April 2008

This month we focus on one of the basic tools for anyone interested in maritime history on the Web. Robert H. Smith’s revised link list is a great starting point for exploration of the real and virtual maritime museums in North America and beyond.  

Bob has included two kinds of locator tools; a pull-down list of locales and a roll-over map. There is also a Bookstore section where you can order the printed “Maritime Museums of North America” and Smith’s fascinating monograph  “Clinton’s Ditch: The Erie Canal – 1825.” The “About Us” page provides a brief biographical sketch of Smith and his work.

To save bookmarking hundreds of sites, just point to:
http://www.maritimemuseums.net/

March 2008

This month we revisit a Web site that we haven't seen in several years. We first encountered the Institute for Maritime History when it was based in Biddeford Maine. They were engaged in underwater exploration of the nineteenth century coastal schooner Annabella that went down off Cape Neddick on the Maine coast. Since then the organization has greatly expanded its scope of operations and relocated to Maryland.
The Web site offers a good overview of the Institute and its current projects as well as information about past efforts. Newsletters and reports are available for download as .PDF documents. To learn more visit:

http://www.maritimehistory.org/

February 2008

This month we focus on the Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments Web site. Three features in particular caught our attention.

The first item was the online availability of their Gallery guide as a  .pdf document. Visitors planning a trip to the Gallery can scope out the items on display and the general themes of the exhibit area. Short essays by members of the Department for the History of Science provide an excellent introduction and a way for visitors think about and understand the items on view.

The second item is a built-in map of the entire campus and surrounding area. This map is specifically designed to help visitors get around and it avoids some of the “pitfalls” of general-purpose way-finding software.

The third item of interest is the introduction of “Waywiser,” an online searchable database of objects from the Collection. Although the entire Collection is not yet accessible online, the items that are viewable are quite impressive. Each object includes basic information about the provenance, use and physical characteristics. Visitors can even assemble a personal “collection” of items that they store for later retrieval and study.

To make your virtual trip to Harvard just click on: