Mark Leary, Korey Martin and Dana Costa install custom doors and panels made by GNB Voc-Tech carpentry students for “Scrimshaw: Shipboard Art of the Whalers” opening May 13, 2pm.

Building the many and varied display cases needed for the world’s largest scrimshaw exhibit would have been a daunting task were it not for the students of Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School. Voc-Tech’s carpentry classes fabricated more than 29 custom doors and viewing panels for the new gallery, set to open to the public on Mothers Day, Sunday, May 13 at 2:00 p.m.

James Russell, museum president, lauded the students’ work, noting “How great is it that much of what we admire in the museum’s collection was made by master craftsmen! Today, skilled students from Voc-Tech are back at the museum, helping to build exhibits that house these masterpieces – to be enjoyed by New Bedford residents and visitors for years to come.”

The museum’s staff, designers and carpenters worked with GNB Voc-Tech’s coordinator of construction projects, Robert Gomes, and carpentry teacher, Donald Derosiers, on the exacting specifications for the elaborate cabinetry required to exhibit hundreds of rare examples of scrimshaw – the 19th century shipboard art of whalers. Students utilized the school’s state-of-the-art CNC (computer numerical control) milling machinery to create the seamless doorframes and panels.

Master carpenter, Dana Costa, rebuilt and refitted existing museum cases and installed the Voc-Tech components with the assistance of Mark Leary and Korey Martin.

The exhibit opening caps the museum’s 23rd annual Scrimshaw Weekend, May 11-13, which attracts scrimshaw experts, collectors and fans from around the world. Titled Scrimshaw: Shipboard Art of the Whalers, the exhibit is curated Dr. Stuart M. Frank, Senior Curator, with the assistance of museum volunteers John Antones, Richard Donnelly, Michael Gerstein, Vasant Gideon, Judith Lund, Barbara Moss, Sanford Moss, Catherine Reynolds and James Vaccarino.

The largest permanent exhibit of its kind, Scrimshaw: Shipboard Art of the Whalers coincides with the launch of a major new book on scrimshaw, titled Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved: Scrimshaw in the New Bedford Whaling Museum by Dr. Frank – a 400-page reference with more than 700 photographs by Richard Donnelly.

Admission to the Sunday opening of the scrimshaw exhibit and book launch: regular admission rates apply. In honor of Mother’s Day, mothers are admitted free when accompanied by at least one member of her family.

The Stone Fleet, which sailed from New Bedford, Nov. 16, 1861, by Benjamin Russell (1804-1885). It will be one of many images from the Whaling Museum discussed in “The Visual Culture of the Civil War Era.”

Keith Kauppila, Esq. will present an illustrated lecture titled The Visual Culture of the Civil War, on Thursday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m., Cook Memorial Theater, New Bedford Whaling Museum. A reception at 6:30 p.m. in the Jacobs Family Gallery precedes the lecture.

This lecture is part of the 2012 Old Dartmouth Lyceum series, and one of three Civil War related programs being offer by area organizations, including the New Bedford Historical Society, Friends of the New Bedford Free Public Library, New Bedford Civil War Roundtable, and Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Military Museum.

 Mr. Kauppila will discuss perspectives on painting inspired by the “War Between the States.” Several pieces from theWhalingMuseumcollection will be highlighted during this presentation. Mr. Kauppila has a deep interest in the visual and decorative arts and has been active on the museum’s collections committee. He currently serves on the Board of Governors at the Addison Gallery of American Art atPhillipsAcademy.

