600 wrecks documented along the midMississippi River and fewer than a dozen have been recovered. A new program offered by Indiana University is working to promote an appreciation for the fragile, nonrenewable resource of shipwrecks and to train sport divers in photographing and documenting marine archaeolog ical sites. With more than 4.5 million active di vers in the United States, program director Charles Beeker believes " the ir increased understanding of the role of nautical archaeologists in developing scientifi c know ledge about these cultural resources is important. But, it is also impo rtant fo r the scientific community to recogni ze the responsible and educated sport di ver as a valuable resource to the underwater archaeological community." (Indi ana University, Bloomington IN 47405) A study last year on the recovery of the Lomellina, a Genoese ship of the famous Italian Admiral Andrea Doria, led to no decision about actuall y salvaging the ship, but a replica of the ship is being built fo r ex hibiti on at the Genoa Expo '92. A large merchant ship with a crew of 100 men, the Lomellina sank in a terrible storm off the coast of Provenza in September 15 16. The storm claimed a total of 24 ships. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary has banned all treasure hunting and marine salvage within the 2800-square mile, shipwreck-rich preserve. In Apri 1, the National Oceanic and A tm os ph eri c Admini stra ti o n fil e d charges against Mel Fishe r's treas ure operation for enviro nmental damage to the reef system. Sanctuary managers discovered more than one hundred craters in the ocean fl oor, allegedl y dug by Fisher while seeking the remains of a vessel fro m the 1733 Spani sh treasure fl eet, in an area called Coffin 's Patc h, just outside Marathon. Museum News The Peabody Museum of Salem, in Massachusetts, will join fo rces with the E ssex Institute to establish a new museum which will prov ide a new way of viewing the significance of the historic seaport town, the third oldest permanent English settlement in the New World. In addition, it will foc us on America's mari time hi story from the 17th century to the present. The museum will be the centerpi ece of a new c ultu ral district development at the Salem Armory site. Funding will come from the private sector, the SEA HISTORY 62, SUMMER 1992
National Park Service and the City of Salem. The Peabody Museum is the oldest museum in continuous operation in the United States and holds the country ' s largest collection of marine paintings and drawings. (Peabody Museum , East India Square, Salem MA 01970) In Wisconsin , the City of Two Rivers has recently established a Coast Guard Museum, temporarily located adjacent to the Rogers Street Fishing Village. The museum features a 26-ft USCG patrol boat, as well as the reconstructed cabin of the Coast Guard cutter Chinook. A commercial fishing port since the late 1800s, the city hopes the museum will complement the Maritime Museum in neighboring Manitowoc. A newly renovated gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will become the permanent home for the Museum 's ship model collection. The Collection includes the "Royal George; Heros," a model made of bone by prisoners during the Napoleonic wars. (MFAB,465 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA 02115) A new brochure, entitled "Guide to the Naval Historical Center," describes the programs, resources and related activities of the Navy 's historical offices. Free copies can be requested from the Editor, Naval Historical Center, Building 57, Washington Navy Yard, Washington DC 20374-0571. Jerry Roberts, project coordinator at the Intrepid Museum in New York, seeks to interview former participants in the Coastal Picket Patrols of WWII. Roberts is collecting oral histories and is also seeking information about participating vessels as part of an upcoming exhibit and reunion on September 19th at the new East End Historical Seaport in Greenport, Long Island , New York. Greenport was a wartime base for the patrol vessels. (Intrepid Museum , West 46th Street and 12th Ave, New York NY 10036; 2 12 245-2533) Conferences and Seminars • August 15-21 , International Conference of Maritime History , at Liverpool , England. Enquiri es : Prof. Le wi s R. Fischer, Memori al University of Newfoundland , St. Johns, Newfoundland , Canada A 1C 5S7. • October 31-November 1, "The Archaeology of Ships of War," spon sored by the World Ship Trust, Oxford University MARE, The National Maritime Museum , and The Nautical Archaeology Society. Papers presented on naval
PHIL GIDLEY
Full color signed print 15 x 21 inches $55 + $5 shipping
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Phil Gidley Box 183 - 69 Mill St. Hopedale, MA 01747 1-800-547-0771
GRISWOID INN There is a very special place in Connecticut called the Griswold Inn. It is so lovely that one would think a poet designed and built it.
Opened at Essex on June 6, 1776, its longevity gives witness to genuine New England hospitality: fine ove r-night accommodations, smiling waitresses, heavy-handed bartenders, homemade sausages, meat pies, prime rib, and local seafood. World-famous marine paintings and brass bells and binnacles will seemingly transport you to another world. Ring: (203) 767-1776 and we shall tell you even more about the 'Gris.' 36 Main St., Essex, CT 06426 37