Events at Member Institutions

Tate House Museum Presents

The Maritime Marauder: Captain Henry Mowat

A Lecture by Author Harry Gratwick

Portland--- Join us for a talk by author Harry Gratwick about one of Portland’s most infamous characters, Captain Henry Mowat, a British sea captain who sailed into Portland’s harbor and bombarded the town by cannonball for much of the day on October 18, 1775. This act resulted in the destruction of more than two-thirds of the town and was a punitive measure against patriot activities during the Revolution.

Harry Gratwick’s talk is titled The American Revolution Comes to Maine: The Henry Mowat Controversy--was he truly the scoundrel of Revolutionary Maine?

Gratwick, a lifelong summer resident of Vinalhaven, is a retired secondary school history teacher who taught for 45 years mainly at the Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia. He has written extensively for the Working Waterfront and the Island Journal is the author of seven books on a variety of topics related to Maine's history. He is a graduate of Williams College and holds a Master’s degree from Columbia. 

The lecture will take place in the beautiful backyard and garden at Tate House from 6:45- 8:15 pm. The first 30 min will include a book signing by Mr. Gratwick. Copies of his book will be available for sale and the lecture begins at sundown, 7:15 pm.

Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the ambiance of Tate House overlooking the Stroudwater River. In the event of rain, the lecture will be moved indoors. Visit our website for details if the weather is questionable.

Tickets are available in advance at tatehouse.org and at the door. In advance prices are $12 general, $10 for THM members. At the door prices are $15 and $12 respectively.

October 18, 1775 marks the 250^th anniversary of this momentous event for Portland, and this lecture is the first of three commemorative programs to remember the occasion. Mark your calendars for a reenactment of the bombardment on Sept 20 and city-wide historical programs on Oct 18 including a special program at Tate House. Details forthcoming at tatehouse.org.

 

FMI: Holly Hurd

hkhurd@tatehouse.org

Tate House Museum

1267 Westbrook Street

Portland ME 04102

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1617841991949?aff=oddtdtcreator

A POP Studies program from Penobscot Marine Museum

Instructors, Matt Wheeler, Digital Collections Curator and Kevin Johnson, Photo Archivist

Digitizing cultural heritage photographs creates exciting opportunities for accessing and sharing collections. It may also be a smart preservation strategy for materials at risk from age and deterioration. However, it entails unique challenges, dovetails with other considerations, costs money, and may seem daunting to the novice. Penobscot Marine Museum has been digitizing photo collections since 2005. Through making mistakes, seeking out professional development, consulting colleagues, trying new approaches, and fundraising, we’ve built capacity and established a set of practices that align with our goals, current level of expertise, and budget. If you work for a museum, historical society, or other cultural heritage organization that’s planning a digital project for the first time, or you’re looking to improve your current program, this hands-on course will help you lay the groundwork to get started. Please note that we’ll demonstrate workflows with our existing hardware and software to provide sample use cases. The quality and performance of both is very good, and the costs are reasonable. Of course, there are other options which participants can explore on their own.

Topics Covered:

• Assessing the project
• Shopping for Gear
• Software Options
• Show Me the Money
• The Digital Darkroom
• On Targets
• Best Capture, Best Practice
• Software and Hardware Settings
• Image File Considerations
• Overview of Next Steps: Describing, Sharing, Storing

Program Benefits:

• Learn how to plan a successful photo digitization project using methodical steps
• Helpful technology recommendations from experienced professionals
• Tips on fundraising
• Practical intro to using hardware and software
• Overview of what to do with digital collections
• Links to additional resources

Target Audience:

• Museum professionals
• Historical society staff or volunteers

Experience Level: Appropriate for both Novice and Intermediate

Program Fee: $60 (MAM Members receive 20% discount with code MAM20)

Contact Hours: 2

Delivery: Lecture/Hands on

Dates & Locations (choose one):

Friday, Sept 26, 2025
10:00am – 12:00pm
On campus, Penobscot Marine Museum

Friday, Feb 20, 2026
10:00am – 12:00pm
Remote via Zoom

Friday, Aug 7, 2026
10:00am – 12:00pm
Off Campus, Belfast Free Library

Contact: For more information, please contact Shelly Patten, Office Manager at 207-548-2529 or spatten@pmm-maine.org.

This is a POP Studies program from the Penobscot Marine Museum.

