited attractions, and we look forward to bringing the experience to life for all of the senses.”
Lancer will be catering events for the Museum’s internal purposes, as well as its external corporate, group, and private events. The company will also manage weddings taking place on-site at the Museum, at various locations including the Boat Shed at Lighthouse Point, the steamboat Sabino, and the Meeting House. Lancer will be debuting new catering packages on January 1, 2022 that will celebrate the unique space that is Mystic Seaport Museum.
For guest-facing eateries, Lancer will reopen the espresso bar in the Thompson Exhibition Building on January 17, 2022, with a new coffee program, as well as a new grab-and-go artisan menu featuring local makers and bakers. In The Galley- the quick service café on campus- Lancer will be partnering with the Museum to rebrand and reimagine an entirely new and modernized food and beverage experience with expanded evening hours to join the other restaurants in town that have made Mystic a regional hub for food lovers.
“Our Museum is a one-of-a-kind destination that’s beloved by locals and travelers alike. We’re delighted to be partnering with Lancer Hospitality to continue to evolve our guest offerings, and to provide a distinct food experience that matches the breadth of experiential offerings at the institution,” said Peter Armstrong, President of Mystic Seaport Museum.
For more information about the museum’s special event capabilities and information about current exhibitions, visit mysticseaport.org.
Contact
Dan McFadden
Director of Communications
Mystic Seaport Museum
860.572.5317 (o)
860.333.7155 (m) dan.mcfadden@mysticseaport.org
About Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic Seaport Museum, founded in 1929, is the nation’s leading maritime museum. In addition to providing a multitude of immersive experiences, the Museum also houses a collection of more than two million artifacts that include more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the world. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org and follow Mystic Seaport Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
About Lancer Hospitality Group
For over 30 years, Lancer Hospitality has been the trusted culinary partner for a rising portfolio of family-friendly attractions and destinations throughout the United States. Growing from a single ice cream truck to a team of more than 1,000 employees, Lancer has built a proud reputation for providing innovative, made-to-order restaurant-quality food made fast — with experiences that are defined by high quality ingredients and creative takes on beloved favorites. As a chef-driven organization, Lancer proudly collaborates with local farmers, artisans, bakers, and more to create truly memorable food experiences. Lancer’s signature service, penchant for perfection, and progressive menus have helped the company become a rising star in the world of weddings, corporate experiences, and large-scale private events. Lancer is defined by the company’s pride and commitment to taking great care of people, with no exceptions.
The Fall/Winter 2021 issue of the Museum’s magazine includes a message from new President, Peter Armstrong and features articles on the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant and new Senior Curator of Social Maritime Histories, Akeia de Barros Gomes, Ph.D. Other spotlights include the new center for experiential education, upcoming exhibits, artists in residence and more!
Traditional blacksmithing in the Museum’s shipsmith shop will be part of the training supported by the grant.
Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced Mystic Seaport Museum is set to receive funding through the American Rescue Plan to support the rebuilding of the Museum’s Sustainable Maritime Trades and Skills program. The Museum will receive a grant award of more than $40,000 through the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which will be used to rebuild its Maritime Trades and Skills program to preserve heritage skills, crafts, and trades at risk of being lost due to pandemic-related staffing and budget cuts. The funding was authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (H.R. 1319), which Rep. Courtney voted to pass in March.
“These funds are critical to our plans to rebuild and expand our historic trades, crafts and maritime skills program. This will enable us to have our experts cross-train current and new staff members in the arts and crafts of blacksmithing, coopering, wood carving, printing, open-hearth cooking, and the maritime skills of the sailor. It is only by continued professional instruction and sharing with the public that these important aspects of our nation’s history are preserved for future generations,” said Peter Armstrong, president of Mystic Seaport Museum. “We are very grateful to Rep. Courtney for his support of this legislation and our museum’s mission to connect every American to their own sea story.”
