|
Rhode Island --The Herreshoff Museum
The
Herreshoff Marine Museum, One Burnside Street . Bristol
. Rhode Island, is a focal place for sailors worldwide. The museum
comprises a number of Herreshoff boats, historical and family exhibits
and the pinnacle of sailing nirvana, the America's Cup Hall of Fame.
Perspective | Exhibits | Upcoming Events | Contact Info | Rating
Perspective
To some people, freedom comes in the form of an automobile, but to sailors, sitting at the helm of a sailboat, be it a sailing dinghy or 12-meter, the freedom involved trumps that provided by cars and any other form of transportation going away. No roads, no stop signs, no crosswalks. It's you, the wind, an open sea and dreams.
If sailing were a religion, then The Herreshoff Marine Museum is Jerusalem, the Vatican and Mecca combined.
Every sailor worth his or her salt has heard the
name Herreshoff, not once, but many times. Indeed, Herreshoff is
synonymous with sailing in many circles by virtue of the designs
the family has conceived. It's a name that equates to excellence
in sailing vessels and generations have sailed and raced Herreshoff
boats.
While boats, model boats, designs, history and sailing are the focus of the museum, it's also the repository of all things relating to the America's Cup. Write's Halsey C. Herreshoff, the current president of the museum, "The America's Cup is the Holy Grail of yacht racing. It is much more. This Cup, in competition for a period of 150 years, is the oldest and most distinguished trophy in all sport, outdating the World Cup, Davis Cup, Stanley Cup, Walker Cup, and all others of significance."
A museum flagship yacht built by
the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in 1904, Bambino
still competes and continues to win races. Copyright ©
Herreshoff Marine
Museum & America's Cup Hall of Fame. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
|
|
The Herreshoff family was intertwined with the design of many
of the American yachts that vied for the coveted cup from the very
beginning of the competition in 1851. In fact, their designs and
participation in design kept the cup in America until 1983 when
sailing went hi-tech. That's when the whole nature of the competition
changed, and in this writer's opinion, not for the better. Instead
of remaining a gentlemen's sport, the desire to win involved expenditures
of millions of dollars in complex experimental designs, ship-building,
rigging and promotion. Indeed, sponsors became the norm, making
the classic racing boats look like NASCAR race cars, their sails
festooned with advertising decals.
Nonetheless, the collection here is impressive and it's home to the America's Cup Hall of Fame.
The Herreshoff Museum section offers excellent
specimens of the family's designs and harkens back to the day, not
that long ago, when yachts were constructed of wood, not fiberglass,
and the craftsmanship was elegant. Captain Nat Herreshoff's model
room displays his famous half models and is accessible by appointment.
The A. Sidney DeWolf Herreshoff Room chronicles the family's history
as well as the birth and development of the Herreshoff Manufacturing
Company. There's also the collection of Herreshoff family portraits.
What many people, sailors included, may not know is that the
Herreshoff family was involved in the design of more than sailing
yachts. They also designed torpedo boats for the military.
If you're a sailor or interested in the sport, this museum is not to be missed.
Return to Top
Exhibits and Attractions
The Hall of Boats
This exhibit features more than 50 classic Herreshoff yachts, ranging
in style from the Sprite, a 20-foot catboat, the 52-foot Belisarius,
Captain Nat Herreshoff's last design, built in 1938, to the Bat,
a Herreshoff dinghy.
Nathanael G. Herreshoff Model Room and Workshop
These are faithful reproductions of the captain's model room and
workshop from his home. There are over 500 half models used in the
building of all of his yachts. These areas replicate Captain Nat
Herreshoff's model room and workshop from his nearby home, Love
Rocks. One learns here how the models were created and how the models
were transformed into the Herreshoff yachts of the "Golden Age of
Yachting." Also here are the equipment and tools he used to create
his model. Because the models are fragile, access to them is by
appointment only. The Workshop features all of the equipment and
tools that aided him in his work. Because of the fragility of the
models, access to the N.G. Herreshoff Model Room is possible only
by appointment.
The A. Sidney DeWolf Herreshoff Room
Here you'll find a diorama of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company,
family photos, steam engine and fittings exhibits and several small
boats.
Herreshoff Family Portraits
Oil portraits here portray the family of Charles and Julia Herreshoff, which hung for many years in the music room at Herreshoff House at 142 Hope Street in Bristol.
The America's Cup Hall of Fame
This is the permanent center designed to recognize who are deemed
most important to the 150-year pursuit of the most prestigious sailing
trophy in the world. From the museums's Website, here you will find:
Plaques honoring individual stars of America's Cup competition,
half models of most challengers and defenders; artifacts including
spars, innovative steering wheels, tank test model hulls, brilliant
photos chronicling the fabulous record of America's Cup matches;
a video room with exciting presentations; and special exhibits such
as the "Mushrooms" (support team), the 2003 Cup Races in Auckland,
etc.
The Rebecca Chase Herreshoff Library
This is the primary research center and archive for the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company and the family. From the museum's Website: The Library houses a unique collection of Herreshoff material that is unequalled in depth and scope, and includes five thousand texts, three thousand images (glass-plate negatives, photographs, etchings, prints), an estimated fifteen thousand archival quality materials (rare books, publications, letters, drawings), plus video, film and audiotapes. The Library includes materials from important yachting and America's Cup collections, including those of the Herreshoff family, Briggs S. Cunningham, J. E. Roosevelt, Charles Moody, and Edward I. du Moulin, to name a few.
Upcoming Events
May 1
Museum Opens for the season
May 8
Members' Annual Meeting ( now under the Museum tent )
June 1
Lecture ( Tuesday evening 7:00 to 9:30 )
June 10
Rosecliff in Newport
America's Cup Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Rolex 12th Annual Induction Ceremony & 2004 Hall of Fame Inductees
June 21
Sailing School Begins
July 13
Lecture ( Tuesday evening 7:00 to 9:30 )
August 3
Lecture ( Tuesday evening 7:00 to 9:30 )
August 19
Sailing School Ends
August 20-21
Leukemia / Lymphoma Regatta
August 27-29
Herreshoff Rendezvous '04
Race for Classic Yachts and Clambake
September 14
Lecture ( Tuesday evening 7:00 to 9:30 )
Nat & Halsey Herreshoff
Centenary Yacht: Schooner INGOMAR
October 5
Lecture ( Tuesday evening 7:00 to 9:30 )
October 15-17
Restoration Symposium / Book Signing (17th)
October 31
Museum Closes for the season
December 10
Museum Christmas Party ( Sid Room 5:30 to 9:00 )
December 31
Museum Store Closes for the season
Many activities require reservation in advance or may be rescheduled due to weather. We recommend calling to confirm: 401-253-5000.
Contact Information
Address: One Burnside Street . P.O. Box 450 . Bristol . Rhode Island 02809-0450
Phone: 401.253.5000
Website: www.herreshoff.org/Home.htm
Admission: May 1 - October 31, 2004, Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: Members Admitted Free, $8 Adult (21 and older), $7 Senior (over 65), $2 Student (with student card), Children under 12-No Charge; Group rates (per person) $7 Groups (5-10), $6 Groups (11-20), $5 Groups (over 21); The Nathanael G. Herreshoff Model Room is available for visitation by advance appointment.
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 - 4:30, Sunday 12:00 - 4:30, Closed Mondays
Herreshoff Marine Museum Shop
Museum Rating: 
Return to Top | Great New England Museums & Historical Sites Home Page
|
