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Working the Waterfront: New Bedford, Massachusetts

In 2016, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center (NBFHC) received an Archie Green Fellowship from the American Folklife Center to document workers on the New Bedford, Massachusetts, waterfront for the Occupational Folklife Project (OFP). Folklorist and NBFHC Executive Director Laura Orleans, anthropologists Madeleine Hall-Arber and Corinn Williams, and oral historian Fred Calabretta recorded oral histories with 58 workers involved in diverse fishing-related trades on the New Bedford waterfront. Documented trades range from fish packers to net makers, navigational electronic technicians to marine divers, and maritime upholsterers to ice house workers. The interviews are supplemented by striking workplace portraits taken by New Bedford photographer Phillip Mello, who was also interviewed about his job as general manager at Bergie’s Seafood, and who has been taking photographs of his fellow waterfront workers since 1975.

Go to Working the Waterfront: New Bedford, Massachusetts collection items 

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About America Works

America Works

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National Fisherman

Jessica Hathaway (April 27, 2021)

 

As parts of our communities begin to reopen, the fishing industry is a reminder that essential services never stopped running in the year since businesses and even public services in the United States began to shutter their doors.

The crown jewel of Massachusetts’ fishing industry, New Bedford’s history is inexorably tied to its working waterfront. This month, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will reopen to the public with a new exhibit — More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Fishing Industry.

“Fishing industry workers often describe what they do as ‘more than a job,’” said Laura Orleans, the center’s executive director. “We are excited to share our new permanent exhibit with the public, giving visitors a chance to hear directly from the fishing community by sharing dozens of audio clips from oral histories conducted over the past two decades. We are grateful to many in the industry for supporting the project and for sharing their stories, skills, time, and knowledge.”

This exhibit is designed to offer visitors an introduction to the workings of the fishing industry and explore industry-related topics like labor history, immigration, sustainability, and the changing nature of work and community.

The exhibit features a replica working deck, scallop dredge, galley table, bunks, historic and contemporary images and footage, and more than 60 audio clips sharing the many voices of the local fishing community.

Located in the nation’s most valuable fishing port, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the story of the commercial fishing industry’s past, present, and future through exhibits, programs, and archives.

Beginning April 15, the center is open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. To schedule a small group tour of the new exhibit or to learn more about the exhibit, contact programs@fishingheritagecenter.org or call (508) 993-8894.

Funding for this exhibit is provided by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and significant support from Bristol County Savings Bank. Major in-kind support for this exhibit was provided by Fairhaven Shipyard and Blue Fleet Welding. 

Read the article here.

SouthCoast Today | The Standard-Times

Anastasia Lennon

April 14, 2021

NEW BEDFORD — Just a few minutes from the city’s waterfront sits a collection of films, photos, audio recordings and artifacts that tell the story of an industry not often seen firsthand by the general public: the fishing industry. 

After closing in December, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center reopens this Thursday with its new exhibit, “More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Commercial Fishing Industry.” The center describes it as an “introduction” to New Bedford’s preeminent industry. 

“The nation’s most valuable port has long deserved an institution dedicated to telling its story,” said Laura Orleans, executive director of the center. “The Fishing Heritage Center fills that void.”

New Bedford fishing industry

The exhibit explores the industry in New Bedford beginning in the 1900s by considering sustainability, labor unions, diversity, family, community and the “American dream.” It illustrates what the industry does and represents through the voices and stories of those in it, Orleans said. 

“To be standing all day makes you tired. But sometimes when you are working, cleaning fish, you start thinking of your father or sometimes your mother and you think ‘I’ll send my check this week,'” said Lillian Riveira, a fish cutter, in one of the recordings that will play in the exhibit. 

Orleans estimates they have 300 to 400 hours of audio recordings, which they plan to swap periodically in the exhibit so that visitors can hear new material. 

Aurally, visitors will also get to experience the sound of the fog horn, a mayday call, or a vessel’s engine, which ticks interminably for those on board for long stretches.

Visually, visitors can view model vessels and various artifacts fishermen have pulled up in their nets, including a mastodon tooth and a Russian belt buckle. They can also view decades-old footage spliced with present-day film, which in combination show what has and has not changed in the industry.  

One of Orleans’ favorite parts of the exhibit is a tall board with dozens of nicknames belonging to ship crew from Fairhaven and New Bedford, some of which have previously been displayed at the center. While some nicknames are funny, a few are ethnic slurs, Orleans noted.

“I think it’s going to be an interesting thing for people to talk about,” she said, adding that some aspects of the exhibit deal with some less celebratory, more contentious subjects, including the offshore wind industry and labor unions. 

Sustaining the ocean’s resources

The executive director hopes people walk away from the exhibit with an understanding that for many people in the fishing industry, their job is their way of life. She also wants people to recognize that fishermen have been working “since the beginning” to sustain the ocean’s resources

“I feel like people come in often with a preconception that fishermen… don’t care about the environment,” she said. “Part of what we’re trying to do is put a human face on the fishing community and give people a sense that fishermen really depend on a healthy resource in order to fish.”

Thursday marks the “soft opening” before the exhibit’s official opening celebration in June, which will also mark the center’s five-year anniversary. Admission is free until July 1, when the center will start charging a fee of $5 or less, depending on age and membership status. 