“The American Rescue Plan has helped us start to overcome a lot of the collateral damage brought on by the pandemic. We’ve seen our towns use Rescue Plan funds to save jobs and support police stations, schools, and fire houses, hundreds of small businesses and restaurants have received relief funding, and it’s good now to see resources supporting jobs at Mystic Seaport Museum while also preserving our region’s maritime heritage,” said Rep. Courtney. “This is an excellent use of American Rescue Plan resources—it will support jobs right off the bat, it helps preserve our region’s history and maritime culture, and it will be used to help folks train and acquire skills that could be used for jobs in the maritime sector. That’s really a triple play, and Peter Armstrong and his team at Mystic Seaport Museum deserve a lot of credit for their work to earn this funding and operate these important programs. Glad to see the American Rescue Plan continuing to provide an assist for hardworking people in eastern Connecticut.”
A federal grant of $40,038 will be awarded to Mystic Seaport Museum through the IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program. The program was authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act to assist IMLS in addressing community needs created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and in assisting with the recovery. Projects funded by the program may continue, enhance, or expand existing programs and services, or they may launch new ones to address emergent or unexpected needs.
Through the grant, the Museum will provide extensive technical training, professional development, and independent research opportunities to increase the number of trained staff who can perform and teach maritime skills. The Museum will also hire and train frontline interpretation staff who can share authentic stories of America’s maritime heritage and enhance visitors’ experience to understand the nation’s relationship with the sea.
Image Credit: NASAThis weekend, astronomy enthusiasts around the world will look to the night sky and celebrate the Earth’s natural satellite. “International Observe the Moon Night” occurs every year in late September or early October, planned to happen just after a First Quarter Moon, when the Moon is in a waxing gibbous phase. During this time, features on the moon’s surface can be more easily seen along the terminator – the dividing line marking the edge of day and night on the Moon. In the image below, you may notice that craters and ridges on the Moon are much more noticeable along the terminator line. This is especially true when viewing the Moon through a telescope or a pair of binoculars.
This image shows the very same moon phase that you can expect to see this weekend! Image credit: Popular Mechanics
Cultures all around the world have their own special connections to the Moon. The Ancient Egyptians worshipped Khonsu, the god of the Moon. His name means “traveler” as a reference to the daily and nightly journeys that the Moon will appear to make across the sky. In Egypt, as in many ancient societies, observations of the Moon led to early methods of keeping and tracking the passage of time.
In Norse mythology, Sol and Mani are a sibling pair who represent the Sun and Moon. While Sol carries the Sun across the sky on her chariot, her brother Mani carries the Moon. Wolves called Skoll and Hati are chasing the Sun and Moon across the sky, and if they were to catch one of these objects, they could cause the mysterious event that we now call eclipses of the Sun and Moon!
Out in the Pacific Ocean, the people of Polynesia call the Moon the “Chief Star of the Night.” Here, monthly activities are sometimes influenced by the phase of the moon. For example, a bright full moon might enable the planting of crops at night. Then, as the moon’s changing phase causes tides to recede, crabs and small fish could be harvested from the tidal pools left behind.
These are just a few examples of how people around the world connect with our Moon. This international celebration is a great time to explore the ways that our families and our communities share the same sky, while each bringing our own unique perspectives. We encourage you to connect with family members, friends, and neighbors to share stories, and to forge your own special connections with the world around us. And although the weather forecast for this coming Saturday calls for clouds in New England, fear not! The days leading up to and immediately following “International Observe the Moon Night” will still provide great opportunities to take a look at our closest neighbor in space. Enjoy the view!
Mystic Seaport Museum hosting a weekend of music, inspired by the sea
Mystic, Conn., SEPT. 29, 2021 –Mystic Seaport’s Riverfest celebration is the place to be October 9-11 for a fun-filled weekend of music on the water. You won’t want to miss the pub sing and three days of folk and sea music performed across two stages. The music, inspired by the sea, will be infused with culture. There will also be ample opportunities to get out on the water, whether on a rowboat, sailboat or a captained boat ride.
