Since its founding in 1983, the New London Maritime Society has built an eclectic collection of photographs related to local maritime history, some added by gift and some by purchase, called the Small Photographs Collection for lack of a better name. Some of the photographs were originally gathered, identified and organized by the late historian Harold J. Cone and include his extensive notes and labels.

Over the years the photographs have provided a valuable visual resource for many historians and journalists writing about the period when New London, a hub of maritime commerce since colonial times, including an important whaling fleet, was transformed industrially by steam, diesel and nuclear power. They record the vanished history of the city, including views of the harbor, waterfront activity, ships at anchor, regattas and scenes from the industrial past. 

Today, as New London experiences further industrial transformation to support wind energy technology with the State Pier Project, and the construction of the Coast Guard Museum on the waterfront, these historic photographs are even more important to planners, researchers and local history fans.

Several months ago we applied for a  grant to preserve some of our photographs.  We did not get the grant but it inspired us to look again at the photographs collection as a whole. The result was a physical exhibition of actual photographs in the Custom House as well as this digital exhibition of some of the images.  The online show will continue as we add more images from the collection in the future. 

For this exhibition we have scanned some of the photographs.  Many of the images appear as thumbnails. To enlarge to full-size, click on an image and zoom in to examine the details.

Laurie M. Deredita, Librarian

An exhibit about the vanished era of steamboat travel between New York City and Boston and the intermediate ports of New London, Norwich, Stonington, and Fall River.

Curated by Brian Rogers - Online Exhibits Librarian, New London Maritime Society

An exhibition about the origins and history of the Connecticut State Pier and the Central Vermont Railway Pier in New London, Connecticut. Best viewed in Full Screen mode.

Please use the chapter headings in the sidebar to navigate the chronology.

---Brian Rogers, Online Exhibits Librarian

This exhibit is about the journal of the voyage of the whaler Merrimac of New London, Connecticut, covering a period from 1844-1847, followed by a journal of the General Williams, covering July-November 1852

Edited by Laurie Deredita, Librarian

Illustrated steps for making half-hull models by Robert A. Pittaway.  

Edited by Brian Rogers, Online Exhibits Librarian