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What's Up at the Custom House
May 19, 2024
Photo, top: After the National Maritime Day ceremony, we always host a clam cake & chowda' lunch at Capt. Scott's. Here we were on May 22, 2023. You're invited to the 2024 commemoration (see below). Photo, right: The new CT Oyster Trail is launched. It's a start, but not comprehensive: have you had the fried oysters at Capt. Scott's?
The Custom House is open Thurs.-- Fri. 1 to 5 PM,
Sat. 1 0 AM to 5 PM, & Sun. 1 to 5 PM.
Speaking of oysters & estuaries, JIBBOOM with Patrick Lynch is this TUESDAY!
Photo, below: illustration by Patrick Lynch.
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this Tuesday, May 21, 1:30 PM
JIBBOOM Club #1
Our May Jibboom speaker is author/artist Patrick Lynch, who will present A Tale of Two Estuaries. It's three estuaries, actually: the Thames, the Connecticut, and don't forget Long Island Sound.
Connecticut’s two largest riverine estuaries have long been recognized as world-class natural treasures, also rich with the human history of our region. The very different characters of the Connecticut River and the Thames River estuaries are due to accidents of geology that determined their fates. This talk will compare and contrast the Thames and Connecticut River estuaries, emphasizing the natural history of our regional estuaries and coastal habitats. Mr. Lynch's books now are available in the museum gift shop.
Jibboom is not a club, but a friendly gathering with a speaker, treats, and good fellowship. The event is FREE and open to all - please come on May 21, 1:30 PM, and bring a friend.
Biography: Patrick J. Lynch is an artist, photographer, and author who has written ten books published by Yale University Press, including “A Field Guide to Long Island Sound.”. His next book, “A Field Guide to the Connecticut River,” will be published by Yale Press in the spring of 2024. After 45 years as a director of various media departments at Yale University he retired in 2016.
Sponsored by the Maco Family Fund.
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Wednesday, May 22, NOON
National Maritime Day
You, your family, friends, and all area mariners are cordially invited to join us for a memorial service at the former Maritime Officers Training School at Fort Trumbull New London, Connecticut at noon on National Maritime Day, Wednesday, May 22nd. Photo: New London Capt. Moses Rogers
The Memorial is located at New London's Merchant Marine Memorial Park at Bowditch Street. This monument marks the site of the largest United States Maritime Service Officers School during events leading up to and including World War II. We of the USMMAAF-CSC together with the American Merchant Marine Veterans and Naval Armed Guards Associations have been holding this service on National Maritime Day since the Navy departed the fort.
After a noon Naval Gun salute and the reading of President Joseph Biden’s National Maritime Day Proclamation, a short service will be held. Our goal for this community event is to promote the maritime history of the State, the community, and the potential for the future of New London's magnificent deep-water harbor.
NLMS trustee Joseph Maco will be the speaker, to discuss the Baltimore Key Bridge disaster. Please join us in honoring the United States Merchant Marine and those who gave their all supporting our freedom. -- from USMMAAF-CSC
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We're trying something new
Custom House Community Case
What would you put in a museum?
Our new Community Case offers local groups/individuals an opportunity to showcase collections that are important to them.
We are keen to support local people to share their research on local topics, archives and artifacts. The Community Case will be open to the public whenever the Custom House is open and new displays will be installed every 2-3 months, as available.
Please email your idea for a display to: nlmaritimedirector@gmail.com.
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New in the Shop - mermaid (pink) and songbird (green) umbrellas for kids.
Photo, above: Christina Corcoran.
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Donations like yours make moments like this. | |
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Your generous gifts sustain the Custom House museum, keeping it a friendly, open community center.
Please DONATE today!
Photo: NLMS educator Christina Corcoran brought two third-grade classes to visit Ft. Trumbull and the Custom House on Friday. Our NL Local-History & Landmarks program is provided without charge to all 300+ NL public school third graders. The program is fully grant-sponsored by NLMS and the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut.
Cheers to our sponsors - Charter Oak Credit Union - Community Foundation of Eastern CT - Eleven+ - Frank Loomis Palmer Fund - Kozmik Music Services - Maco Family Fund - Robinson+Cole - Veolia/NL Water Authority - Yankee Remodeler. Thank you!
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By appointment year-round
a popular destination for more than a century.
Visit Inside NL Harbor Pequot Light
It's Long Island Sound's oldest and tallest lighthouse. Photo, above: NBC CT.
Climb 116 steps up into the lighthouse lantern. The views are spectacular! Tours for up-to five people take approximately 40 minutes. We offer tours every Saturday at noon. Sign up online: https://harborlighthousetour.bpt.me
To book a tour at other times, send us an email. Photo, above: Christina Corcoran.