“We continue to support and promote traditional and modern sea music from across the globe and to present it to as many visitors as possible. It may not be in the same format as people remember it, but welcome to the first Riverfest and welcome to the new Mystic Seaport Museum,” said Peter Armstrong, the New Museum President.
The musical line-up starts Saturday at 10 a.m. with Geoffrey Kaufman, David Littlefield, and Joseph Morneault. Also on Saturday is the Ancient Mariners Chanteymen, a sub-group of the Ancient Mariners Fife and Drum Corps, and The Johnson Girls, an all-female a-cappella song group based in New York City who perform music from a mélange of cultures, including the U.S., Britain, Ireland, Italy, French-Canada, and the Caribbean. Stick around for a traditional pub-sing of sea chanteys from 4-6 p.m. Schaefer’s Spouter Tavern on the Museum grounds will be open for purchase of drinks.
Sunday brings Cape Verdean musicians Ne Nas and Roy Tabwa to the stage, as well as Celtic-American roots music super group RUNA.
On Monday, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, there will be indigenous music and dance. Other acts include Sharks Come Cruisin’, which plays a mix of sea chanteys and maritime music. Audience participation and celebration is at the center of their music and live performances.
And that’s not all! There will be food trucks, fall-themed crafts, rides on an antique Model A truck, and chowder demonstrations daily. Short Rib Cafe; Captain Scott’s Lobster; Jumping Cow Ice Cream; and Suya Joint are the food trucks that will be serving up treats.
Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.”
The Mystic Seaport Museum grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT, and includes a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship still in existence. At Mystic Seaport Museum, we strive to create an environment where visitors not only learn from us, but we learn from them. The concept is called Public History and it allows our visitors to experience history in ways they haven’t before.
190330_ROSS_PENSACOLA_0148.CR2 - AM38 training in Pensacola Bay, Pensacola, Florida.
Mystic, Conn., September 27, 2021 – Mystic Seaport Museum honored world champion sailor Terry Hutchinson with its 2021 America and the Sea Award. The prestigious award recognizes those individuals and organizations whose extraordinary achievements best exemplify the American character in the scholarship, exploration, adventure, aesthetics, competition, and freedom that the sea inspires. The award was presented at a gala fundraiser at the Metropolitan Club in New York City on September 14.
Hutchinson exemplifies the very pinnacle of competitive sailing through the remarkable leadership, integrity, courage, and humility he has demonstrated throughout his career in both victory and defeat. Mystic Seaport Museum President Peter Armstrong remarked, “His example in competitive sailing is an inspiration to younger generations to join the sport and represent themselves and their teams with dignity.”
Hutchinson’s notable accomplishments in sailing began in college at Old Dominion University, where he developed a reputation as an outstanding sailor and teammate, helping lead his team to four national championships. He went on to celebrate wins in the Key West Race Week, Congressional Cup, National Championship, North American Championship, and sixteen World Championships. With five America’s Cup campaigns under his belt and a sixth in the wings, in true Hutchinson spirit, he continues his quest for the Cup.
Past recipients of the America and the Sea Award include Hall of Fame sailor and President of North Technology Group, Thomas A. Whidden; American businesswoman and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt; groundbreaking America’s Cup sailor Dawn Riley, philanthropist and environmentalist David Rockefeller, Jr.; boat designers Rod and Bob Johnstone and their company J/Boats; author and historian Nathaniel Philbrick; maritime industrialist Charles A. Robertson; Hall of Fame sailor and author Gary Jobson; WoodenBoat Publications founder Jon Wilson; former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman; oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle; America’s Cup sailor William Koch; President and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corporation, Thomas Crowley; historian David McCullough; and legendary yacht designer Olin J. Stephens, II.
ABOUT MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM:
Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.”
The Mystic Seaport Museum grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT, and includes a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship still in existence. At Mystic Seaport Museum, we strive to create an environment where visitors not only learn from us, but we learn from them. The concept is called Public History and it allows our visitors to experience history in ways they haven’t before.