Register: https://form.jotform.com/250435068978064

About the Instructors:

Matt Wheeler, Digital Curator

mwheeler@pmm-maine.org

Matt Wheeler serves as the Digital Curator at PMM and has been working in the Museum's Photo Archives since 2011. His educational experience includes coursework in digital curation from University of Maine, Orono, as well as ongoing professional development in evolving standards and best practices in the industry. He guides PMM in building sound digital collections with an eye to accessibility and sustainability. Matt grew up in Camden and Lincolnville, living on and appreciating Penobscot Bay, and enjoys engaging audiences in the digital age with stories of Penobscot Bay's cultural heritage. His personal photography explores the rich natural settings of the region.

Kevin Johnson, Photo Archivist

kjohnson@pmm-maine.org

Kevin Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s University and a Professional Certificate in Photography from the Maine Photographic Workshops. Kevin has served as the Photo Archivist at PMM since 2007 and has grown the Museum’s collection to more than 500,000 photographs. Since joining PMM, he has curated or co-curated more than 30 photography exhibits. He is the co-author of Maine on Glass: The Early Twentieth Century in Glass Plate Photography, author of the forthcoming Boothbay Now and Then, and is a regular contributor to several area publications. Kevin was a co-founder and co-owner of Aarhus Gallery in Belfast. He occasionally finds time to pursue his personal photography.

A POP Studies program from Penobscot Marine Museum

Instructor, Cipperly Good, Richard Saltonstall Jr Curator of Maritime History

Having the opportunity to care for prized heirlooms and family letters is a great joy but also a big responsibility. Whether you're preserving your own family history or that of your community, how do you make sure you save it for the next generation? This class will briefly recap how to handle those heirlooms and where to display them in your house or historic building, as discussed in classes A2 and A3 of this series (not a prerequisite). It will then delve into cleaning techniques, proper storage or display of materials, and when to call the conservator rather than repair any damage yourself. Practice makes perfect, so bring an item that fits into a shoe box to try out the techniques we learn in class.

Topics Covered:

• When to clean and how to clean based on composition
• What materials to use to store or display your heirlooms and family letters
• Do-it-yourself repairs versus calling the experts

Program Benefits:

• Learn how to clean without hurting your heirlooms
• Prevent mold, rust, and pest damage to your heirlooms and family letters
• Learn when to call the experts, and when you can do it yourself

Target Audience:

• Antiques collectors
• Collecting Institution (Museum and Historical Society) volunteers
• Anyone who was gifted an antique

Experience Level: Novice - Has minimal or textbook knowledge without connecting it to the practice

Program Fee: $60 (MAM Members receive 20% discount with code MAM20)

Contact Hours: 2

Delivery: Lecture/Hands on

Dates and Locations (choose one):

Friday, Nov 7, 2025
10:00am – 12:00pm
On campus, Penobscot Marine Museum

Friday, March 20, 2026
10:00am – 12:00pm
Remote via Zoom

Friday, July 31, 2026
10:00am – 12:00pm
Off Campus, Belfast Free Library

Contact: For more information, please contact Shelly Patten, Office Manager at 207-548-2529 or spatten@pmm-maine.org.

This is a POP Studies program from the Penobscot Marine Museum.

Register: https://form.jotform.com/250435068978064

About the Instructor:

Cipperly Good (she/her) Richard Saltonstall Jr. Curator of Maritime History

cgood@pmm-maine.org

Cipperly Good serves as the Curator at PMM, where she has been on staff since 2010. In her many roles at the Museum, Cipperly cares for, preserves, and provides access to the object, archive, and library collections. She also serves as the registrar and exhibit designer. Cipperly holds a Bachelor’s degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where she double majored in History and American Studies. She holds a Masters of Arts in Museum Studies, with a concentration in American History, from The George Washington University. Maritime museums combine Cipperly's two passions: sailing and maritime history! When not at the Museum, you will find her sailing around Penobscot Bay or cross-country skiing in Maine's woods.

A POP Studies program from Penobscot Marine Museum

Instructor, Cipperly Good, Richard Saltonstall Jr Curator of Maritime History

In an ideal situation, antiques would be tucked away in climate-controlled storage, but we want to live with our heirlooms and enjoy them. This class helps you develop a plan to preserve your antiques, based on object type, by maximizing the environmental conditions of your home or historic building. The Museum’s historic houses are our living laboratory. We will visit one to illustrate these concepts.