Other Civil War related programs include:

April 27:  “New Bedford’s Civil War” Professor Earl Mulderink, author of a new book published by Fordham University Press, titled New Bedford’s Civil War will present an illustrated talk on his research on Friday, April 27 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whaling Museum.  This free program is part of a national book tour and includes a book-signing. It is co-sponsored by the New Bedford Historical Society, Friends of the New Bedford Public Library, Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Military Museum, New Bedford Civil War Roundtable, and the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

May 22: “The Day the South Lost the War: The Fall of New Orleans” Historian A. Wilson Greene will present an illustrated lecture titled The Day the South Lost the War: The Fall of New Orleans on Tuesday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whaling Museum. This free lecture focuses on the combinedUnion naval and army operation in the spring of 1862 that resulted in the capture of the Confederacy’s largest city and most important port. Presented in association with theNew Bedford Civil War Round Table, Mr. Greene has been Study Leader for more than 40 Smithsonian Institute tours and seminars covering all the major Civil War campaigns and has spoken to more than 100 Civil War Roundtables across the country.

Old Dartmouth Lyceum admission on May 3: $15 members; $20 non-members. For tickets, call (508) 997-0046 Ext. 100. The lectures on April 27 and May 22 are free.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum 2012 Speakers’ Series, of which the Old Dartmouth Lyceum is a part, is presented by BayCoast Bank, and sponsored in part by C.E. Beckman, and Hampton Inn Fairhaven/New Bedford.

Kirk J. Nelson

Kirk J. Nelson will present an illustrated lecture titled New Bedford Glass and Its Context on Thursday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. – part of the 2012 Old Dartmouth Lyceum lecture series on fine and decorative arts. A reception at 6:30 p.m. in the Jacobs Family Gallery precedes the lecture.

Mr. Nelson is executive director of the New Bedford Museum of Glass, located at 61 Wamsutta Street. He earned his MA degree and Certificate of Museum Studies from the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture at the Winterthur Museum and the University of Delaware. An expert on the development of the American glass press during the 1820s and 1830s, Mr. Nelson is an Honorary Fellow of the Corning Museum of Glass, former Curator of Glass at the Sandwich Glass Museum and former Curator of Art & Decorative Arts at the Bennington Museum. He has lectured and published extensively on a wide variety of glass-related subjects. His practical glass working experience includes Pairpoint Crystal, Inc. of Sagamore, Massachusetts, and the operation of a glass studio in East Sandwich.

In 1993, Mr. Nelson was one of five founding trustees to establish the Glass Art Center, Inc., which was affiliated with Bradford College in Bradford, Massachusetts. After the closing of the college the Center relocated to New Bedford and reincorporated in 2006 as the New Bedford Museum of Glass.

The museum collection consists of 7,000 objects documenting more than 3,000 years of glassmaking history. It covers many regions and periods, from ancient to contemporary, with special emphasis on the city of New Bedford, celebrated in the late 19th century as the “Art Glass Headquarters of the Country.” Rose Amber glass, Crown Milano, Royal Flemish, Burmese and Lava glass are just a few of the exotic lines developed in New Bedford.

The museum’s library holds more than 8,000 volumes in ten languages on glass related topics, including the Shirley Collection of the Mount Washington Glass Company – containing the firm’s original glass patents, trade catalogs, correspondence, photographs, and international awards.

Admission to the lecture and reception: $15 members; $20 non-members. For tickets, call (508) 997-0046 Ext. 100.

The 2012 Speakers’ Series is presented by BayCoast Bank, and sponsored in part by C.E. Beckman, and Hampton Inn Fairhaven/New Bedford.

William Bradford's 1866 painting, "Sealers Crushed by Icebergs" (above). Stuart P. Feld and Richard C. Kugler (below, left to right) pose in front of the Bradford in 2003. Mr. Feld will talk on April 5th about the many important works added to the Museum's collection during Mr. Kugler's directorship. The program will include a reception and presentation of a major gift to the museum in Mr. Kugler's honor.

Stuart P. Feld, president of Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, opens the 2012 Old Dartmouth Lyceum lecture series with an illustrated program titled Whaling Museum acquisitions during the tenure of Director and Curator Richard C. Kugler on Thursday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Cook Memorial Theater. A reception at 6:30 p.m. honoring Mr. Kugler in the Jacobs Family Gallery precedes the lecture.

