Description: The following comes from an article in Soundings by Steve Knauth. Lester Fagans was a top commercial illustrator and painter through three decades, honored by the American Merchant Marine Institute as “one of the country’s leading contemporary marine artists.” Fagans was known early on for his detailed boat portraits. A 1939 work, Breezy Day, shows Henry Gibson’s powerboat Vesta, built by Hubert Johnson’s yard in Bay Head, New Jersey. After serving in the South Pacific during World War II, Fagans began a career in commercial art, working for a variety of companies. He did road maps for Esso (Standard Oil); illustrated articles for Popular Science (one on “How to Drive” required Fagans to do extensive study of accident photographs); and a series of cutaway drawings of a centrifuge (for an article on supersonic aviation). His finely done posters for the shipping companies Moore-McCormack, Grace Lines and American Export Lines helped publicize their new fleets of ocean liners. But he’s perhaps best known for his work in the recreational boating field. The boating business was booming in the 1950s and ’60s, with new boats, new designs and new technology to excite the buying public. Fagans helped show it all off through his magazine article illustrations and covers. He also did drawings for the so-called “Bible of Boating,” Chapman Piloting: Seamanship and Small Boat Handing. Self-effacing, Fagans worked with what he called “quick sketches” and “no ideas.” He described himself as a guy who has to work “pretty hard” and “once in a while receives a check.” He was active as an artist in the Chatham, Massachusetts, community that was his home. Countless entries in the Chatham Press announced lessons and demonstrations for civic groups and schoolchildren. Fagans died in 1964. To those with whom he worked, he was known for his draftsmanship and attention to detail. As an illustrator, one publication noted, Lester Fagans was a “popular choice.” This article originally appeared in the April 2017 issue. [show more]
Description: Historian, Genealogist, Musician, Boat Builder, Author, Raconteur - there is only one Ralph Stanley. Ralph bears many titles and awards, but for the Southwest Harbor Public Library he is, most of all, a friend. Ralph started using the library as a child and continued as an adult, graduated to Trustee, to President of the Trustees, and, in 2013, became our first Trustee Emeritus. Since 2007 he has spent hundreds of hours patiently identifying people, places and vessels in the Digital Archive. He gave the library his vast collection of photographs, The Ralph Warren Stanley Collection, in 2014. For years he has told us stories of his family, friends and adventures on Mount Desert Island. Archivists have written down almost every word and fact – a treasure for the collection and for the community. This is his chef d’oeuvre, The Stanleys of Cranberry Isles…and Other Colorful Characters, Ralph’s own story, based on his own research and in his own words. To purchase the print version of this book please contact the Southwest Harbor Public Library at archivist@swhplibrary.org or (207) 244-7065. [show more]
Description: Document, Downeast Windjammer Cruises dated 3/21/2011 from Captain Steven F. Pagels. Subject: Great Cranberry Island Historical Society. Article mentions the newsletter, Cranberry Chronicles). Capt. Steven F. Pagels owned the ferry, Moleska, for a period of time. Capt. Pagels "purchased Moleska from Chuck Liebow where she was lying in his boat house on Great Cranberry. We needed a vessel for a pilot launch as we were then running pilots out to cruise ships entering and leaving Bar Harbor back in the 1990's. I believe the Moleska had been built at Southwest Boat right after WWII. We later sold Moleska and I believe she went down to Belfast." See also 2018.416.2824C. [show more]
