From January 4 to April 20, the Whaling Museum will be open Friday through Sunday, 11 A.M. - 4 P.M.

Make the most of the off-season with a warming and informative visit to the Whaling Museum.  Featuring exhibits about Nantucket history, decorative arts, scrimshaw, and numerous interactive, hands-on learning opportunities for children 12 and under, the museum includes a restored 1847 candle factory, with its original whale-oil beam press (a three-story wooden structure that is the only such artifact surviving anywhere in the world); a 47-foot sperm-whale skeleton; a fully rigged whaleboat; a vast collection of whaling tools; the16-foot Fresnel lens from Sankaty lighthouse; and numerous portraits of whaling captains and their wives. The film, Bones of History, the Whale Hunt Lecture, the whaleship Essex Gam, and various gallery tours also provide a source of endless possibilities for learning and enjoyable visits.

Awarded Accreditation from the American Association of Museums

"The news of the NHA's receiving national accreditation represents a great milestone in this institution's history," said Geoff Verney, NHA board president. "It gives us a strong base upon which to build a future that ensures the proper care and interpretation of our properties. All credit to the extraordinary staff and to Nancy Soderberg, who served as the board's representative on the massive and exhaustive application effort."

Of the nation's nearly 17,500 museums only about 775 are currently accredited.  The Nantucket Historical Association's Whaling Museum is one of only forty-four museums accredited in Massachusetts.  

Accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum's operations.  To earn accreditation a museum first must conduct a year of self-study and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. AAM's Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, considers the self-study and visiting-committee report to determine whether a museum should received accreditation. The time to complete the process varies by museum, but it generally takes as much as three years.

Exhibitions

In the Whitney Gallery at the Research Library, 7 Fair Street, January 18-June 20, 2008

Peter Foulger Gallery in the Whaling Museum
February 1- April 20, 2008

In February 2008, the NHA will host its first traveling exhibition: In Search of Giant Squid. The giant squid, known as Architeuthis, is one of the ocean's most elusive, mysterious, and mythologized creatures. It grew to fame as the sperm whale's greatest rival?and its favorite meal. The NHA will present a Giant Squid Festival on Saturday March 8, 2008, featuring the world's most renowned squid expert, Dr. Clyde Roper, as well as multiple family and children's activities. The exhibition is supported in part by the Egan Maritime Foundation. Opening reception and Giant Squid Festival free for NHA and Egan Maritime Foundation members.

Events

The free Food for Thought Series, Thursdays, Noon to 1 P.M. Bring your lunch!

January 10: "The Unitarian Church at 200 Years"
Nantucket's own beloved Ted Anderson, will host the first 2008 Food for Thought: in the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street.

Anderson was minister of the Unitarian Church from 1972 to 2000. Now minister emeritus, Anderson will speak about the history of the "church with the golden dome" as the congregation prepares to celebrate the church's 200th anniversary in 2009.
 
Having done his undergraduate work in archaeology at Yale, Anderson went on to earn a degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and taught English in Connecticut, also returning to Yale for a divinity degree.

Ted first took the pulpit at South Church in 1971, filling in for the vacationing minister and succeeding to the permanent ministry in 1972. Among the community organizations he has served are the NHA, the hospital, the Nantucket Land Council, and the school committee; he was a founder of the Nantucket Aids Network and the Food Pantry. An active volunteer fireman for many years, he still serves as chaplain to the Fire Department.

Known for his hearty laugh and jovial disposition, "Rev. Ted" is an eloquent speaker whose love of history promises to be reflected in his presentation.

January 17: The Mill Hill Cemetery
In 1805, the Nantucket Proprietors permitted the fencing of one acre of land on the south side of Mill Hill in recognition that it had been serving for some time as the burial ground for Nantucket's "Black people or People of Colour." From as early as the late 1700s until today, descendants of Nantucket's earliest African residents; fugitives from slavery; Civil War veterans; and seamen from Cape Verde, the Caribbean, and the islands in the Pacific have found their last resting place in this peaceful spot.

January 24: 'Sconset Spirit
As an introduction to our major exhibition, 'Sconset 02564: A Celebration of the Patchwork Village, opening in May, Ben Simons, Robyn & John Davis Curator of Collections, will be joined by several 'Sconset residents for a gam focusing on the little village at Nantucket's eastern shore.

Each talk begins at noon and is free to the public. Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street.  For additional information about the Food for Thought series, please call 508-228-1894, ext. 0, or visit our website to view the full schedule.