A leading authority on American art, Mr. Feld will share his insights on 19th century paintings acquired by the museum during Mr. Kugler’s 25 years of service – a period of prodigious growth in the scope and breadth of the collection. The lecture will focus on works by celebrated American artist, William Bradford (1823-1892), a traveler and adventurer fascinated with the Arctic landscape. Mr. Kugler is a biographer and recognized expert on Bradford.

Mr. Feld became one of the first Fellows at The Metropolitan Museum of Art 1961. He worked in the Department of American Paintings and Sculpture at The Metropolitan Museum, during which time he co-authored American Paintings: A Catalogue of the Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1967, he left his post as Associate Curator in Charge of the Department and joined Hirschl & Adler Galleries as a partner, becoming its sole proprietor in 1982. He has authored many articles and catalogues in the field of American Art – both fine and decorative arts – and is a frequent lecturer around the country.

The evening will also include a special presentation by Bruce and Karen Wilburn of their major gift to the museum, minus fees, of $150,000 – netted recently from the sale at auction of their copy of a rare 1873 book by Bradford, titled The Arctic Regions: Illustrated with Photographs Taken on an Art Expedition – at the Swann Galleries, New York City. The gift will fund several museum projects related to the history of arctic exploration.

James Russell, museum president said, “On behalf of the trustees, I wish to sincerely thank Bruce and Karen Wilburn for their remarkable gift. It will enable the museum to tell an extraordinary chapter in the story of American exploration and in the life of William Bradford – a New Bedford native who rose to become one of the great names in 19th century American art – and whose work in the Arctic more than 140 years ago holds new relevancy for current scientific research and global climate change.”

Mr. Wilburn noted “We would not have made this contribution were it not for Dick Kugler. Over the many years that we have been associated with the museum, Dick was always accessible, immensely knowledgeable and a phenomenal asset to the organization. His name is synonymous with Bradford and it is with great appreciation and affection for him that we make this gift.”

Frances F. Levin, chair of the museum’s collection committee, noted “under Dick Kugler’s leadership the museum collection grew to become truly world-class. In particular, his extraordinary scholarship and vision in acquiring Bradford’s works is a lasting legacy, one which continues to inspire significant gifts such as the Wilburns’ and will in turn produce new insights into the nexus of art and science, as will be seen next year.”

Michael Lapides, director of digital initiatives and curator for next year’s exhibition, said, “The Wilburns’ generous gift will enable the museum to create Arctic Regions: Away then Floats the Ice-Island, scheduled to open spring of 2013. Bradford’s rare elephant folio will be at the core of this exhibit. Many of the original wet plate collodian negatives made on the 1869 voyage belong to the Museum and will be used to produce spectacular prints. The exhibit will highlight intersections between art, commerce, science and exploration. These funds will also enable the museum to republish Bradford’s book, as well as offer educational programming.”

Admission: $15 members; $20 non-members. For tickets, call (508) 997-0046 Ext. 100.

The 2012 Speakers’ Series is presented by BayCoast Bank, and sponsored in part by C.E. Beckman, and Hampton Inn Fairhaven/New Bedford.

"The Whale Beached between Scheveningen and Katwijk, with Elegant Sightseers," by Esaias van den Velde, c.1617, is one of several Dutch Old Master whaling paintings in “Seven Continents, Seven Seas” opening February 9 and will be the subject of a free lecture by Dr. Stuart Frank at 7:30 p.m.

Admission to the opening, lecture and reception is free.

“This year marks the tenth anniversary of the gift of the entire holdings of the former Kendall Whaling Museum to the permanent collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum. This provides a fitting occasion for showing highlights, reflecting the broad international and chronological compass of our combined collections,” said Dr. Frank.

