OH MY GOD! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! There it was. The trunk that I hadn't seen in 41 years and often wondered if I'd dreamt it.
It was really hard to shoot the items inside the case but it was really fascinating to see them. I have no idea if Manoel Mendonca is related to me or not, but it's a very unusual last name.
He was born in the Azores and I believe my paternal family was from the Canary Islands. Perhaps way back there is a common relative when the family lived in Portugal. He painted it and even kind of collaged it with the cutouts of things from books.
I guess that's Manoel and his wife. She's a bit....mannish.
Cannot believe I got to see this again!!!
Upstairs above the ship was this little room with a telescope so I looked inside to see a film of a whale swimming in front of a ship. That was really neat.
This may be the only whale tail pic I ever take....although I do hope to go on a whale watch this summer.
More cool art and exhibits. So much that it was hard not to shoot pics of everything.
I was pleased to see that the museum addressed whaling history in other regions of the world, like the Pacific Northwest. While everyone up there is familiar with the Native American and First Nations tribal history of whaling, commercial whaling isn't really discussed. I never thought about it when I lived up there either.
This is a Tlingit dance blanket from Alaska.
I also loved these 3D paintings too. The detail is great.
Looooved these Polynesian abalone shells!
Very cool that you found the box. There sure was a lot of cool stuff in that museum! ♥
ReplyDeleteI was so excited that my eyes teared up. I truly didn't think it was still going to be there. But I guess because the scene is of New Bedford and the Acushnet River, they chose to keep it on display.
DeleteThis is very cool indeed.
ReplyDeletePeople, especially women, look odd in old photographs.
Plus I'm sure she was worked to death as women usually were in those days. An 'old woman' by the time she was 30 no doubt!
DeleteWhat great finds. I've never been to a whaling museum--not too much whaling down here in Nashville!
ReplyDeleteThanks! And I would imagine not. lol
DeleteHow absolutely fascinating. When you say you'd seen it before - did it belong to your family or something? I love some of those crafts on display too.
ReplyDeleteNo i saw the trunk at this same museum when I was in the 3rd grade on a field trip, which was school year 1972/73. My teacher pointed it out.
DeleteWOW - what are the chances of you happening on that trunk again?!! Fate obviously led you to it :0)
ReplyDeleteIt really was a crapshoot wasn't it? And I almost didn't go in because I do love whales so much and I hate whaling....but it's not like they still hunt & kill them out of New Bedford anymore; it's just a part of our history.
Delete...and I'm of the firm opinion that, no matter what we may think with our 21st century eyes/lives, we have no 'right' to judge the way our ancestors lived.
DeleteHow neat to find a piece of family history! Looks like a great museum! I love 3D paintings like that, too. Nicely captured for us as always, JoJo.
ReplyDeleteTina @ Life is Good
On the Open Road! @ Join us for the 4th Annual Post-Challenge Road Trip!
Thanks!! It would be cool if he is a distant relative. I think the odds are pretty good because it is a very unusual last name, even for Portugal. Stay tuned for part 3 of the tour because the artistry is amazing.
DeleteHi JoJo,
ReplyDeleteWhat a trunk of trinkets and memories. I'm very familiar with arts and craft work of the First Nation's people of the Pacific Northwest. I was also on a 100 mile walk from Vancouver to Hope, BC named "Moccasin Miles."
Thank you for another thoughtful post and bringing back a magical memory.
Gary
100 miles or kilometres? Cause I didn't think Hope was that far from Vancouver. Still though, it's pretty damn far. Are you of First Nations descent? Your blog name caught my eye when I started reading it because I recognized 'klahanie' as a PNW tribal word.
DeleteAre you impressed? Gone two in the morning and I'm replying. Vancouver to Hope is slightly under 100 miles. It was a three day walk. I am a Caucasian whose life was deeply impacted by the noble tribes of the West Coast. "Klahanie" is a word from the Chinook tribe of the Pacific Northwest. Klahanie, is accepted as basically meaning "the great outdoors."
DeleteTake care, JoJo and goodnight.
Gary :)
Great stuff. I had to look up what a cooper is.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to go whale watching!
Hi Liz! Thanks for stopping by! I believe a cooper is a barrel maker.
DeleteLooks great!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteHi Jojo..oh you lucky duck!!! What a great experience to get to see something
ReplyDeleteyou haven't seen in ages. Great pics!
Cheers, Anita.
Hi Anita! Yes it was a great thing to see after over 4 decades. Brought tears to my eyes!
DeleteLove the 3D art too! Very cool.
ReplyDeleteJoJo, so glad the trunk was there for you to find. It might be fun for you to search through your family genealogy. Who knows, there just might be a connection. :)
ReplyDelete