Topics Covered:

• Mitigating environmental conditions in the home on a budget
• Moving antiques to conducive relative humidity zones in the home
• Basic Preservation Techniques

Program Benefits:

• Reduce mold, rust, and fading on the antiques
• Showcasing the antiques while preserving them
• Improve the humidity in the house for your objects...and You!

Target Audience:

• Antiques collectors
• Collecting Institution (Museum and Historical Society) volunteers
• Anyone who was gifted an antique

Experience Level: Novice - Has minimal or textbook knowledge without connecting it to the practice

Program Fee: $60 (MAM Members receive 20% discount with code MAM20)

Contact Hours: 2

Delivery: Lecture/Hands on

Dates and Locations (choose one):

Friday, Oct 17, 2025
10:00am – 12:00pm
On campus, Penobscot Marine Museum

Friday, March 6, 2026
10:00am – 12:00pm
Remote via Zoom

Friday, July 17, 2026
10:00am – 12:00pm
Off Campus, Belfast Free Library

*Please note – On Campus class will visit Fowler house for “firsthand” examples, remote and Off Campus class will be taken on a virtual house visit

Contact: For more information, please contact Shelly Patten, Office Manager at 207-548-2529 or spatten@pmm-maine.org.

This is a POP Studies program from the Penobscot Marine Museum.

Register: https://form.jotform.com/250435068978064

About the Instructor:

Cipperly Good (she/her) Richard Saltonstall Jr. Curator of Maritime History cgood@pmm-maine.org

Cipperly Good serves as the Curator at PMM, where she has been on staff since 2010. In her many roles at the Museum, Cipperly cares for, preserves, and provides access to the object, archive, and library collections. She also serves as the registrar and exhibit designer. Cipperly holds a Bachelor’s degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where she double majored in History and American Studies. She holds a Masters of Arts in Museum Studies, with a concentration in American History, from The George Washington University. Maritime museums combine Cipperly's two passions: sailing and maritime history! When not at the Museum, you will find her sailing around Penobscot Bay or cross-country skiing in Maine's woods.

A POP Studies program from Penobscot Marine Museum

Instructor, Cipperly Good, The Richard Saltonstall Jr Curator of Maritime History

Whether you’re caring for your family’s heirlooms, managing a museum collection or volunteering at your local historical society, this class will teach you how to handle delicate objects. You will learn tips for packing them up and safely moving them to their new home. Practice makes perfect, so bring an item that fits into a shoe box to try out the techniques we learn in class.

Topics Covered:

• Moving and Supporting Antiques
• Packaging Antiques
• Planning the Move

Program Benefits:

• Reducing Breakage during the Move
• Reducing Mold and Environmental Concerns
• Hands-on Experience Moving and Packaging Antiques

Target Audience:

• Antiques collectors
• Collecting Institution (Museum and Historical Society) volunteers
• Anyone who was gifted an antique

Experience Level: Novice - Has minimal or textbook knowledge without connecting it to the practice.

Program Fee: $60 (MAM Members receive 20% discount with code MAM20)

Contact Hours: 2

Delivery: Lecture/Hands on

Dates and Locations (choose one):

Friday, Sept 12, 2025
10:00am – 12:00pm
On campus, Penobscot Marine Museum

Friday, Feb 13, 2026
10:00am – 12:00pm
Remote via Zoom

Friday, June 26, 2026
10:00am – 12:00pm
Off Campus, Belfast Free Library

Contact: For more information, please contact Shelly Patten, Office Manager at 207-548-2529 or spatten@pmm-maine.org.

This is a POP Studies program from the Penobscot Marine Museum.

Register: https://form.jotform.com/250435068978064

About the Instructor:

Cipperly Good (she/her) The Richard Saltonstall Jr. Curator of Maritime History

cgood@pmm-maine.org

Cipperly Good serves as the Curator at PMM, where she has been on staff since 2010. In her many roles at the Museum, Cipperly cares for, preserves, and provides access to the object, archive, and library collections. She also serves as the registrar and exhibit designer. Cipperly holds a Bachelor’s degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where she double majored in History and American Studies. She holds a Masters of Arts in Museum Studies, with a concentration in American History, from The George Washington University. Maritime museums combine Cipperly’s two passions: sailing and maritime history! When not at the Museum, you will find her sailing around Penobscot Bay or cross-country skiing in Maine's woods.