Dutch Old Master whaling paintings will be represented, along with major British marine paintings of the 18th and 19th centuries by Continental European and American painters. The exhibit also includes visions of Africa, Australia, and Antarctica, representing all seven continents and all seven seas in the selected paintings, watercolors, ship models, Japanese scrolls and sculptural works.

Admission to all museum galleries on AHA! night is buy one, get one free (of equal or lesser value).

Gary Jobson (photo: Billy Black)

Gary Jobson, world-class sailor and president of US SAILING will be the first of 12 distinguished speakers in a combined lecture series beginning on Thursday, February 2 at the Whaling Museum.

Gary Jobson will present “Sailing: Speed and Passion.” A world class sailor, television commentator and author, Jobson is President of US SAILING, the national governing body of sailing in the United States. He has authored 17 books on sailing, is Editor-at-Large of Sailing World and Cruising World magazines and has been ESPN’s sailing commentator since 1985. In October 2003 he was inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame by the Herreshoff Marine Museum. In 1999, Jobson won the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy, US SAILING’s most prestigious award. He currently races a Swan 42, Mustang, and an Etchells, Whirlwind.

Jobson’s illustrated talk is the first of 12 programs scheduled this winter and spring – February 2 through May 10 – part of the Whaling Museum’s three signature lecture series now combined: the Sailors’ Series (5 programs), Man and Whales (3 programs), and the Old Dartmouth Lyceum (4 programs). Held on Thursday evenings, all programs include a reception at 6:30 p.m. in the Jacobs Family Gallery followed by the lecture at 7:30 p.m. in the Cook Memorial Theater.

Admission to each lecture: member, $15; non-member, $20. Select any number of programs when you confirm. Subscription to the combined series: members, $165.00 for all 12 lectures; non-members, $225.00. For tickets please call (508) 997-0046 Ext. 100.

The Sailors’ Series (SS) celebrates its 22nd year with illustrated lectures presenting a wide variety of experience and adventures by individuals with lifelong commitments to sailing, boats, and the sea. Thursdays: February 2 and 16, March 22, April 12 and 19.

The Man and Whales series (M&W) examines our changing views of marine mammals with science-themed lectures that bring focus to important whale conservation topics through the expertise of those who dedicate their professional lives to these issues. Thursdays: March 1, 15 and 29.

The Old Dartmouth Lyceum series (ODL) illuminates broader historical themes with fine and decorative arts by examining significant holdings in the Museum collection, including 19th century landscape painting, ceramics and glassware. Thursdays: April 5 and 26, May 3 and 10.

Schedule:

February 16 – John Rousmaniere: “The Golden Pastime,” an illustrated history of American yachting history. (SS)

March 1 – Dr. Peter Capelotti: “The Whaling Expedition of the Ulysses 1937–38.” (M&W).

March 15 – Dr. Stephen Godfrey: “When Whales Walked the Earth: Fossil Whales and Olfactory Evolution.” (M&W)

March 22 – Douglas Adkins: “Dorade; the History of an Ocean Racing Yacht.” (SS)

March 29 – Capt. Stacy Pedrozo, USN, C.O., Naval Justice School, and Capt. Tom Fetherston, USN Retired, “Whose Homeland Security? Protecting Marine Mammals While Protecting National Security.” (MW)

April 5 – Stuart P. Feld, Hirschl & Adler Galleries: “Museum acquisitions during the tenure of Director and Curator Richard Kugler.” (ODL)

April 12 – Capt. Sean S. Bercaw: “Full Sail into Cuba on the Amistad.” (SS)

April 19 – Rich Wilson: “Race France to France, Leave Antarctica to Starboard.” (SS)

April 26 – Kirk J. Nelson: “New Bedford Glass and Its Context.” (ODL)

May 3 – Keith Kauppila: “Visual Culture of the Civil War,” (ODL)

May 10 – Chris Gustin: “Finding Form.” (ODL).

The 2012 lecture series is presented by BayCoast Bank, and sponsored in part by C. E. Beckman, and Hampton Inn Fairhaven/New Bedford.

