Query from Richard Everett at San Francisco Maritime NHP:
We are looking for any photos of an interactive mast display OR simply notice of where one was or is… You know the type: We have seen them at institutions in US and Europe: The visitors/kids/users stand in footropes just a few feet off the ground and holding onto the jackstay (with one hand!) they claw the sail up. Info please!!
Contact Richard at Richard_Everett@nps.gov.
NAVAL STATION GREAT LAKES, Ill. – The Great Lakes Naval Museum will be officially renamed the National Museum of the American Sailor during a ceremony and sign unveiling at the museum 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 4th.
The Navy’s top enlisted Sailor, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (AW/NAC) Mike Stevens, will be joined by retired Rear Adm. Sam Cox, director of Naval History and Heritage Command, North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham, Capt. James Hawkins, commanding officer of Naval Station Great Lakes, Jennifer Searcy, Ph.D., director of the National Museum of the American Sailor, and representatives from the Great lakes Naval Museum Foundation and National Museum of the American Sailor Foundation to unveil the new sign in front of the museum.
“Dedicated to telling the story of anyone who has ever worn the Navy uniform, this building will do more than house history,” said Cox. “The National Museum of the American Sailor will stand as a place for Sailors, Navy families and proud Americans to learn more about the Navy that serves them by using the history and experiences of our Sailors as the basis for its exhibits.”
Cox and Stevens are scheduled to share the news of the name change with attendees of the Naval Station Great Lakes July Fourth Celebration with a speech and video presentation 8:20 p.m. Tuesday.
The National Museum of the American Sailor name change signals a shift in vision from a regional focus to one that depicts the diverse history of Sailors who have served in the U.S. Navy. The name change also reflects the interest of museum visitors, many of whom travel from across the country to attend the basic training graduations at the Navy’s Recruit Training Command.
“What may appear as a simple name change to some, for me, marks a recommitment to my shipmates that as a Navy, and as a Nation, we honor the service and sacrifice of all American Sailors,” said Stevens.
The National Museum of the American Sailor currently features exhibits on life in Navy boot camp, naval uniforms and traditions, the history of Naval Station Great Lakes, the role of diversity in the Navy and the role of women in the Navy. Over the next two years, the museum will expand its exhibits to introduce visitors to the overall history and role of the U.S. Navy and the experiences of American Sailors in the past and today
“I am very excited for this ‘new’ museum, and I welcome you all to visit. Our nation’s history would not be the same if it were not for the millions of American Sailors who have served in the United States Navy,” said Cox.
The museum is located in Building 42 just outside the perimeter of Naval Station Great Lakes. Building 42, known as Hostess House, was built in 1942 and served as a visitors and reception center for almost one million American Sailors who came through Great Lakes during WWII.
The former Great Lakes Naval Museum was dedicated on October 26, 1996 in Building 158 and opened to the public on October 13, 1997. It became an official Navy Museum in Building 42 in 2009, joining the Naval History and Heritage Command museum enterprise.
The National Museum of the American Sailor is one of ten museums in the NHHC enterprise. Other museums include:
Submitted by the Naval History & Heritage Command, July 1, 2016
An update from Tim Runyan of the National Maritime Alliance:
Last night (June 29), the Senate passed the Maritime Administration Authorization bill (S. 2829), led by Sen Deb Fischer (R-NE), chair of the subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and Ranking Member of the subcommittee, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).
This is important because the House National Defense Authorization Act (H. R. 4904) includes the House approved MARAD Authorization. The MARAD Authorization has to be in the Senate NDAA, if the Senate is to accept the House language to restore the maritime heritage grant program, when they conference. Conferencing is beginning. Of course, we expect the MARAD Authorization to be included in the Senate NDAA.
Now we can focus on winning at the conference of the House and Senate.
Another hurdle cleared!
Thanks for your support, and now we need to press members of the Senate to accept the language in the House NDAA–H.R. 4909, Title 35, Section 3508, which restores the maritime heritage grant program by directing that one-fourth of the ship scrapping profits received by MARAD be transferred to the Secretary of the Interior for the NPS-administered maritime heritage grant program.