A POP Studies program from Penobscot Marine Museum

Instructors, Kevin Johnson, Photo Archivist and Matt Wheeler, Digital Collections Curator

In this day and age, everyone has their own photography archive—typically made up of photos they have taken or acquired throughout their lives. These may include family albums, boxes of prints, negatives and slides, and digital photographs taken with cameras or phones. Managing a mass of images can be a daunting task. This course will offer tips and suggestions on how to organize your archive, find what you are looking for in it, and be prepared to pass it on to the next generation.

Topics Covered:

• Organizing and archivally storing your physical photographs, negatives & albums
• Organizing your digital photos on your computer and setting up a digital archive
• Naming and/or numbering your files, understanding metadata and creating a basic finding aid

Program Benefits:

• Learn how and where to store your physical photographic materials
• Set up a digital archive on your computer where all your digital photos can be stored AND found later
• Leave an archive for your heirs that will be useful, helpful and organized.

Target Audience:

• Museum professionals
• Historical society staff or volunteers
• Schools
• Libraries
• Community Members

Experience Level: Appropriate for both Novice and Intermediate

• Novice - Has minimal or textbook knowledge without connecting it to the practice
• Intermediate - Has basic knowledge of key aspects of the practice

Program Fee: $60 (MAM members receive 20% discount with code MAM20)

Contact Hours: 2

Delivery: Lecture/Hands on

Dates and Locations (choose one):

Friday, Sept 5, 2025
10:00am – 12:00pm
On campus, Penobscot Marine Museum

Friday, Feb 6, 2026
10:00am – 12:00pm
Remote via Zoom

Friday, June 5, 2026
10:00am – 12:00pm
Off Campus, Belfast Free Library

Contact: For more information, please contact Shelly Patten, Office Manager at 207-548-2529 or spatten@pmm-maine.org

This is a POP Studies program from the Penobscot Marine Museum.

Register: https://form.jotform.com/250435068978064

About the Instructors:

Kevin Johnson, Photo Archivist

kjohnson@pmm-maine.org

Kevin Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s University and a Professional Certificate in Photography from the Maine Photographic Workshops. Kevin has served as the Photo Archivist at PMM since 2007 and has grown the Museum’s collection to more than 500,000 photographs. Since joining PMM, he has curated or co-curated more than 30 photography exhibits. He is the co-author of Maine on Glass: The Early Twentieth Century in Glass Plate Photography, author of the forthcoming Boothbay Now and Then, and is a regular contributor to several area publications. Kevin was a co-founder and co-owner of Aarhus Gallery in Belfast. He occasionally finds time to pursue his personal photography.

Matt Wheeler, Digital Curator

mwheeler@pmm-maine.org

Matt Wheeler serves as the Digital Curator at PMM and has been working in the Museum's Photo Archives since 2011. His educational experience includes coursework in digital curation from University of Maine, Orono, as well as ongoing professional development in evolving standards of best practices in the industry. He guides PMM in building sound digital collections with an eye to accessibility and sustainability. Matt grew up in Camden and Lincolnville, living on and appreciating Penobscot Bay and enjoys engaging audiences in the digital age with stories of Penobscot Bay's cultural heritage. His personal photography explores the rich natural settings of the region.

Visit With Some Useful Citizens at the North Cemetery in Skowhegan

Take a guided walk with Historian Melvin Burnham

Thursday, July 10, 2025 | 10:00am - 11:30am

New England’s graveyards have changed over time. Those most familiar to us today were based on styles carried to the continent by our early European ancestors. Skowhegan’s North Cemetery, like most burial grounds, serves as an outdoor museum full of history, art, religious representations all telling stories of lives well-lived, times of disease, war, and trying conditions within a community. The stones become permanent records of those interred and act as a form of textbook of community history.

Louise Helen Coburn describes the cemetery in her two-volume history of Skowhegan, Skowhegan on the Kennebec, “The cemetery is retired from the street, and is half circled at the rear by woods and the gorge of a little stream. It has been the resting-place of Hills, Philbricks, Dyers, Neils, and other village families, and holds in its keeping Revolutionary and Civil War graves.”