"Ahab" by Leonard Baskin, from his "Moby Dick Suite" of lithographs, 1970.

MOBY! – The New Bedford Whaling Museum and the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center come together to celebrate the iconic tale of the great white whale November 3-5.

Imaging Moby!, an exhibition of contemporary art inspired by Herman Melville’s novel, “Moby-Dick” opens at the Museum on Friday, November 4 at 5:00 p.m. and includes works by Rockwell Kent, Leonard Baskin, and Richard Ellis. Admission is free to the exhibit.

Imaging Moby! is drawn from the collection of Elizabeth Schultz, scholar, poet, professor emerita at the University of Kansas, and author of “Unpainted to the Last”: Moby-Dick and Twentieth-Century American Art (1995). Dr. Schultz has been collecting art inspired by Moby-Dick for decades. A member of the Melville Society, she donated her collection of twentieth-century paintings, prints, and other graphic works to the museum earlier this year.

Dr. Schultz noted, “the special joy of having the collection at the Whaling Museum is that, along with the Melville Society Cultural Project, I imagine working with many committed groups to develop new ways of using these visual images to present Moby-Dick and the stories of whales to diverse audiences – children and adults, Americans and people from other cultures.”

A reception in the Jacobs Family Gallery in honor of Dr. Schultz will follow the exhibit opening.

The Imaging Moby! exhibit is part Moby! – a series of related programs in art, on screen, in the community and on stage to mark the 160th anniversary of Melville’s classic – in partnership with the Zeiterion Performing Art Center, the New Bedford Whaling Museum and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.

A silhouette of Captain Paul Cuffe (c.1812) and his compass (c.1800) will be part of a new exhibit at the Museum recognizing his life and accomplishments, opening Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m. A new park will be dedicated in his honor on Saturday, Sept. 24. Lectures on Cuffe are also part of a two-day free public program, "Old Dartmouth Roots, a Genealogy & Local History Symposium, Sept 23-24.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum and its partners proudly present four free public programs over two days recognizing the life and accomplishments of Captain Paul Cuffe at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, September 23-24, culminating with the dedication of a park in his honor.

Paul Cuffe (1759-1817) was the free-born son of an African father and a Native American mother. A skillful mariner, he was also a successful merchant, philanthropist, community leader, civil rights advocate and abolitionist. In 1780 he petitioned for the right to vote as a landowner and taxpayer. He established the first integrated school in America and became an advisor to President James Madison.

On Friday, September 23, a genealogy presentation titled “The Cuffes and the Wainers,” will be offered by George Wortham, a Cuffe/Wainer descendant, at 1:45 p.m. in the Cook Memorial Theater.

At 5:30 p.m., the museum will open a new exhibit, the “Cuffe Kitchen Gallery.” The multi-media exhibit will highlight the gallery, which recreates an 18th century kitchen, the wooden panels of which came from Cuffe’s home in Westport. Funded in part by Mass Humanities, the exhibit will provide an opportunity to ponder the social and racial issues faced by Cuffe. A reception will follow in the Jacobs Family Gallery.

The evening will conclude with a keynote lecture, “Paul Cuffe, His Life and Times,” presented by award-winning Cuffe biographer, Lamont D. Thomas at 6:30 p.m. in the Cook Memorial Theater.

On Saturday, September 24, dedication ceremonies for Captain Paul Cuffe Park will begin at noon at Union Street and Johnny Cake Hill. Located on Whaling Museum property, the park is adjacent to the site where Cuffe operated his store, Cuffe & Howards.

The park’s designer, Nan Sinton, is a nationally recognized landscape designer, horticulturist and former director of public programs for Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum. The president and co-founder of Sinton & Michener Associates, Inc., Sinton has designed gardens throughout North America and Europe.

