If you missed some news about past programs and developments at the

H. Lee White Marine Museum, here's the place to check it out.

 

 

 

 

Please join us for an afternoon of remembrance

 of a dear and special friend

 

Donald I. Laird Jr.

December 29, 1948 – October 1, 2003

 

 

Saturday, November 22, 2003

 Celebrating Don’s Life in Oswego

 

1:00 pm ¬refreshments 

1:30 pm ¬reminiscing with music and thoughts 

 

You are welcome to share personal stories and photographs

Reservations requested, please call (315) 342-0480 

or email marinemuseum@scsinter.net

 

Also, for more information

 Stargazing Night

October 17, 2003
Our semi-annual “Stargazers Night” will take place 7:30 pm Friday, October 11 at the museum. Doors will open at 7:00 pm so come early, get a seat & browse our gift shop & exhibits!

Dr. Chaldu, Dr. Roby and Mr. Burgess of the SUNY Oswego Earth Sciences department will be at the museum with astronomical binoculars and a professional telescope to give participants an extraordinarily clear look at the autumn sky. Participants will learn about the stars, planets and constellations visible from Oswego this time of year.

Mr. Burgess, as always, will start the program with a presentation of well-researched and interesting information.

Program size is limited, so register early by contacting the museum at (315) 342-0480 or marinemuseum@scsinter.net. A nominal $5.00 fee ($3.00 for museum members) includes refreshments and admission to the museum. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate large groups and participants should be age 12 and over.

Wednesday, October 01, 2003

Are you ready for an exciting Canadian adventure?  Two wonderful museums in the Hull/ Gatineau area just outside of Ottawa will be the destination for the H. Lee White Marine Museum's Annual Bus Trip.  Limited space is still available and the trip has been opened to the public.

Our first stop will be the National Gallery of Canada, one of the most beautiful and innovative buildings in the country.  Opened in 1988, this is now the permanent home of Canada's exceptional national art collection, reflecting the rich diversity of Canada's heritage and culture.

Next it's on to the nearby Canadian Museum of Civilization in time for lunch (on your own). 

The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore the wonders of this fascinating museum, which presents exhibitions dating from the time of Canada's first peoples, beginning with the arrival of Norse  explorers.  The museum's boutiques carry a wide range of gifts and souvenirs. with something for every taste and budget.

Later in the afternoon, about 4:00pm, we will board our bus and travel to the Clipper Inn near Clayton, NY for a wonderful and relaxing dinner (included).  Those of you who joined us on our trip two years ago will remember this outstanding restaurant.

Departure Time: 6am                          from the Museum.

Estimated Return: 10pm.

Cost per Person: $55.00 / members

$60.00 / non-members.

Reservations must be received by:  September 12, 2003.

If you would like to join us or have any questions please contact the museum office at 342-0480 or marinemuseum@scsinter.net.

"THE OSWEGO CONNECTIONS TO THE 1839 AMISTAD INCIDENT"

A panel discussion

This program is free and open to the public.

 Dr. Helen M. Breitbeck and Eleanor Cali, both members of the Oswego County Freedom Trail commission, and John B. Gosek, an Oswego writer and historian, will present a panel discussion on the Oswego County connections to the 1839 Amistad incident.

Mr. Gary Burgess, featured speaker, will discuss how the constellations guided those escaping slavery along the “Underground Railroad”.

-ages 8 years to adult-

A special children’s project is included.

The doors will open at  6:30 pm; come early, get a seat & browse the gift shop and exhibits!

This program ties in with the arrival of the

Freedom Schooner “Amistad”

Sept. 20 - 24, 2003

into the Port of Oswego.

check www.amistadcny.org for information on the Amistad's visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At left is a photograph of the handsome new arch under which visitors will now drive, walk or bicycle to get to the Museum, the Tug, the Barge and the Essroc facilities on the West Pier.

The archway was installed October 12, 2001 thanks to a joint effort by the Port Authority and City of Oswego Traffic Department staff. It was fashioned of wrought iron by local artisan George Krul, whose work also includes the wrought iron fence around the Ladies Home on East Utica Street.

