Oct 24 Thursday
During the Civil War, federal soldiers in coastal North Carolina confiscated civilian watercraft on behalf of the war effort. After the war, affected civilians could file for compensation through the Southern Claims Commission. The applications for compensation provide insights into the maritime lives of ordinary people in coastal North Carolina before, during, and after the Civil War. The program is part of our Maritime Heritage Series, informal lectures held in the museum auditorium and focused on North Carolina’s rich maritime history, coastal environment, and culture. Admission is free, and registration is not required.
Oct 31 Thursday
Legends and stories of sea monsters are almost culturally universal, with even landlocked groups of people telling tales of fantastic sea or water creatures. During this presentation museum Associate Education Curator Christine Brin will look at some of the most popular sea monsters and some of the “sea creatures”, like whales, that may have inspired these stories. The program is part of our Maritime Heritage Series, informal lectures held in the museum auditorium and focused on North Carolina’s rich maritime history, coastal environment, and culture. Admission is free, and registration is not required.
Nov 07 Thursday
Lake Phelps was an important maritime resource for Native Americans for thousands of years. In the 1980s, 23 dugout canoes were discovered in and around the lake, and four were recovered for further study. Kimberly Kenyon, head conservator for the North Carolina Office of State Conservation Lab in Greenville, is overseeing the re-conservation of three out of the four recovered canoes. Kim will discuss the history of Native American activity around Lake Phelps, the discovery of the canoes, the initial conservation measures taken for those recovered, and the renewed efforts to stabilize them so that they are preserved for generations to come. She will also share details of the canoe recovered from Lake Waccamaw in April 2023. The program is part of our Maritime Heritage Series, informal lectures held in the museum auditorium and focused on North Carolina’s rich maritime history, coastal environment, and culture. Admission is free, and registration is not required.
Nov 14 Thursday
Associate Education Curator Christine Brin will be looking at clues from the remains of historic sailing vessels to help us learn more about the lives of sailors during the 17th and 18th centuries. Learn about what sailors typically ate, how they prepared and stored their food, and what materials they used to cook and consume their food. The program is part of our Maritime Heritage Series, informal lectures held in the museum auditorium and focused on North Carolina’s rich maritime history, coastal environment, and culture. Admission is free, and registration is not required.
Nov 21 Thursday
Museum Education Curator Benjamin Wunderly will highlight the rescue of the captain and three crewmembers from the American schooner Leading Breeze. The vessel grounded during a severe southeast gale at Ocracoke Inlet on Nov. 23, 1901. Barely holding on to the wreckage and with all hope lost, the shipwreck victims witnessed a glorious sight, the crew from the United States Life-Saving Service Station Portsmouth coming out of the fog towards them. Learn about the events of this rescue at sea. The program is part of our Maritime Heritage Series, informal lectures held in the museum auditorium and focused on North Carolina’s rich maritime history, coastal environment, and culture. Admission is free, and registration is not required.
North Carolina has many species of whales that travel near our shores and sometimes strand on our beaches. This makes it ideal for scientists to study and promote the conservation and understanding of these endangered marine mammals. Join Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster to learn about the whales most commonly spotted off the coast of North Carolina and to handle some related items. Admission is free and registration is not required.
Dec 05 Thursday
Did Santa prefer a green suit before he started wearing his now iconic red? What is Mrs. Claus’s first name? We may not have all the answers regarding the mysterious and jolly figure; but during this family-friendly presentation, we will try to answer some questions without taking away any of the magic. Associate Education Curator Christine Brin will present on the history of Santa Claus for this holiday related program. The program is part of our Maritime Heritage Series, informal lectures held in the museum auditorium and focused on North Carolina’s rich maritime history, coastal environment, and culture. Admission is free, and registration is not required.
Dec 12 Thursday
Education Curator Benjamin Wunderly will give an overview of the history of the United States Life-Saving Service stations that existed in Carteret County, North Carolina. The Life-Saving Service had been operating in North Carolina for 14 years and already had twenty-three other stations along the coast before the first one was built in Carteret County in 1888. By 1905, there would be four more stations added, covering the southern Outer Banks from Portsmouth at Ocracoke Inlet to Bogue Inlet and what is now Emerald Isle. The program is part of our Maritime Heritage Series, informal lectures held in the museum auditorium and focused on North Carolina’s rich maritime history, coastal environment, and culture. Admission is free, and registration is not required.