The new park incorporates a large compass rose within an elaborate terrace of brick, bluestone, granite and Belgian paving blocks that recall Cuffe’s own ship’s compass – part of the museum collection. Plantings include boxwood; bayberry and sea roses donated by Sylvan Nursery, Inc., Westport, Mass. Construction and plantings were executed by G. Bourne Knowles & Company, Inc., Fairhaven. The park will include new interpretative wayside panels on Cuffe’s life, produced by New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. The Cuffe commemorative plaque and new lighting were funded in part by a grant from the City Works Community Improvement Program, administered by the City of New Bedford Community Development Block Grant Program.

The park site previously included 20th century whaling equipment including a 1936 harpoon cannon now on exhibit in the museum plaza, and a small garden given by the Garden Club of Buzzards Bay in 2003. Club members will continue to oversee the new planting.

All events are free to the public and will be held at the Whaling Museum as part of “Old Dartmouth Roots: A Genealogy & Local History Symposium,” which is funded through a grant from the Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations (ECHO), administered by the United States Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement.

In its announcement, AAM stated that reaccreditation is awarded only after a comprehensive yearlong examination and peer review of all aspects of the Whaling Museum’s mission, operations and programming. “Accreditation is emblematic of many things, the highest standards in museum operations, outstanding public programs, and long-term sustainability among them,” said Ford W. Bell, AAM president. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement. But put simply, it means the citizens of the communities served by these museums have in their midst one of America’s finest museums.”

In her letter to museum president, James Russell, Dr. Bonnie W. Styles, Chair of the AAM Accreditation Commission, wrote “We found the museum to be a highly performing organization that has a solid strategic plan, excellent community engagement and is dealing strategically and realistically with budget hardships. We particularly liked the three-tier intern apprenticeship program. The museum is also a good example of merging history and science together in exhibits and programming.”

Mr. Russell noted the importance of reaccreditation. “We are extremely proud of this achievement. It validates years of hard work on the part of our dedicated trustees, volunteers and staff – evaluated against the strictest professional and national standards. This honor elevates all of New Bedford and the South Coast region, and it reenergizes us in the continued building of a greater, stronger Whaling Museum,” he said.

AAM Accreditation recognizes the highest standards in individual museums and ensures that museums continue to uphold their public trust. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 40 years, the AAM museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability.

Old Dartmouth (modern-day Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, New Bedford and Westport) is a region steeped in history. Family histories – some recorded and many yet untold – each represent a unique thread in this region’s rich narrative. Come and learn how to explore your family’s past and discover its role in the growth of our region and the nation. Be prepared for new insights and surprises. As Helen Keller wrote, “There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his.” Old Dartmouth Roots will reveal the intersection of history, destiny and opportunity in Old Dartmouth, which has produced countless inspirational stories.

Partners in Old Dartmouth Roots include the New Bedford Free Public Library (NBFPL), New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, New Bedford Preservation Society, New Bedford Historical Society, and other local community organizations.

Old Dartmouth Roots will feature presentations from several expert genealogists and historians. Keynote speakers include Judith Lucey, Maureen Taylor and Lamont D. Thomas.

Judith Lucey is Assistant Archivist, New England Historic Genealogical Association (NEHGS), Boston. She joined the staff of NEHGS in 2003, after receiving a B.S. in Education from Northeastern University and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Simmons College. In addition to her expertise on how to begin personal genealogy research, she specializes in Irish genealogy, Newfoundland, 19th and 20th century genealogy, Italian genealogy, and the history of Cambridge and Somerville, Mass.

Maureen Taylor is an internationally recognized photo identification and family history expert. The author of a number of books and magazine articles, she offers a range of dynamic, interactive seminars on photographs, genealogy, and history. Maureen has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Hallmark Television, “The View,” Better Homes & Gardens, the Boston Globe, Martha Stewart Living, MSNBC, PBS Ancestors, and more. The Wall Street Journal called her “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective.” Ms. Taylor will also be available for private consultations during the day for a fee.