Best, Tim
The NPS Maritime Heritage Grants Program has posted the following reminder:
The clock is ticking…….but there’s still plenty of time to submit your National Maritime Heritage Grant proposal before the deadline of August 5, 2016. $1.7 million is available for maritime education or preservation projects! More information can be found at our website at https://www.nps.gov/maritime/grants/apply.htm
But here’s what’s really important right now. Remember, applicants must submit their complete application packages through the grants.gov website. If you have not yet registered with grants.gov or the System for Awards Management (SAM – at sam.gov) do it now – because it will take up to two weeks for your account to be processed before you can submit your application. And if you do have accounts already – make sure that everything is up to date.
Let us know if you have any questions – and may you have fair winds in your application process!
Excerpted from NPS History Facebook Page by Candace Clifford, June 29, 2016
Mystic Seaport has launched a new video — “Celestial Navigation: Finding the Way at Mystic Seaport.” In the years before GPS technology, sailors relied on the sun and stars to find their way home safely. The times have certainly changed, but Mystic Seaport explores the surprisingly precise science of celestial navigation.
Here is a link to the video: http://stories.mysticseaport.org/celestial-navigation/
Submitted by Connor Zito, June 29, 2016
CAMM’s 2017 conference will take place April 19-21, continuing the three-day format established in 2016. The event will be hosted by San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and San Francisco Maritime National Park Association. The Call for Session Proposals will be issued in October.
Please save the dates!
Maine Maritime Museum, an internationally recognized cultural institution located on the Kennebec River in Bath, seeks a Chief Curator to replace the museum’s longtime Senior Curator, who is retiring in April of 2017. The Chief Curator will play a key role in the leadership team and help the museum continue to grow and excel. The Chief Curator leads a curatorial staff of two plus interns and volunteers, and provides the creative leadership and management of the Museum’s historic object, library, and archival collections; changing and permanent exhibits; and publications program.
See Chief Curator Job Announcement for more details.
Submitted by Amy Lent, Executive Director, Maine Maritime Museum, June 6, 2016
Submitted by Robert Schwemmer, NOAA Marine Sanctuaries, May 31, 2016
Approximately $1.7 million in National Maritime Heritage Grants for education or preservation projects are available for 2016. Proposals for grants will be accepted from May 23 until August 5, 2016. Education projects can request $15,000-50,000 and preservation projects can request $50,000-200,000. Funding for Maritime Heritage Grants is competitive and requires a 1-to-1 match with non-Federal assets from non-Federal sources. Project funds are disbursed from the Maritime Heritage Program directly to State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), who make subgrants to applicants.
Applicants must submit their complete application packages through the grants.gov website. Organizations not yet registered or familiar with grants.gov must first go to the following website and follow the instructions to register: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html. It will take up to two weeks for your account to be processed before you can submit your application. Do not wait until the last minute to register with grants.gov and the system for award management (SAM); application extensions will not be granted for incomplete grants.gov or SAM registration.
Goto NPS Maritime Heritage Grants website for full details.
Excerpted from NPS website, May 23, 2016
Art Sulzer with the Maritime Industry Museum at Fort Schuyler is seeking guidance from the membership:
“While our museum has been around for over 25 years and our history goes back to the founding of the school in 1874, we do not really have a professional staff and are certainly not professional historians, curator or archivists. . . . [Here] are a few questions to other CAMM members for their guidance based on their museum experience.
1) Inventory–We presently use Past Perfect 4.0 and are considering 5.0, or is there a better software to consider?
2) Looking for information on a system that lets museum visitors use a cell phone for guided tours or use a barcode through their phone like they can at Kalmar Nyckel’s exhibit.
3) Information on writing /developing Executive Director, Curator, Administrative Assistant and Board Member job descriptions.”
Please email your thoughts to Sulzmarine@aol.com
Art plans to summarize his findings and we will include them on our “Members Only” page.
Submitted by Dr. Art Sulzer, Maritime Industry Museum Board member, May 19, 2016
