The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum begins a new Shipwrecked! Speaker Series on Thursday, February 5, which continues February 11 and 24. The three-part series will have experts in the field sharing and exploring the Chesapeake Bay’s stories of sunken vessels, from Baltimore’s privateers to salvaged skipjacks and other vessels around the bay. Seating is limited, with advanced registration needed.
On Thursday, February 5 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Clear as Mud: an Introduction to Maryland’s Underwater Archaeology features Maryland State Underwater Archaeologist Susan Langley as she explores the cultural and historical heritage lying beneath the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, while sharing stories of some of the most exciting finds from her years in the field. Langley will also discuss how archaeologists use technology to locate and record shipwrecks and other submerged sites in low-visibility waters. An adjunct professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, Langley also serves as Archaeological Research Chair for the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary’s Advisory Council, and on the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology.
On Wednesday, February 11 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Abandoned and Salvaged: A Traditional End for Traditional Vessels on the Chesapeake features CBMM Chief Curator Pete Lesher as he discusses the disintegrating bugeyes, skipjacks and other work boats once left by Chesapeake Bay watermen along remote tributaries. Using images, artifacts and oral histories, Lesher will share fascinating stories of these abandoned vessels and what these stories tell us about the past and preservation of Chesapeake Bay cultures.
On Tuesday, February 24 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., The Monterrey Wrecks: Unraveling the Mystery of a Baltimore Privateer Discovered in the Gulf of Mexico, features NOAA’s Maritime Heritage Program Director Dr. Jim Delgado, as he explores the story of three early 19th-century shipwrecks discovered in the Gulf of Mexico in 2011. Marine archaeologists believe the wrecks may be that of an 1812-era Baltimore privateer and its two captured ships. Ghostly “time capsules” in the deep, the wrecks contained weapons, navigational instruments, ceramic and other artifacts. The “Monterrey Wrecks” project has merged history, archaeology, marine science and public outreach with more than 700,000 people tuning in to a live website feed to watch the investigation unfold. An upcoming expedition in 2015 may find even more.
Delgado is an author, scholar, archaeologist and fellow of both the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club, and has led or participated in shipwreck expeditions around the world. Delgado’s undersea explorations include RMS Titanic, the discoveries of Carpathia—the ship that rescued Titanic's survivors—and the notorious "ghost ship" Mary Celeste, as well as surveys of USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor; the sunken fleet of atomic-bombed warships at Bikini Atoll; the polar exploration ship Maud, wrecked in the Arctic; the 1846 wreck of the United States naval brig Somers, whose tragic story inspired Herman Melville's Billy Budd, Sailor; and the submarine Explorer, a civil war-era find and the world's oldest known deep-diving submarine.
The cost for each session in the Shipwrecked! Speaker Series is $6 for CBMM members, $9 for non-members, or register for all three sessions for $15 for CBMM members and $21 for non-members. Pre-registration is required by calling 410-745-4941 or emailing [email protected]. For more information, visit www.cbmm.org.