Lamont D. Thomas is a Pulitzer Prize Nominee author and a retired university professor. He is a leading authority on the life and times of Captain Paul Cuffe. Thomas holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in history from Trinity College. He is the author of “Paul Cuffe: Black Entrepreneur and Pan-Africanist” and “Rise to be a People: A Biography of Paul Cuffe,” both published by University of Illinois Press.

Old Dartmouth Roots Schedule

Thursday, September 22, 2011

9:00 a.m.: Registration and Coffee – Jacobs Family Gallery, NBWM.

10:00 -10:15 a.m.: Welcome – James Russell, President NBWM.

10:15 -11:00 a.m.: “How to Get Started on a Genealogy Search,” presented by Judith Lucey, Assistant Archivist, New England Historical Genealogy Assoc. (NEHGS), Boston.

11:15 am-12:30 p.m.: “Panel on Local Resources in Various Libraries and Centers,” presented by Paul Cyr, NBFPL; Judy Farrar, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; Michael P. Dyer, NBWM.

12:30 -1:30 p.m.: Luncheon – courtesy of the NBWM.

1:30-2:45 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions – Common Threads: (a) “Introduction to Portuguese and Cape Verdean Genealogy,” presented by Judith Downey, NBFPL, and James J. Lopes, NBWM; (b) “History of Jewish New Bedford,” presented by Judy Farrar.

3:00-3:15 p.m.: Coffee and Refreshments.

3:30-4:30 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions: (a) “Quaker Roots: the Rodmans, Russells and the Rotches,” presented by Judith Downey; (b) “The French Canadians,” presented by Paul Cyr.

6:30 p.m.: “Sitting in New Bedford with the Photo Detective,” presented by Maureen Taylor, photo analyst and family history expert. Cook Memorial Theater, NBWM. This lecture is made possible by the Samuel D. Rusitzky Fund.

Friday, September 23, 2011

8:30 a.m.: Coffee and refreshments – Jacobs Family Gallery.

9:00-10:15 a.m.: Concurrent Sessions – Unlikely Connections: (a) “The Grinnells and the Howlands; the Jacobses and the Knoxes,” presented by James Grinnell and Katherine Culkin; (b) “Cemeteries of the Old Dartmouth Region – Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, New Bedford, and Westport,” presented: Joan Barney, NBFPL, Betty Slade, and Judith Navas Lund, former Curator, NBWM.

12:30 -1:30 p.m.: Luncheon – courtesy of the NBWM.

1:45-3:00 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions – Family Ties: (a) “The Cuffes and the Wainers,” presented by George Wortham; (b) “The Irish,” presented by Andrew Pierce.

3:00-3:15 p.m.: Coffee and Refreshments.

3:30-4:45 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions: (a) “Wampanoag Genealogy,” presented by Andrew Pierce; (b) “Decoding the History of Logbooks and Crew Lists,” presented by Michael P. Dyer and Judith Navas Lund.

5:30 p.m.: Opening of the Cuffe Kitchen Gallery, NBWM.

6:30 p.m.: Reception and lecture titled “Paul Cuffe, His Life and Times” presented by award-winning Cuffe biographer, Lamont D. Thomas. Jacobs Family Gallery and Cook Memorial Theater, NBWM.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

12:00 Noon: Dedication of Captain Paul Cuffe Park, northeast corner of Union Street and Johnny Cake Hill. In the event of inclement weather, the dedication will be conducted in the Cook Memorial Theater.

Also: Walking tours of the National Park, shuttles to Rural Cemetery will begin from the Museum plaza.

Old Dartmouth Roots is free and open to the public, however, pre-registration is preferred. To register, CLICK HERE or call Museum Admissions: (508) 997-0046, ext. 100.

All events are planned to be held at the New Bedford Whaling Museum or adjacent venues unless otherwise noted. All events are free except as noted. Admission to the Museum Galleries is subject to daily pricing schedules.