Description: Document from Hugh Dwelley to Bruce Komusin, Winnie Smart, and Phil & Karin Whitney, dated 3/22/2011. Subject: "Cranberry Chronicle". Documents mentions that Rachel Fields called it Big Cranberry and when Hugh Dwelley was growing up in the 1940s & 1950s, we simply called it "Big Island". The memories of Great Cranberry (Big Island) are indeed interesting as they are of Islesford. Document mentions memoirs of Islesford being published and the warm memories of The Grange where Les Rice held the #2 position and came over with Ida, Wilfred, Norma and a few others nearly every Wednesday night for many years. Hugh talks about enjoying photos of the kids at Longfellow School and wishing classes were still in session at the school. Documents mentions Jack Rosebrook moved to Islesford and was a good friend and that Richard Alley is on Islesford now. Hugh remembers Karl Wedge, Allison Bunker, Pauline Bunker and Charlene Allen. Hugh says there were two dozen kids in the Islesford School during my years there (1936-1944). Some of the kids were from Coast Guard families. Hugh mentions the Coast Guard Station where he delivered "GRIT" newspapers and sold pull-books. There were as many as 50 men there for a time late in WWII. Hugh also mentions Sadie's Doughnuts and Sadie Fernald frying doughnuts. Lew Stanley and Wilfred & Tud's pictures in younger days are also mentioned. [show more]
Description: Document, from Phil & Karin Whitney to Wini Smart dated 4/29/2010. Subject: "Re: Woods House". See item 1588a (the questions from Wini Smart to Bruce Komusin which generated item 1588). (Note: This document is about the Woods house but mostly background on the Richman house.) Key words and names in this document include: Wood's House, Julia Bunker Spurling and her mother, Sidney (aka Sydney) Hamor. The old Richman house currently owned by Michael Richman and his sister, Wren Richman. Willis & Rena Bunker lived in the Richman house (what is now Dick & Anne Sullivan's house). Percy Bunker & wife Gertrude Bunker moved into the Sullivan house. Sometime in the early 1950s, Winslow Bunker, unmarried, lived in the Richman house. Gaile Colby might remember more specifically about some of this. In 1954, Gertude Bunker died and Percy Bunker moved to Islesford, where he remained until his death. Winslow Bunker got married to Rosie (last name not known) a school teacher in Brewer. Richman house was sold to Robert & Maida Richman of Washington, D.C. in 1954. Winslow Bunker died in 1992, Robert Richman died approximately in 1990, Maida Richman died around 2002 or 2003. My understanding is that the house has always remained the sole property of the Richman family. Clay Taylor has no financial interest in it. Phil Whitney says in the document that when Wini is doing the full history of the Sullivan house (previously the Richman house) that he has more background information and some interesting anecdotes. Phil has very fond memories of "old Cranberry day" with Percy & Gertrude and Winslow & Rosie as well. Phil Whitney says " that the whole family is mostly forgotten now". [show more]
Description: Recording. Audio CD. Memorial service for Clyde Everett Shorey who passed away in 2013. (Digital recording saved in all years\videos, too.)
Description: 1 filing cabinet containing folders with envelopes, loose articles and clippings about local people, families, organizations and events. Articles are not catalogued by year nor subject. Files have been extracted from FileMaker (expect some formatting inaccuracies).
Description: Notes of Bob Pyle about the Klu Klux Klan on the island and the impact on local Northeast Harbor workers. His home on Summit Rd., once the Catholic Church rectory, is an example.
Description: World War II diary of Hoyt Clark from training camp Feb. 1944 until discharge Nov. 1945. Serving on Guam and Tinian Islands in the Pacific, he describes bombing raids over Japan
Description: Catalog from Clark Point Gallery in SW Harbor for summer exhibit of photographs by Richard Herman Rothe, landscape designer. In 1906 he became superintendent of Mount Desert Nurseries on Nursery Lane, Northeast Harbor.
Description: John D. Rockefeller Jr.'s move to Seal Harbor, his intentions in the development of the his carriage roads, and his role in the creation of Acadia National Park working with George Dorr.
Description: The Don Turner Award from the USS Constitution Museum recognizes a person or team of people, professional or amateur, who have contributed significantly to efforts to preserve important vessels or who have made a significant contributions to our knowledge and understanding of ship design and construction. Ralph Warren Stanley was presented with the award by Anne Grimes Rand, President of the USS Constitution Museum on June 26, 2013.