Description: Cast iron ship's bell with partial detached yoke. The bell has a large crack and is covered with rust. The bell was retrieved by Harold Walls (1913-2000), a fisherman from Otter Creek, who retrieved it around 1958 or 59. Walls went fishing after a large storm, and found many buoys and lines tangled together. Instead of dealing with them at sea, he towed the tangle to Otter Creek to deal with it. This bell was found in the tangle. It is not clear how the bell ended up in the ocean and the exact location of the tangle is not now known. Temporary image [show more]
Description: Wooden box with lid and handle containing six glass milk bottles from Mt. Desert Island Dairy The box has a lid and lock, and is painted dark green. Writing on the outside appears to be stenciled in a pale yellow color. The interior is unpainted Writing on the lid reads: "Mt. Desert Island" and "Mt. Desert Island Dairy, Bar Harbor, Maine" is written on the front. The ends are labeled 6 QT. Six glass quart bottles are stored inside the box [show more]
Description: Wooden Lobster Buoy carved by Russell Lawson. The body of the buoy is a deep orange color and the handle is white. A rope loop extends from the end.
Description: Wooden Lobster Buoy, painted green and orange. The buoy is somewhat conical in shape, and has a hole through the center of it for a rope. The broader part (the top when floating in the water) is painted green, and the lower part is orange. Carving in the outer edge of the buoy reads: NEW 1400
Description: Lid from a wooden shipping box sent to F.E. Manchester, an electrician, in Northeast Harbor. The lid consists of four planks and two crosspieces. Written in back ink is information about the recipient: F.E. Manchester Northeast Harbor Maine Ex Paid - refers the the cost of express shipping being paid Stenciled text reads: Sunbeam - Tungsten Glass Handle-With-Care don't-Drop The crate likely contained a tungsten lamp or fixture. Affixed to the front of the crate are two paper labels. One reads is from American Express and contains the shipping cost that appears to be $.95 or $9.5 The other is from Earle and Prew's Express from Pawtucket R.I. [show more]
Description: Hand painted sign reading "LOBSTERS LIVE OR BOILED" Sign was used in the window of Stanley's Fish Market, Main Street, Northeast Harbor, operated by David L. Stanley. The sign consists of painted wood, with black letters on a white background. It is heavily abraded but still legible. There are visible screw holes on the front, with two vertical braces on the back. To see a photograph of this sign in the fish market go to: https://nehl.digitalarchive.us/items/show/6266 [show more]
Description: Newspaper complete page, Ellsworth American 1 Jul 1971, "Cranberry Tales" by LaRue Spiker. About the Hadlock family, Capt. Sam Hadlock, Jr., with photos of Arthur Spurling, the old Ben Spurling house, Islesford Museum, Old Wm. Preble House, Church.
Description: Exhibit. Previously used museum display about Ice Harvesting on Cranberry Island. Included in the publication "A Day on an Ice-Field" by Alvaro Adsitt.
Description: A letter sent to the people of Cranberry Isles informing them of what happens to their trash, and encouraging the townspeople to cut down on trash.
Description: Collection of five documents, largely connected with the Clark family of Southwest Harbor. Copy of a charter document, dated 1864, between Nathan Clark and William Underwood, to charter the Schooner Loochoo. Letter from Railway Express Agency, August 16, 1946, to R.P. Clark thanking him for his long service. Letter from Maine Central Railroad, January 29, 1911, to R.P. Clark discussing the terms of his employment as express agent. Telegraph Blank (jokingly?) written for Grace Carroll from the Associated Press, August 6, 1903, warning her of hostile warships in Somes Sound. Receipt for goods purchased by Nathan Clark of Eaton & Lane, Boston, August 15, 1865. Goods include: flour, sugar, rum, good whiskey, butter, ticking, matches [show more]
Description: Tool, Shoemaker's Last used to make and mend shoes. Found in the old Lewis Ladd barn, a.k.a. Spurling home, and Freeman home (across from donor's home). Lewis Ladd died in 1912 at 88 years old.
Description: Shoemaker's Last used in making and mending shoes. Found in the old Lewis Ladd barn, a.k.a. Spurling home, and Freeman home (across from donor's home). Lewis Ladd died in 1912 at 88 years old.
Description: Tool, Shoemaker's Last, approx. 6". Found in the old Lewis Ladd barn, a.k.a. Spurling home, and Freeman home (across from donor's home). Lewis Ladd died in 1912 at 88 years old. (See also items 1240-1245.)
Description: Two Shoemaker's Lasts with cast iron post to support lasts as cobbler works on them (one 9" and one 5"). Found in the old Lewis Ladd barn, a.k.a. Spurling home, and Freeman home (across from donor's home). Lewis Ladd died in 1912 at 88 years old.
Description: Tool. Shoemaker's hammer 8.5". See also 2002.20.42 patent for this type of hammer. Hammer recovered from Captain Bert's house - Bert Spurling, a.k.a. Freeman home (across from donor's home). (This is the same house where the shoe lasts were found - see items 1240, 1242-1245.)
Description: Scale, the arms part of a balance weighing scale. Item was dug up close to Mickey Macfarlan's shed (the old Post Office in Preble's time) ca. 1970
Description: Photo-Essay by Bronson W. Chanler detailing a trip aboard the coal schooner "Rebecca R. Douglas" between Northeast Harbor and New York City. Note: As originally displayed in the museum, copies of the photographs taken by Chanler were mounted alongside excerpts and quotes. Around 2015 the photographs were removed from the 1984 posters so they could be scanned and better protected. They are uploaded here, as is the complete text by Bronson W. Chanler. [show more]
Description: Document, handwritten letter, 1 sheet, 2 sides, letter from Charles D. McDonald, Custom House, Ellsworth, to William P Preble, sending Preble item 617 (a copy of the rejection of his application) and explaining what it means and how to get around the rejection. Items 617 & 618 are a pair. Transcribed.