Welcome to the Oswego Historic Maritime District, of which the H. Lee White Marine Museum is proud to be a part.

Photograph by Richard Pfund

 

 At left is a detail of the beautiful blue ironwork, festively decorated with handmade wreaths for the holiday season.

Photograph by Don Laird, Jr.

 The H. Lee White Marine Museum's Associate Director was recognized for her many accomplishments in the Oswego community with the presentation of the Amelia Earhart Woman of Achievement Award at a special dinner October 26th. Congratulations Mer's!

 Volunteer of the Months - 2001

 H. Lee White Marine Museum
 January/February  Pete Kesler
 March  John Roziock
 April  Pete Kesler
 May  Mary Anne Hogan
June  David Coalson
July  Mary Dice
August  Roger Trembley
September  Carl Allen
October  Norma DeAmbra

Only a week remains until the 5 pm, November 18th, 2001 benefit drawing at the Oswego Holiday Expo at the NYS Armory. $1 buys you a chance to win one of four great prizes - a hand-made 19th century-style sea chest of local white ash with sand cast brass fittings, a hand-crocheted blue ribbon winning afghan, a custom-framed "Oswego tea" print, or a delicious 10 pound Nestle Crunch bar.

The sea chest has been fashioned by Mr. Carl Allen of Minetto, who used a number of examples as guides...Mr. Allen's own great uncle was a ship's carpenter some 100 years ago. He took great care with authenticity, going so far as to obtain white ash from Pember's Corners, near Hannibal, where much of the wood for shipbuilding in the Oswego area came from.

The joints are hand-wrought & dovetailed, and the top inscribed with the name "Brig of War - Oneida," after the first U.S. Great Lakes warship, which was built in Oswego in the early 19th century. Mr. Allen will also inscribe the winner's name on the sea chest lid.

These sea chests, sloped to fit under the curving side of the ship, were originally designed to carry such essentials of seafaring as flint for the cannons, an octant of sextant and a chronometer - the winner of this handsome modern interpretation, of course, will be free to store whatever he or she deems appropriate in it.

The beautiful blue and white afghan was crafted by Mr. Fanny Knapp and won a blue ribbon at the Oswego County Fair.

     

 

 But...even though summer will soon be officially ending, there's still lots to do at the Marine Museum.....

 
 

 Tuesday and Wednesday's drawing workshops went very well, with large groups of kids from around the city and county each afternoon - instruction included hands-on tours of the museum, the derrick barge and the LT-5, as well as work on covered picnic tables at the rear of the museum, pleasantly shaded by the building itself.

Workshop participants enthusiastically studied form, texture, line and composition as well as use of color.

 A reminder that parents & guardians can schedule "unbirthday" parties on board the historic LT-5 tugboat, for kids whose birthdays fall in the "off season" (October-May).

Parties are geared for ages 5-12 and the museum provides everything but the kids and gifts. A special discount is available at memberships above the $25 level.

 

 

 Some 65 members, volunteers and guests showed up last Friday for fantastic home-cooked food by master chef & board member Dr. Richard Falanga, ably assisted by retired SUNY professor Don Feck. The 2001 "Outstanding Member" award went to Frank Hale, and a plaque honoring Dick Chetney was unveiled - the plaque is now installed on the LT-5. A good time was had by all.
The historic WWII tugboat LT-5 sailed off to Rochester, the only other American city on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, for the Flower City's Harbor Festival...the LT-5 was one of only two boats on display, and 2500 new visitors came aboard for a look around.

 

 The entire Oswego Historic Maritime Waterfront District will be hosting open houses the weekend of May 19-20...the grand opening is on Saturday the 19th at 1 pm. Here's what's happening:

* H. Lee White Marine Museum - season grand opening, punch and cookies, free admission both days, free balloons, all sites open including the WWII National Historic Landmark LT-5 tugboat - 1-5 pm

* US Coast Guard Station - station open house and tours of their new Coast Guard cutter

* Oswego Maritime Foundation - all facilities opening, free hot dogs and soda, discussion of their expansion plans (watch this space for news about OMF's "Tall Ships" visit in June!)