This history walk explores the lives of some of those “Useful Citizens” who are buried at the North Cemetery, lives that helped shape our community. As participants travel back in time, discussions will also focus on veterans and their experiences in our history, gravestone and monument design, and the various symbols used on the stones, as well as the history of this 1820’s cemetery. Former generations have much to say to us, although with great economy of words because each letter and ornament had to be chiseled in stone with hand tools.

This ninety-minute walk begins and ends at the North Cemetery gate located behind Walton Court Apartments on Walton Court just off Madison Avenue in Skowhegan, Maine.

Participants should be prepared to walk on uneven ground and to stand during periods of discussion. Light folding chairs and cameras are welcome.

This walk is not appropriate for young children.

Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center will open after the cemetery walk. Stop by for a guided tour of the historic house and to see the latest exhibition, "Living Legacy: Remembering Louise Helen Coburn".  History House is located at 66 Elm Street, Skowhegan. 

FMI: www.skowheganhistoryhouse.org

The Canton Historical Society Hosts its 50th Anniversary Celebration! 

Date/time: Saturday, July 26, 2025, 10 am - 7:30 pm

Where:  25 Turner Street, Canton, Maine

About the event:  Join us at the Canton Historical Society to view new exhibits including "Canton's History Through Maps."  Enjoy a quilt show featuring historical quilts.  Hear a talk about portrait artist Mary Neal Richardson and view many of her works on exhibit. Stay for the outdoor 70s party by the Gazebo from 4-7:30 pm. All are welcome!

______________________________________________________________________

Complete Details:

The museum will open 10:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. for visitors to explore the collections, including new exhibits featuring maps of Canton through history and the paintings of Mary Neal Richardson—a renowned portrait artist from Canton in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. There will also be a quilt show featuring historical quilts from the collections of both the Canton and Jay Historical Societies.

2 p.m., A Talk by Frederic L. Thompson, author of  Mary Neal Richardson: A Universalist Esthetic & Cosmic Interpreter, 1859-1937

4 - 7:30 pm -  Join us for a party on the lawn.  Cash bar by Boondocks Farm’s Backwoods Affair and food for purchase by Alabama’s BBQ’s Phat Vinnie’s Food Truck.  Both vendors accept cash or credit.  Those wishing to have alcoholic beverages will be asked to provide identification—and please, no outside beverages.

70s Party Theme: Because our society was founded in 1975, we urge everyone to wear their 1970s garb!  Think tie-dye, denim, disco, bell bottoms, miniskirts, maxi dresses, hippy-style, and “flower power.”

Each attendee will receive a 50^th Anniversary souvenir gift (while supplies last), PLUS a slice of cake following the cake cutting!  The Country Store will be open featuring local crafts and Maine themed gifts.

Admission is FREE.  All ages are welcome, and the events are open to the public.  The venue is handicap accessible.  Parking is curbside or at the Public Boat Launch around the corner.  If it rains the party will be moved inside.

The Canton Historical Society is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization devoted to the preservation and celebration of Canton’s heritage and history.

If you would like more information about this event, please email cantonmehistorical@gmail.com, or go to www.cantonmehistory.org or the “Canton Maine Historical Society” Facebook page.

Tate House Museum is hosting a Community Day when complimentary tours will be offered at 10 am, 11 am, and 12 noon (three tours, every hour on the hour, last one at 12 noon) followed by a special Continental flag raising at 1 pm. This flag will be flown at our Visitors Center for the season to commemorate the beginning of the American Revolution. As a colonial-era museum, Tate House traditionally flies the historical colonial flag--the British Red Ensign. This temporary change in practice is to mark and remember the historical events that occurred 250 years ago and led to the founding of our country. This Community Day will include tours of our 18 th century garden and refreshments for visitors. And, our unique Gift Shop will be open. Please join us to find out what we do!

Tate House is the only pre-Revolutionary museum in the greater Portland area and offers a unique experience of life in 18 th century Maine. At the historic home of Mary and George Tate, who was a mast agent for the Crown, docents describe how New England forests fueled colonial industry, strengthened the British Royal Navy, and sparked rebellion. We are open for guided tours through mid-October. For details, to purchase tickets, and for information about upcoming programs, visit our website at tatehouse.org.

FMI: Director Holly K. Hurd

Tate House Museum

1267 Westbrook Street

Portland, ME 04102

hkhurd@tatehouse.org