Mystic Seaport Museum’s ‘Sea as Muse’ Exhibit Features 115 Unique Objects
Mystic, Conn., SEPT. 23, 2021 – Dolphins and mermaids. Seaweed and sea urchins. Fast ships and ocean waves. Mystic Seaport Museum visitors to the Sea as Muse exhibit will find delightful details like these, inspired by sea life and life on the sea.
The Sea as Muse exhibit, funded by a generous grant from the Henry Luce foundation, opened in September and will run until summer 2022. On display are 115 remarkable objects, made by silversmiths and wood carvers that were inspired by the sea.
The exhibit showcases more than 50 silver trophies, many locally made in Meriden, CT or Providence, RI. Both places were home to some of the largest silver manufacturing companies in the country in the 1800s.
“In the late 19th Century, silversmiths and wood carvers often drew inspiration from the sea, and we are lucky to be able to showcase more than 100 of these pieces,” said Peter Armstrong, the Museum President.
Many of the trophies were awards for yachting and sailing competitions and while previous exhibits focused on the yacht themselves and their often-famous owners, this exhibit offers a fresh perspective, focusing on the fine art and intricate design of the treasures themselves. The incredible detail on the trophies depicts dolphins, sea horses, mermaids, anchors, as well as seashells sculpted by hand.
One of the elegant trophies has a unique background in that it was a very expensive insult! In big regattas during the late 1800s, it was common to give the owners of losing yachts a presentation piece as recognition of their participation. However, the Livonia trophy was awarded by anonymous Americans in London who clearly intended to mock the Livonia’s owner.
It commemorates the results of a yachting challenge to the New York Yacht Club by James Ashbury of England, who was determined to win the America’s Cup for the Royal Harwich Yacht Club. In a series of 5 races in October 1871, Ashbury’s Livonia competed against 2 American yachts, winning just 1 race against the Columbia. Ashbury contested the result but after an investigation, the New York Yacht Club affirmed its original decision. This trophy was not awarded by the New York Yacht Club however, as the engraving tells us that it was commissioned and presented to Ashbury by “Americans in London” as acknowledgment of Ashbury’s single win. The fact that it only mentions 1 win out of 5 and that both Ashbury’s name and the name of his yacht were misspelled all point towards this trophy being one very expensive insult. The figures on top of the cup further suggest this, as the standing figure is Columbia, representing the United States, and the figure that kneels before her is Britannia, representing Great Britain. These two figures were depicted frequently in art and political cartoons that aimed to show that both nations were equally great, however on this trophy, Britannia shows subservience to Columbia—a subtle but clear suggestion of Britain’s—and Ashbury’s—inferiority.
Unsurprisingly, Ashbury refused the cup and it was returned to the unknown Americans who gave it to him.
One piece called “the Palladium Trophy,” was named after The Daily Palladium, a newspaper in New Haven. It was made in 1887 in Meriden, CT and donated by the publication. It sometimes is referred to as the “Neptune Trophy.”
The exhibit includes masterpieces from The Gorham Manufacturing Company and Tiffany, including three Astor Cups, named for John Jacob Astor IV, who donated a large sum of money to the New York Yacht Club to pay for two trophies a year that would bear his name.
While much of the exhibit showcases fine silver, there is an incredible wood carving portion, featuring items from the yacht Aloha II, which was owned by a wealthy American named Arthur Curtiss James. The carvings on display are from the yacht’s deck saloon and include a series of magnificently carved wood panels that illustrate excerpts from an ancient Norse epic poem.
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ABOUT MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM:
Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.”
The Mystic Seaport Museum grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT, and includes a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship still in existence. At Mystic Seaport Museum, we strive to create an environment where visitors not only learn from us, but we learn from them. The concept is called Public History and it allows our visitors to experience history in ways they haven’t before.
Beginning January 17, 2022, 
