Special Exhibit - Closing September 1st 3:30pm

The Museum is hosting a 2-year exhibition exploring and expounding on the role of African American mariners in whaling history, highlighting and bringing into perspective a significant time in American history for the general public.

As the first integrated industry and meritocracy in US history, the whaling industry was the largest employer of African Americans, with estimates that between one-quarter and one-third of all the American whaling crews were people of color. 

About Our Guest Curator

Dr. Georgette Grier-Key is the Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Eastville Community Historical Society, whose work and local advocacy reconstructs the Black experience, with a focus on pre-post Northern slavery and Free Black communes on Long Island.

Related Programming

Special programming exploring Black history in maritime culture runs through 2024..
Check our calendar of events - note we are continually adding to our offerings!

Events Calendar

---

Artist Highlight

Artist Hulbert Waldroup stands beside his work.

Listen to Artist Hulbert Waldroup discuss his work

---

Recent Acquisition

The Whaling Museum received 19 ships in a bottle donated by the Kappel family in honor of collector Lester Kappel. 

---

Our Thanks for Special Exhibit Support

Special Exhibit, From Sea to Shining Sea: Whalers of the African Diaspora, is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
​
This exhibition was also funded in part by Humanities New York with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and The Museum Association of New York (MANY) in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

---

Previous Special Exhibition

Shinnecock Artists: Long Island's First Whalers explored the deep cultural significance of whales and whaling to the Shinnecock Nation.

Online Exhibit

   Wonderful museum. The children enjoy being able to handle things in the section of the museum where there is a replica of a general store, historical costumes to try on and even the lower bunk of a ship bed to lie down. Lovely staff too."
Laura D. ​​