Browse Exhibits (9 total)
Remembering Ellery Thompson: Fisherman, Writer, Artist, Free Spirit
An exhibition of the life and times of Ellery Franklin Thompson (1899-1986), whose writings, published and unpublished, provide first-hand glimpses into the 20th century maritime history of southeastern Connecticut.
Chapter links are listed at right. We hope you enjoy the exhibition.
Brian Rogers, Online Exhibitions Curator April, 2020
Down to the Shore: By Steamboat from Norwich to Block Island and Back
A memoir by Gerard E. Jensen (1884-1970) of his boyhood trips at the turn of the 19th century aboard scheduled steamboats connecting Norwich, Connecticut, and Block Island, Rhode Island, with stops at Montville, New London, Stonington, and Watch Hill. Originally published in the Fall, 1967, issue of Steamboat Bill, the Journal of the Steamship Historical Society of America. Reprinted with permission.
Illustrated with images from the original article and vintage postcards from the collection of the Frank L. McGuire Maritime Library. Edited by Brian Rogers, Librarian (2009-2019)
New London and the First Steam-Powered Atlantic Crossing
A documentary about New London's unique relationship with the SS Savannah and her pioneering transatlantic voyage in 1819 under Captain Moses Rogers and First Mate Stevens Rogers.
We gratefully acknowledge the support and advice of John Laurence Busch in the preparation of this documentary.
---Brian Rogers
Old Ironsides - New London
Photographs, documents, and other resources which tell the story of the New London Custom House's connection to America's oldest commissioned warship, USS Constitution.
U.S. Maritime Service Officers School at Fort Trumbull
A documentary history of the U.S. Maritime Service Officers School at Fort Trumbull, New London, Connecticut. (1939 - 1946)
William Douglass Alexander, Marine Engineer
Photographs and documents illustrating the career of William Douglass Alexander (1890-1949), Thames River ferry and tugboat fireman and engineer, U.S. Naval Reserve engineer, and civilian employee at the U.S. Submarine Base in his hometown of Groton, Connecticut.
New London Postcard Collection
The Frank L. McGuire Maritime Library's postcard collection features maritime images of New London and Groton in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Neighboring shoreline towns are covered as well, such as Stonington and Noank, Connecticut, and towns between New London and the Connecticut River. The cards date primarily from the 1890s to the 1950s, while more recent examples document the shift from "colorized" lithography to full-color photography.
Duplicates or near-duplicates are included with many of these to show postmarks, personal messages, or variations in design.
Principal subjects include the Thames River and New London Harbor, steamboats and other large vessels, the Yale-Harvard Regatta, New London Harbor Light and other area lighthouses, New York Yacht Club visits, Ocean Beach Park, and historic buildings on or near the waterfront, from Union Railroad Station and the U.S. Custom House to Fort Trumbull and the Lighthouse Inn. Groton waterfront scenes include the late Griswold Hotel, Fort Griswold and the monument to the Battle of Groton Heights, the Groton-New London Ferry, and the rail and road bridges linking New London and Groton.
The work of library volunteer Gretchen van der Lyke in scanning large segments of the postcard collection for this exhibit is gratefully acknowledged.
The McGuire Library also holds a large collection of modern postcards of American and foreign lighthouses and lightships, the gift of maritime historian Norman Brouwer. These may be viewed in the library, together with our collection of more than three hundred books about lighthouses and lightships.
The Frank L. McGuire Maritime Library in New London's Custom House Maritime Museum
An illustrated history of the library by Brian Rogers, New London Maritime Society Librarian 2009-2019
Robert Mills, the Greek Revival, and New London's Historic Custom House
Images and information relating to Robert Mills (1781-1855), the first American-born professional architect, and his buildings for the federal government: the U.S. Treasury, U.S. Patent Office, the Washington Monuments in Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD, and custom houses in New London, CT, New Bedford, MA, and Newburyport, MA.
An exhibition created by the New London Maritime Society, 2016.