May 3, 2016 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:
New Bedford, MA— May is National Preservation Month, a time when people across America celebrate their history, culture, and special places. The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will host two free events dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the local fishing community.
On Tuesday, May 10th at 7:00 p.m., the Center hosts an Industry Antiques Road Show. Several members of the fishing community will display family photographs, documents, and artifacts and share stories about how the industry and community have changed over time. This event will be held at the Fishing Heritage Center (38 Bethel Street, New Bedford) providing attendees with a sneak peek of the space which opens to the public on June 25th.
On Saturday, May 21st at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (33 William Street, New Bedford) the Center will hold a Fishing Heritage Digitizing Day from 11:00-3:30. Fishing community members are invited to bring photographs, documents and/or artifacts reflecting their fishing heritage. These items will be scanned and/or photographed to create a digital record. Preservation specialists will provide advice about preserving your past and industry experts will help identify people and places in photographs. An oral historian will record community stories.
Those who participate by sharing their photographs, documents, or artifacts will be given a USB drive containing the scanned images of their materials. Digital files will be archived at UMASS Boston, UMASS Dartmouth, the New Bedford Public Library and the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.
These events are part of Salted, Pickled, or Smoked: Preserving & Presenting the Cultural Heritage of the New Bedford/Fairhaven Fishing Community, a year-long effort to digitize the cultural heritage of New Bedford’s fishing community. The project is a collaboration involving the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, University Archives and Special Collections at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Clair T. Carney Library at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MIT Sea Grant, the New Bedford Public Library, and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. Funding for this project is provided through a Common Heritage Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.