* Fort Ontario State Historic Site - "Kiwanis Kids' Kite Day," free kites to the first 200 children, Saturday @ 2 pm

* Oswego Yacht Club - Blessing of the Fleet, Sunday @ 1pm

...and, at the H. Lee White Marine Museum, presentation of the cash awards to the nine Oswego County student winners of the "History Rules!" art contest and "Write Away!" writing contest! The Honorable Frances T. Sullivan, Republican New York State Assemblywoman for District 117, will be on hand at 1:30 pm Saturday to present cash prizes to the proud winners of the Museum's first annual art & writing contests.

 

 Birds

of the

Winter Harbor
  

 Twenty people -some from as far afield as Schenectady - met at the Museum this past Sunday (March 4) for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of bird watching under the guidance of Mary Alice Koeneke of the Audubon Society and the Federation of NYS Bird Clubs.

Ms. Koeneke spoke for about an hour about the types of birds that can be seen in the Port of Oswego - their reasons for migrating, choosing a nesting site, population changes and much more. She also discussed the Audubon Society itself, the famous local Derby Hill Sanctuary and why the Oswego harbor, on a lake which rarely freezes over in winter, is a good place to go bird-watching.

Museum volunteers baked cookies and brownies and provided cocoa, coffee and tea for program participants, who spent time outside to observe several species of ducks, gulls and other birds in Oswego's harbor. Mary Alice Koeneke stayed outside to help identify species, teach how to identify species, instruct on binocular use and allow use of her own scope for viewing.

 "Just Hear those sleigh bells jingling...."

Bells, Bells, Bells - there are many ways to ring in the holiday season with hand bells, and collector Ida Hawley owns over 700 of them...there are ceramic bells and pewter bells and bronze bells and wooden bells, bells from Bali and India and China and Afghanistan, sleigh bells and camel bells....

Ida Hawley has been collecting hand bells for 65 years, since her undergraduate days at Syracuse University as a music major, helping to pay her way through college by playing piano for dance classes for 36 cents an hour.

Her first bell was Chinese, made in the shape of a swimming fish - one holds it for ringing by the dorsal fin. The newest bell in her collection is a tiny, delicate bone china bell made in England, commemorating the recent 100th birthday of England's Queen Mother.

In between there are over 700 bells from all around the world , made of a wide range of materials - "figurine" bells in which the entire figure is the bell, and "figural" bells which feature a figure on top of the bell itself. Among the many unusual bells in Ida's collection is a bronze Japanese temple bell believed to help keep away evil spirits - a set of early 19th century American harness bells, made in Connecticut, which are tuned to jingle a B-minor triad - a hand bell made from the volcanic glass thrown out by erupting Mt. St. Helens - a complete series of Lladro bells, made in Spain, in which the decorative designs are molded in, not painted on - a brass/bronze double bell from Afghanistan, which once hung from the harness of a camel on the old Silk Road trade route.

On December 10th, visitors to the H. Lee White Marine Museum enjoyed delicious homemade punch and holiday cookies, heard historical holiday stories told by Mrs. Claus herself (a.k.a. City Historian Rosemary Nesbitt), watched Santa Claus arrive by Coast Guard Cutter, and sang along to traditional holiday favorite songs with American Balladeer Don Laird, Jr.

A good time was had by all!

Earlier in December the Museum hosted an exhibit of digital photographs of the Oswego Harbor by noted photographer Robert Gillen. Mr. Gillen, originally from Rochester, NY, taught photography, ceramics and drafting in the Hannibal High School Fine Arts Department for 27 years before retiring in 1990. He has now embraced digital photography as an "awe-inspiring and challenging" way to communicate worldwide. His beautiful photographs capture the subtle play of light and shade and render the various aspects of Oswego's busy harbor as atmospheric works of art. Mr. Gillen and his wife, artist Leanne Joice-Gillen, run Little Creek Studios in Hannibal which features finely crafted original jewelry, watercolors, drawings and photographs.

Volunteer of the Year 2000

Joan Waterbury

The H. Lee White Marine Museum staff joins with founder Rosemary Nesbitt in saluting Volunteer of the Year Joan Waterbury and ALL of its wonderful volunteers, without whom the work of the museum would not be possible.