What's Up at the

Custom House?

April 6, 2025

#StandUpForScience #Museums4Science

The Custom House is Open Thurs.- Fri. 1-5 PM,

Sat. 10 AM-5 PM, Sun. 1-5 PM.

Photo, above: Cub Scouts at Pequot Light.

A Rare Tome for the McGuire Library

Thanks to the generosity of Gretchen G. Higgins of Groton Long Point, the Frank L. McGuire Library has acquired a rare example of an early navigation manual from the 18th century. This three-part edition of The Epitome of the Art of Navigation by James Atkinson was printed in Dublin in 1735-1736 by George Grierson (1676-1753), a Scottish-born publisher who was the 'printer to the King’s most excellent majesty, at the King’s Arms and Two Bibles at Essex-Street', where he also printed Bibles, works by the writers of classical antiquity, and maps.  

Not much is known about author James Atkinson except that he was a senior teacher of mathematics who lived around 1667 to 1715. Atkinson’s Epitome was first published in 1686 and went through many editions. It was also printed by the Mount family, stationers at Tower Hill in London, who were the publishers of a copy The Whole Art of Navigation by Daniel Newhouse in 1701, now in the McGuire Library and the subject of an online exhibition by Brian Rogers. Grierson also published the Newhouse book.

The Epitome is filled with useful information for learning the mathematically based art of navigation and purports to be 'the whole art performed, without tables or instruments, by a new method, never yet published'. The copy now in the Custom House has a well-used appearance and the front cover is no longer attached, which is not unusual for a book that is nearly three hundred years old.  

It has an additional local connection. Written on the title page and front endpaper are two names: Christopher Collier, Dublin, and William A. Somers. Both were residents of Norwich, Connecticut. Collier was Gretchen Higgins’ great-grandfather, born in Ireland around 1816, and Somers was her American-born grandfather, the son of an immigrant from Ireland, who married Collier’s daughter Margaret. Their descendant, Gretchen Higgins, with the assistance of her friends John Kudulis and Paula Thompson, recently brought the book to the Custom House where it was gratefully received by librarians Laurie Deredita and Brian Rogers.

-- Laurie Deredita

Photo, above: Laurie Deredita

This week at the Custom House

April is the month for visiting inside and outside at the Custom House.

We had two classes from Fishers Island School, photo, right. After a morning with us, they dined at The Diamond, then each got a PLNL library card & took out some books!

Wednesday was the biannual Mitchell College Downtown Scavenger Hunt, photos, below. Organized by Prof. David Iscoe, the search introduces 1st-year students to NL.

And on cold dank Saturday, we hosted a troop of Cub Scouts from Meriden, all of whom wanted to visit inside Harbor Lighthouse, photos, below. Thanks to docents Jim Flood, Dick Fraser, Joe Gaeris, & Regan Morse for pitching in to make that possible!

We did some visiting, ourselves, this week. The New Haven Museum brought in historian Marcus Rediker for a lecture. Prof. Rediker researches history 'from the bottom up' and is best-known here for his work on the Amistad. The amazing thing is how much new Amistad information keeps turning up. We will post the link to his recorded talk when available. Photo, above: Prof. Rediker with CT friends in the New Haven Museum's new Amistad exhibition.

Everywhere -- everywhere -- the talk was about cuts, grants rescinded, contracts broken, and people losing their jobs. We learned at the lecture that National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) operating support grants had been terminated. CT Humanities co-sponsored the Rediker talk and does so much good work throughout the state, please speak up in its support. Currently legislation to provide state funding support - Senate Bill 1551 - is being considered. At cthumanities.org/advocacy-action find the link for submitting testimony, instructions, and a template with talking points. The deadline to submit testimony in support of SB1551 is Thursday, April 10, 2025.

--Susan

Photos, below from left: Fishers Island students in the Archibald Chester Ship Model Gallery, learning about sailor uniforms, and examining tintypes.

Tuesday, April 15, 1:30 pm

JIBBOOM CLUB #1

Join Jibboom in April when Gordon Videll, Chief Executive Officer of Sea Services North America, talks about Sea Services' unique co-operative model to use local fishing vessels to provide scout and safety (guard) vessel services for offshore wind developers.

Near the docks of New London, Connecticut, a fishermen’s co-op is making history.

Established by fishermen for fishermen, Sea Services North America serves as the bridge between offshore wind developers and commercial fishermen. Their mission is to improve safety on the open water and create opportunities for local watermen to earn extra income by providing guard, scouting, and environmental compliance services to the growing clean energy industry. --from https://ss-na.com/

Jibboom Club is not a club, but a friendly gathering, with a speaker and refreshments, that is free and open to all! Please come and bring a friend. Generously sponsored by the Maco Family Fund!

Attorney Gordon Videll has long represented fishing clients in New London, Connecticut. As co-founder and CEO of Sea Services North America, Videll has led the full range of commercial, operational, and client interactions between offshore wind customers and commercial fishing vessel partners; Videll is the prime mover in securing offshore wind scout and guard contracts and ensuring Sea Services successful service delivery. Videll has led continuous improvement review processes with their OSW customers after each of the 9 campaigns that Sea Services has successfully conducted since its founding.

Saturdays, Sundays, & by appointment year-round

a popular destination for more than a century.

Visit Inside NL Harbor Pequot Light

Visit Long Island Sound's oldest and tallest lighthouse.

We offer Harbor Light tours every Saturday & Sunday at noon. Climb 116 steps up into the lighthouse lantern. The views are spectacular!​

Tours for up-to five people take approximately 40 minutes. Sign up today. To book a custom tour, send us an email.

Sunday, April 27, 6-9 pm

Open Mic at the Museum

Co-hosted by Kenny 'Doc' Frazier and Christina Corcoran, our monthly open mic welcomes music, poetry, prose, stand-up, or just state what is on your mind. Show up at 5:45 and get on the list! Open to all ages and abilities for fun & camaraderie. It's a friendly crowd!



Sponsored by Kozmik Music Services.  Admission is by donation. The evening is available on the Open Mic at the Museum Facebook page. The page also posts many of the individual performances from past sessions. Photos, above & below: Open Mic at the Museum.

Educator, storyteller, and photographer Peter Trull describes the physical and behavioral differences among the four types of terns that nest in New England, their migratory habits and predators, and why they are called birds of paradox. More than 100 photographs depict day-to-day life from inside the dynamic, noisy nesting colonies.

Some of you remember our springtime trips out to Great Gull Island with NLMS trustee Matthew Male. We went to help the late Helen Hayes count the nests & eggs of migrating terns -- a harrowing experience!

New in the Shop: Birds of Paradox, by Peter Trull. $15

Day & night the NL HarborCam is your eye on the harbor. We've had 7.2M views. Photo, above: The NL HarborCam view of the USCG Eagle, which leaves us on April 11.

Please share Bluesky our new social media platform so that we can find our people! We post videos, events, and articles of note. @customhouse.bsky.social

Photo, bottom: Sunset over Ledge Lighthouse. Andy Champagne.