Tours are available every Saturday and Sunday at 11:45, or you may schedule a custom time during the week. Please provide a minimum of two day's notice for a custom tour. Tickets are $35, $30 for NLMS members, $25 youth 8 through age 18.
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More information on the collection can be found at https://primitivepines.com/beacons-through-time/. | |
through July 19
Beacons through Time
Artist talk: June 15
From 2022 through 2024, artist Christian Fiedler placed several hundred solargaph cameras in situ at 31 lighthouses from Georgia to Maine, oriented specifically to capture the sun’s daily transit overhead. The resulting project, Beacons Through Time, highlights lighthouses in a novel manner, showcasing extremely long exposure times and constantly shifting environs.
This particular collection of images from the project focuses on lighthouses in and around the New London area, including two from New London Harbor Light itself.
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Sunday, May 26, 6-9 PM
Open Mic at the Museum
Our 36th monthly Open Mic welcomes music, poetry, prose, stand-up -- or you can just say what's on your mind. Come on, give it a try; it's a friendly supportive crowd.
Co-hosted by Kenny "Doc" Frazier and Christina Corcoran, Open Mic meets on the last Sunday of the month at the beautiful Custom House Maritime Museum. Sponsored by Kozmik Music Service.
Couldn't make it downtown? Open Mic performers can be watched on the Open Mic at the Museum's Facebook page. Photo: April's Open Mic.
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A New Roof for New London's 1833 Custom House Museum!
This week, the New London Maritime Society (NLMS) proudly launched its 40th anniversary campaign: A New Roof for New London's 1833 Custom House Museum. We are now reaching out for donations, including with an online Go Fund Me campaign: gofundme.com/f/NLs-1833-custom-house-roof. The goal is to replace the roof within the next three years.
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What can you do with an NLMS membership?
You know us from museum visits, Jibboom events, and Lighthouse tours, but did you know NLMS members also have access to research materials, extra discounts in the Shop, and advance notice of special events?
Become an NLMS member - sign up today (download pdf) or Sign up online.
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This week at the Custom House
It was a doozy of a week at the Custom House.
School-year-end field trips are always the best. On Friday Christina Corcoran began bringing third graders to visit historic sites around town. Two classes visited Ft. Trumbull, the NL waterfront, and the Custom House, with more to come this week. Local-History & Landmarks, our in-school program, helps fulfill the local-history social studies requirement of the third-grade curriculum. Just ending its 16th year, this program addresses the significance of New London history (with emphasis on the maritime perspective) and how the culture, architecture, local historic notables and landmarks influenced New London and surrounding communities. Students develop an understanding of New London's geographical, military and commercial imp0rtance on the world stage.
Photo, above: NBC consumer investigator Caitlin Burchill at Harbor Light.
Technology is great -- until it isn't. Every week, new programs are developed to help small nonprofits like the Custom House do amazing things: manage fundraising campaigns, accept online memberships, sell event tickets. With only one employee and a team of dedicated volunteers, consolidated online programs are a huge help—until something goes wrong. Recently, we experienced two such issues.
Several weeks ago Caitlin Burchill, consumer investigator at NBC TV, got things reconciled with our ticketing service Brown Paper Tickets (her story was on TV May 16 -- thank you, Caitlin!). Also on Thursday, there was 2nd hiccup -- a sudden bank-transfer SNAFU with Go Fund Me, our online fundraising campaign program. Thankfully, this was also resolved quickly!
Maybe we can blame the recent solar flares, but the lesson here is that while these programs are incredibly helpful, they’re not perfect.
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June -- Make Music Month -- kicks off next Sunday with Open Mic on May 26, followed by the CT Early Music Festival the next Saturday, June 1.
For Make Music Month in the Shop we're bringing in instruments for kids: kalimbas, ukuleles, harmonicas, rain sticks, bongo drums!
Stop in and say hello! --Susan
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We're online & on Facebook! | |
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photo, above: the Museum Gift Shop.
Photo, right: Steve Hambey assembled two new benches last week.
We're still looking for a large wood outdoor table and chairs for the museum yard.
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View Online Exhibitions of New London Maritime History from the Custom House Maritime Museum's Frank L. McGuire Library.
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Facebook the Custom House SHOP for gifts with an extra feel good factor -- when you shop with us your purchases support our exhibitions, & educational programs.
Photo: Historian Chandler Saint is on Fishers Island this month with a display (in the field) on the life of Venture Smith. We are taking two trips to Fishers this summer.
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We're on Instagram! @nlmaritime.
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Easy - effective - earth-friendly. Tru-earth laundry detergent is sold in strips -- no plastic! Support the NL Maritime Society while protecting the earth. Find out more at http://tru-earth.sjv.io/NewLondonMaritimeSociety --Thanks!
Photo, below: our new poster!.
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