Steve Dunwell

This short book of photographs illustrates the maritime museum of Mystic, Connecticut (USA), a major site of ship-building in the 19th century. Mystic is located a few miles inland from the Long Island Sound, and from the Revolutionary War period through much of the 19th century, it housed a number of ship-building yards, and was home to dozens of whaling ships.

Mystic Seaport now serves as the largest maritime museum in the USA, with 40 acres, 60 buildings, and hundreds of watercraft. Among the latter are a large 19th century whaling ship (the Charles W. Morgan) and the Joseph Conrad, a 123 foot iron-hulled vessel that served as a training ship for the Danish merchant marine. This book illustrates the scope of the museum, with fine photographs of the major ships and other vessels available for visitors to explore, buildings of the seaport (restored to their 19th century appearance), and innumerable artifacts from bygone days. With scores of photographs and informative pages of explanatory text, the book can serve as a momento for visitors who have spent hours exploring the buildings, grounds, and ships of this large museum.… (meer)