Boothbay Region Maritime Foundation Research Collection

Penobscot Marine Museum (PMM), and the Boothbay Region Historical Society have partnered with the Boothbay Region Maritime Foundation (BRMF) in creating a research collection of historical and contemporary photos of fishing and boat building in the Boothbay Region. PMM will lead the digitization effort and work has begun digitizing photos from the Boothbay Region Historical Society, the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library, the Department of Marine Resources and the Boothbay Register.Individuals have also been invited to have their photos included in this community collection and collections from the Tibbetts Family, Brewer Family, June Elderkin and Robby Begin have been digitized thus far. Donors to this project may wish to donate their photos and artifacts to the Penobscot Marine Museum or the Boothbay Region Historical Society. Otherwise photos loaned for the project will be returned to their owners. PMM has many photos in their collections that relate to this project and they have been linked to this collection. We hope the interested public that reviews these images will share what they know about the images through feedback!

Phase two of this project will include documenting current industry practices for fishing related occupations. This will include photographing lobstering, oyster farming, and kelp farming in the area in order to educate others on the processes involved in bringing seafood to the plate.

The Boothbay Region Maritime Foundation was formed in 2018 and its mission is to preserve the Boothbay Maritime Heritage by supporting working waterfront, promoting sustainable practices, and embracing the educational opportunities the stewardship provides. BRMF is excited about this opportunity to work with PMM, and local historical societies to preserve and provide access to photos that are of vital importance to the region’s maritime heritage. This is a unique opportunity for people to share their photos while still maintaining ownership of them and for the community to work together to create a digital photo archive reflective of the local fishing industry.

This online collection is still in its infancy and will be added to regularly over the next couple of years.