Laquered sewing boxes like this one were frequently found in Maine deepwater captains' homes, a useful gift or something that a captain's wife might have bought for herself when shopping in Canton. Chinese lacquered sewing box from Canton. Gilt chinoiserie, with carved ivory implements inside.
16-foot dory, built in 1936 by Malcolm Brewer of Camden. She has the straight sides of a schooner-carried fishing dory, but is smaller and lighter. She was hardly used. The buyer took her to Noank, Connecticut and used her for decoration.
Sample of hemp rope rigging, used for standing rigging before wire rope came into use. It is four strand rope, which stretches less than the more common three strand. This sample has been "wormed;" the depressions between lays of the line filled with smaller marline. This creates a smooth surface for wrapping the rope with canvas strips to make it watertight, a process called "parcelling." The last step is wrapping the parcelling with tightly wrapped marline or "serving" it.
Hawsing iron, used in shipbuilding for caulking seams, particularly deck seams. The long handle allowed one caulker to stand holding the iron while another drove the caulking home using a two-handed mallet. The caulking had been previous set in place using a small mallet and a hand-held iron. Deck seams are especially difficult to caulk and keep tight as the sun dries out and shrinks decks.
Builder's half model of the ship William H. Conner, built in Searsport in 1877 by Marlboro Packard, her master builder, working in the Carver yard.
The Conner was the last and largest full-rigged ship built in Searsport , costing over $100,000. Apparently in three voyages she earned her construction costs, but that was the exception; 15% was closer to the rule. Listed in the Register (shipping registers listed all merchant vessels) until 1898, she was finally turned into a barge and sunk off Sandy Hook.
