Interpreting Maritime History at Museums and Historic Sites

Joel Stone, editor of this volume, is senior curator with the Detroit Historical Society, which manages the Detroit Historical Museum, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, and a significant collection of both archival and physical maritime artifacts. Besides attending to the rich trove of Detroit history, he specializes in the matters of the North American maritime.

Interpreting Maritime History at Museums and Historic Sites does a good job of covering the wide ranging topic of maritime history and its many intersections within the broader cloth of general United States history. The authors represent a range of history practitioners who do an excellent job of reinforcing the notion that American maritime history is at once a global story covering not only our ocean coasts and communities, but much of the interior of the country as well – from the Great Lakes to the reaches of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. This book uses the lens of our great maritime traditions to look at topics ranging from historic preservation, material, and popular culture to environmental, racial, and social issues that museums and historic sites must confront in order to stay relevant today.

• List of IllustrationsPreface Acknowledgements SECTION I: Introduction: Chapter 1 – Introduction to Maritime History Chapter 2 – The North American Maritime Chapter 3 – Boats and Ships of North AmericaSECTION II: Case Studies Chapter 4 – Layers of Interpretation: the Charles W. Morgan’s Changing Role at Mystic SeaportErik Ingmundson, interpreter, Mystic SeaportChapter 5 – Living Maritime History: The Historic Belle of LouisvilleKadie Engstrom, education coordinator, Belle of LouisvilleChapter 6 – Place, Industry, Recreation: Interpreting a Diverse Maritime EnvironmentJoel Stone, senior curator, Detroit Historical Society, Dossin Great Lakes MuseumChapter 7 – Underwater Archaeological Preserves, Parks, and Trails: A Florida PerspectiveFranklin H. Price, senior archaeologist, Florida PreservesChapter 8 – Maritime Archaeology as “Evidence-Based Storytelling”Dan Harrison, archaeologist, Wayne State University, Detroit, MIChapter 9 –Campus Preservation and Shipwreck Research at Whitefish PointBruce Lynn, Executive Director, Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, Whitefish Bay, MichiganChapter 10 – Curating and Exhibiting Recreational BoatingJohn Summers, Manager of Heritage Services and Curator for the Regional Municipality of Halton, Ontario.Chapter 11 – Living Maritime History: Chanties, Ballads and FolktalesJoel Stone, with Lee Murdock, balladeer and historian, and Joanne Murdock, maritime arts promoter.Chapter 12 – Interpreting Difficult or Dramatic History Joel StoneChapter 13 – The “Other” Aspects of Maritime HistoryJoel StoneAbout the ContributorsBibliographyIndex