Description: Cast iron stand, with wooden rod and spool of twine. This was used by David Stanley at Stanley's Fish Market, Northeast Harbor, to wrap fish for customers. The cast iron stand has raised letters reading CUTTER BOSTON on the inside of one leg. A spool of white twine accompanied this stand when it was given to the museum, but there was no longer any paper.
Description: Hand painted sign reading SEA FOOD. Sign is painted on Masonite (or a similar product) and has a white background and black letters. The front of the sign is scratched and shows signs of age. The sign came from Stanley's Fish Market, Northeast Harbor, operated by David L. Stanley. To see a photograph showing this sign or one like it, go to https://nehl.digitalarchive.us/items/show/5993
Description: Fishing gear, "Lilly Iron" (harpoon) from Wesley Bracy, Jr. with swiveling piece on the barb that folds flat for easy penetration, but opens crosswise for increased grip, thus preventing loss of the fish; Bruce Komusin inserted a wooden boomstick handle and secured it with rope for display purposes.
Description: Interview Transcript from an interview with Richard 'Chuddy' Alley. The interview was recorded in the 2000's (exact year unknown) by Jessi Duma and Jenny Matthews, who both lived on the island for a number of years. Chuddy came to GCI as a young boy, and recounts many memories of Great Cranberry in the early to mid 20th century. He talks about agriculture and fishing extensively with Jessi. He moved over to Islesford and his son Ricky Alley speaks about fishing with a fish trap, and Pursing. Jessi was a Cranberry Island Fellow and became the general manager for GCIHS for a few years. Interview with transcribed by Hannah Gower-Fox. She was the Archivist and Museum Curator for GCIHS in 2023. [show more]
Description: Fishing gear. Collection of twelve wooden tools: (A) Eight wooden needles for mending nets, making and repairing bait bag netting: snowshoe-shaped implements with U-shaped end, closed tangs, and pointed ends. (B) Net needle: wood with large rectangular eye hole. (C) Wood rectangle with hole in the middle and a loop of rope through two other holes: lobster fishing assemby that keeps the line from getting tangled. (D and E) Two wood implements that come to a smooth point. [show more]
Description: Art, pen and ink drawing titled "LOBSTER TRAP ON BOTTOM" by C. Gilley, showing an old fashioned round top wooden lobster trap on the sea bed, with a rope going up to an intermediate float (a glass bottle), the rope continuing further up to a bullet shaped float on the surface; also a lobster boat approching it on the surface
Description: Fishing gear. Harpoon head: wood handle with threaded metal collar and 5-pronged metal barbed harpoon head. Wood handle is a sawed-off tree limb; metal collar possibly an old pipe fitting; harpoon head is inserted into handle; collar turns freely. One tine missing its barb. From Victor White's old garage summer 2013.
Description: Fishing gear. Metal Fishing Buoy, round. It is stamped on one side PHILLIPS PATENT GUARANTEED LIGHTWEIGHT MODEL. and on the other, PATENT No 331163 NOTICE OF INFRINGEMENT REWARDED. The patent number is from Great Britain.
Description: List, handwritten, 18 Nov 1882, "Gauger's Returns" listing barrels of oil from ships, SLF (probably S.L. Foster) and R (probably Rozella), Capt. E. Stanley, S.L. Foster, signed by J.G. McKerson, Gauger
Description: Newpaper, "The Working Waterfront" Aug 2001, see page 10, article "Great Cranberry Island Historical Society Builds a New Museum from Scratch"
Description: Four photographs of boats (A-D) with unidentified men and boys aboard. (A) unidentified dory. (B) and (D) may be the same vessel, probably one of the mackerel schooners owned by Benjamin Harley Spurling whose wife was Frances Almira Preble (donor Louise Marr's grandparents.) C: The steamer may have been one owned by Hanson B. Joyce of Swan's Island engaged in the mackerel fishery. Joyce owned significant shares in several Cranberry Island vessels, possibly shares in Benjamin Spurling's vessels. (D): information from Ralph Stanley and Bar Harbor Record. [show more]
Description: A letter from J.E Welles to Ben Spurling. This letter is regarding the fishing industry. Welles mentions how it is hard to find fisherman to work out in Athens (Georgia). He then talks about deciding to not make his boat a power boat, but keep it how it is because it is greatly equipped for business. Lastly, he mentions about how if Ben wanted to come join him in the Gulf, he would figure something out, due to the lack of fisherman willing to work. [show more]
Description: A letter from J.E Welles to Captain Ben Spurling. In this letter he writes about the effect that the "war" is having on the fishing industry. This war being the Spanish American war. He seems to have a pretty negative outlook on the war, and believes it will have plenty of negative consequences. Lastly, he catches Ben up on his children, and about his future travels to Athens were his garden there is doing well.
Description: Glass negative taken at Mount Desert Rock, September 1907. View depicts a Friendship sloop, identified as belonging to Captain Van Norden, towing two smaller boats. Negative envelope reads: Mt. Desert Lt. Sta. Sept. 1907 No. 1 Capt. Van Norden's Boat
Description: Glass negative taken at Mount Desert Rock, August 1908. View shows at least four boats not far from shore fishing. To the far left is a two-masted schooner and in the center is a Friendship sloop. In front of the sloop, and to the right, are at least two smaller boats. Negative envelope reads: Mt. Desert Lt. Sta. Aug. 1908 Capt. John Robinson seining
Description: View taken from Mount Desert Rock of the two-masters fishing schooner Marion Turner, as labeled on the envelope. The Marion Turner is towing a rowboat. In the foreground the ledges of Mount Desert Rock are visible. According to the envelope, the photograph was taken April 22, but year is not given. Likely taken between 1907-1909. Notes at the bottom of the negative envelope appear to refer to the development of the negative: Devel. S.R. plate Pancro. in Devel. 300 count (?) [show more]