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The Mariners' Blog

Latest Posts

  • Why John Frye Matters

    • Collections
    • Cultural Heritage
    • Photography

    Through grant funding, The Mariners' is working to digitize and preserve a host of photo negatives, including the remarkable photographic work of John Frye, whose collection captures the heart of the menhaden fishing industry in Chesapeake Bay. Frye’s vivid notes and 7,000+ negatives offer a glimpse into the daily lives of Chesapeake Bay watermen in the 1960s-1980s. 

  • Drewry’s Bluff After Action Report

    • Civil War
    • Military
    • Military Conflict
    • USS Monitor

    After the Battle of Hampton Roads, USS Monitor —“little ship that saved the nation” — seemed perfect. But this illusion was shattered after the James River Flotilla's defeat at Drewry's Bluff. Lt. William Jeffers wrote a detailed report lodging his complaints about the vessel, from intolerable ventilation to questionable design choices, leading to a harsh rebuke from inventor John Ericsson. 

  • Gold Rush Saves Whales

    • Collections

    What did the California Gold Rush have to do with the whaling industry?  Albert M. Barnes, II, whose collection was donated to The Mariners’ Museum in 1986, created a list of 59 whaling vessels whose destiny was forever changed by the California Gold Rush.

  • The River, The Reverend, and The Revival

    • Black History
    • Collections
    • Cultural Heritage
    • Photography

    Our Curatorial Team explores the powerful image of a baptism captured in 1914 on the James River in Newport News, VA, shedding light on the deep, enduring connection Black Americans have had with water. Through this historical photograph, we reflect on the rich cultural and spiritual ties to water that have shaped African American history, and how these traditions continue to influence and resonate today.

  • The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff

    • Civil War
    • Military Conflict
    • USS Monitor

    The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff was a dramatic Confederate victory. Richmond was under immediate threat of being captured or at least shelled and destroyed by the Union flotilla, but the cannoneers at Drewry’s Bluff prevented the capital from capture.

  • Little Mariners, Big Potential: Fostering Growth in Early Childhood Education

    • Education

    At The Mariners', one of our top priorities is serving school-aged children. In response to demand, we’ve recently expanded our focus to include PreK students by creating a new Early Childhood Educator position and implementing several enrichment programs crafted to engage our youngest learners.

  • The Pontoon–Hydroplane Boat: A Motor Boat Built on Airplane Principles

    • Collections
    • Cultural Heritage
    • Photography

    Is it a boat? Or an airplane? Perhaps both. Thomas Lake's patented pontoon-hydroplane boat is a testament to the imaginations of past inventors whose ideas paved the way for future vessels.

  • You Say Merrimack, I say Virginia

    • Civil War
    • css virginia
    • Military Conflict
    • USS Monitor

    History lovers have been transfixed for decades by the clash of the ironclads that erupted at the Battle of Hampton Roads. But one question remains unanswered for many: Why do some people refer to CSS Virginia as Merrimac? And what's more: Why is Merrimac sometimes spelled with a "k" at the end and sometimes without?

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