The men of Deer Isle have been famous for their maritime skills for well over a hundred years. In 1895 and 1899 the America’s Cup was won by all-Deer Isle crews, the first and last time in history a single town supplied an entire crew for the race. At Penobscot Marine Museum onThursday, October 8 at 7:00 pm, anthropologist William Haviland will discuss why the men of Deer Isle developed such an excellent reputation and were sought after as crewmen especially for the big steam yachts of the early 20th century. Haviland’s book on the subject,Floating Palaces: America’s Queens of the Sea which he wrote with Deer Isle native Barbara (Greenlaw) Britton, was published this year. Admission is free.
William Haviland is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Vermont. Growing up he spent summers on Deer Isle and is now a full-time resident. He is on the boards of the Deer Isle-Stonington Historical Society and the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor.
Floating Palaces: America’s Queens of the Sea is part of Penobscot Marine Museum’s Boat Talk Series. The talk will take place on Thursday, October 8, 7:00 pm, at Douglas and Margaret Carver Memorial Art Gallery, 11 Church Street, Searsport, Maine. Admission is free.
