Seadogs
Dogs have long offered companionship and comfort to the men who had the lonely job of watching our coastlines and rescuing victims of shipwreck. These loyal, four-legged friends even assisted in rescues.
The Egan Maritime Institute announces ''Sea Dogs! Great Tails of the Sea,'' an exhibition celebrating seafaring dogs, at the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum and historic Coffin School from May 22 to October 11, 2010. A traveling exhibition originally developed by Mystic Seaport®, "Sea Dogs!" tells stories of lifesaving dogs, United States Coast Guard dogs, fishing dogs and Lighthouse dogs with a long maritime history of being valued companions on land and at sea. Paintings, photographs, artifacts, children's books, family activities, and a partial replica of a wrecked ship will comprise this two-part exhibit.
U.S. Coast Guard Dogs, lifesaving dogs, and favorite mascots of the sea will be highlighted at the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum featuring Nantucket's very own Marshall, a friendly Newfoundland rescued from a wrecked ship on the south shore of the island in 1877, and Sinbad, one of the most famous Coast Guard dogs of our times, from the USCG service.
An associated exhibit will open next week, on May 28, in the historic Coffin School at 4 Winter Street. Here, stories of Nantucket dogs and Lighthouse dogs will be highlighted, with a collection of photographs and paintings coupled with stories from island dog owners showcase seafaring dogs who work and play on Nantucket's expansive beaches and coast.
This year, the Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum will enhance its collection of more than 5,000 objects, including period surfboats, beach carts, vintage photographs, and more, with the newly acquired silver medal awarded to Marcus W. Dunham for his role in several rescues during the Great Gale of 1879; the incorporation of oral histories into their "Madaket Millie" retrospective; an interactive shipwreck map; and a whimsical Newfoundland dog chair created by 'Sconset artist, Clara Urbahn.
The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum is located at 158 Polpis Road. The museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $5 adults, $3 for ages 5 to 18, and free for children under 5. Admission to the Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum includes the historic Coffin School, located at 4 Winter Street. For more information, including a full calendar of events, call 508-228-1885, or visit www.nantucketshipwreck.org or www.eganmaritime.org.
