On June 22, 2015, the Friends of the Islesford Historical Museum working in cooperation with Acadia National Park will debut a community-curated exhibition celebrating the men and women who have fished the waters around Little Cranberry Island for generations.
The exhibition will be located at the Islesford Historical Museum, where the rich history of the Cranberry Isles has been celebrated since 1927.
Visitors to the exhibition will be able to step on board the stern of a lobster boat and handle the tools used daily by fishermen; enjoy a video starring several lobstermen answering questions about their trade; and see boat models, paintings, buoys, and hooked rugs created by the fishermen and their families. The exhibit will provide insights into the challenging work and the many rewards of lobster fishing in Downeast Maine..
With assistance from Friends of Acadia in Bar Harbor, The Friends of the Islesford Historical Museum formed in 2014 to work with Acadia National Park to rehabilitate and maintain the museum, a landmark building. The Friends of the Islesford Historical Museum’s goal is to re-kindle interest in this historic structure among year-round and summer residents of the Town of Cranberry Isles. The group hopes to raise funds to upgrade the building so that more historical objects may safely be exhibited there.
Most residents of Islesford continue to make their living from the ocean just as their ancestors did.
Among today’s fishermen are descendants of Islesford’s earliest settlers.
As citizen scientists they are leaders in the quest to understand lobster habitat and sustainability.
This exhibit explores how a community of highly creative and independent fishermen and women has united to work in harmony for the good of their industry and their community.
