75 Years on Penobscot Bay

75 Years on Penobscot Bay–A Retrospective

About the Exhibit: Each year, the editorial component of the Maine Boats Homes & Harbors Show explores a different element of the many ways that “Tradition Shapes Innovation.” The focus for 2011 was on the coast circa 1936 from industry and enterprise to art, music, film and fashion, inspired in part by 75th anniversaries of both the Penobscot Marine Museum and the Maine Windjammer Fleet. Vintage cars, antique canoes and ice boats, and examples of larger recreational vessels of the time will be at the show to remind us how tourism and summer communities grew, thanks to transportation advances, the building of bridges, and new enterprises such as the windjammer fleet. In addition to historical elements and images, exhibits and events will trace the influences of that time on the products of today and the ways in which creativity has moved us ever forward. The show will include community-wide events such as films, talks, music, art exhibits, and more from the 1930s to the present. On the show grounds we will have a series of pictorial displays of historical images from the Penobscot Marine Museum’s Elmer Montgomery and Eastern Illustrating Collection photographs to reveal coastal life in the 1930s, including scenes of boatbuilding, transportation, Rockland landmarks, and the music, art, and literature that defined cultural life in the 1930s. Additional exhibits and activities will include: » The Wooden Canoe Heritage Association’s collection of antique canoes » The Owls Head Transportation Museum’s exhibit of antique autos » Ice boats, ranging from a 1930s model to a sleek present-day interpretation » A selection of images from the Penobscot Marine Museum’s Elmer Montgomery and Eastern Illustrating Collection photographs (in the Rockland Yacht Club building) » A swing dance is in the works, so brush off your dancing shoes! The 75 Years on Penobscot Bay retrospective will complement our usual events and activities. We will also present an eclectic mix of live music, local food, and fun events, including the zany crowd-pleasing World Championship Boatyard Dog® Trials (Sunday at 10:30 a.m.) emceed this year by Alan Sprague and Mike Joyce of WERU’s “Boat Talk.” Other special events include Rockland’s Coastal Creativity Week: citywide collaborations with Bay Chamber Concerts, the Farnsworth Art Museum, the local humane societies, Owls Head Transportation Museum, Northeast Historic Film and a great array of live demonstrations throughout the weekend. We are thrilled to have Barbour by David Wood as the sponsor of this exhibit, especially as the clothier is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Barbour International motorcycle jacket. Enjoy the Barbour video to the right.

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Also on display at the show as part of our 75 Years on Penobscot Bay celebration is Candace III an Elco lovingly restored by Richard Stetson and his crew.

Launching The Boat (also known as The Elco or more formally as Candace III)
Shot with iPhone, edited with the Vimeo app by Emily Qualey, 6/27/2011

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The 1930's: Many enduring cultural styles, literary classics, and spirited musical genres emerged from the challenging economic and social backdrop of the 1930s. As the PBS program "Amercian Experience: the 1930's" stated so well: "The events of the 1930's dramatically reshaped all facets of life in the United States. While the economic foundations of the nation were shaken during the Great Depression, popular culture continued to evolve and grow. Movies, radio, fashion, music, literature and sports became even greater parts of American life." Interesting Facts About the Year 1936: The Cost of Living in 1936: Average cost to purchase a new house: $3,925.00 Average wages per year: $1,713.00 Cost of a gallon of Gas: 10 cents Average cost to rent a house: $24.00 per month A loaf of bread cost 8 cents One pound of hamburger meat cost 12 cents A Studebaker car cost $665.00 A ladies Swimming Costume cost $6.95 1936 Milestones: • Construction on the Hoover Dam is completed. • Margaret Mitchell publishes Gone With The Wind. • Billboard Magazine publishes the first pop music chart. • The first edition of LIFE magazine is published. • Popular films of the year include Modern Times, a film by Charlie Chaplin, Captain January, starring Shirley Temple, The Charge of the Light Brigade, and Follow the Fleet, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. • Jesse Owens wins 4 Gold medals on August 9th at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. • Inventions of the year include sunscreen, the helicopter, magnetic recording, the Zippo Lighter and Polaroid Lens sunglasses. • The New York Yankees win the World Series. • Stress is first recognized as a medical condition. • Porky the Pig animated cartoon is first introduced.