SACO — A new exhibit at the Saco Museum explores 19th century maritime history through the life of sea captain Tristram Jordan and his family.
The exhibit, Voyages and the Great Age of Sail, opens Friday with a free reception at 5:30 p.m. and runs through Sept. 4.
The exhibit is a culmination of a history class of the same name at University of New England, which is team taught by UNE History Professor Elizabeth De Wolfe and Camille Smalley, program and education manager for the Saco Museum.
Students in the class studied the life of Jordan, a sea captain from Saco, using the book “Voyages” by Alfred Hill.
Jordan, who was born in 1798, spent his life as a sea captain and a farmer in Saco. While he was away at sea, his wife, Catherine, managed the farm and the household. Tragically, Jordan, as well as his son, Frederick, both died at sea, according to Smalley.
As part of the UNE class, the 18 students from various majors curated an exhibit at the museum.
The exhibit is divided into four themed sections: Ship building, life at sea, life at land, and the tragedy of life at sea. The exhibit shows what life was like for the women at the time as well as the men. The “life at land” section explores Catherine’s story and what life was like for women who stayed home and managed the household while their husbands were out at sea.
Included in the exhibit are manuscripts, paintings, clothing, tools and other items taken mostly from the museum’s collection, but also from other sources.
The experience will also give students critical thinking skills they can use in future, said De Wolfe. Being involved in this sort of process engages students in history, she said, and using primary sources and artifacts, students easily see how history can tell a story.
“History is more than a bunch of names and dates in books,” said De Wolfe.
“In most classes, your classroom is your lab,” and students don’t get a chance to show the public what they’ve learned, said Smalley.
Students did research to “fill in the gaps” for information that couldn’t be found in Hill’s book, said De Wolfe.
The project taught students some “historical reasoning” skills, said De Wolfe. For example, there was not a lot of information about Catherine, but students researching could surmise what her life was like by studying women in a similar situation during the same time period.
UNE Junior Jen Cox, a history and education major, said she enjoyed the class and the project.
“History is not usually hands-on,” she said.
She said the project at first was “kind of daunting” and she learned a lot about putting together an exhibit.
“It’s a nice way to conclude the year,” she said.
The Saco Museum is located at 371 Main St. For more information go to www.sacomuseum.org.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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