“I hope people will take some time when they’re here to pick up those handsets and listen to the voices of the fishing community because I think that people have amazing stories to share,” Orleans said. “Some of them are really funny, some are very poignant, and what I really like is that people get an opportunity to hear directly from people who live this every day.”

The new exhibit was funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant and Bristol County Savings Bank. Fairhaven Shipyard and Blue Fleet Welding donated time and resources, including building the exhibit’s working deck.

The center is open between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Thursday through Sunday. For more information, visit www.fishingheritagecenter.org. 

Read the article online here.

SouthCoast Today | The Standard-Times

April 14, 2021

Sal Sequeira, Dave St. Pierre and Domingo Ixcuna Lucas of Blue Fleet Welding Services, install a one-third scale scallop dredge they manufactured, inside of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. This is one of the many new exhibits soon to open.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

(l to r) Mauro Moreira, Matt Walsh, and Stephen Walsh, install a display with New Bedford fishermen nicknames. WB Inc. carpenters install new exhibits inside of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center on Bethel Street in New Bedford, which is undergoing major renovations including More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Commercial Fishing Industry. The new exhibits are scheduled to open soon.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

Laura Orleans, director, tests out one of the many new audio content stations being installed inside of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center on Bethel Street in New Bedford, which is undergoing major renovations including More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Commercial Fishing Industry. The new exhibits are scheduled to open soon.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

Matt Walsh and Stephen Walsh of WB Inc. carpenters, are seen through one of the windows on the bridge found inside of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center on Bethel Street in New Bedford, which is undergoing major renovations including More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Commercial Fishing Industry. The new exhibits are scheduled to open soon.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

Laura Orleans, director, looks on, as a new one-third scale scallop dredge manufactured by Blue Fleet Welding Services is installed at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

Matt Walsh carries an informational sign outlining the type of fish caught by New Bedford fishermen. WB Inc. carpenters install new exhibits inside of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center on Bethel Street in New Bedford, which is undergoing major renovations including More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Commercial Fishing Industry. The new exhibits are scheduled to open soon.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

Laura Orleans, director, and Charlie York, look on below, as Sal Sequeira and Dave St Pierre, hang the one-third scale scallop dredge from the ceiling of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

Matt Walsh and Mauro Moreira, of WB Inc. install an informational panel outlining the type of fish New Bedford fishermen catch. This one of the many new exhibits being installed inside of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center on Bethel Street in New Bedford, which is undergoing major renovations including More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Commercial Fishing Industry. The new exhibits are scheduled to open soon.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

Stephen Walsh walks past the ships bell, as he makes modifications to the wheelhouse and ships bunks being installed, as part of the all new exhibits at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

Blue Fleet Welding Services welders, Domingo Ixcuna Lucas, Sal Sequeira and Dave St Pierre, install the one-third scallop dredge they manufactured for the newly redone interior of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

Stephen Walsh and Laura Orleans, director, discuss where the new exhibits will be placed inside of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center on Bethel Street in New Bedford, which is undergoing major renovations including More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Commercial Fishing Industry. The new exhibits are scheduled to open soon.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

Blue Fleet Welding Services welders, Domingo Ixcuna Lucas, Sal Sequeira and Dave St Pierre, install the one-third scallop dredge they manufactured for the newly redone interior of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

PETER PEREIRA/THE STANDARD-TIMES

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1420 WBSM

Jim Phillips (April 9, 2021)

Restrictions are slowly being lifted and more COVID-19 vaccine is becoming available, and the people running the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center are hopeful they’ll be welcoming more visitors this spring and summer to their 38 Bethel Street location.

When those visitors arrive, they can enjoy a new exhibit about New Bedford and its fishing industry.

The Center’s Executive Director, Laura Orleans joins Townsquare Sunday to discuss the new exhibit, entitled “More Than A Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Commercial Fishing Industry.”

The exhibit attempts to explain the culture of New Bedford and its connection to one of the world’s most dangerous professions.

A “soft” opening will take place this month, with a grand opening set for June 25-26.

Laura is also recruiting a new round of volunteers for the Fishing Heritage Center. She explains what those jobs entail. Her interview can be heard here:

Townsquare Sunday is a weekly public affairs program that airs every Sunday morning at 6 on 1429 WBSM.  The program highlights individuals and organizations working to make Greater New Bedford a better place to live, work and play.

If you would like your organization featured on Townsquare Sunday, please e-mail the host at jim.phillips@townsquaremedia.com.

Read More: A New Exhibit About New Bedford and Fishing [TOWNSQUARE SUNDAY] | https://wbsm.com/a-new-exhibit-about-new-bedford-and-fishing-townsquare-sunday/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Read the article here.

SouthCoast Today | The Standard-Times

Anastasia Lennon (March 9, 2021)

NEW BEDFORD — Years before the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center was established, the city’s annual two-day Working Waterfront Festival in 2007 focused on women and their role in the commercial fishing industry. 

Laura Orleans, executive director of the center who was involved in the festival planning, said a man on the planning committee had asked if the festival would be all about fishermen’s wives, as that was what he thought about women in the industry.

Women who are married to fishermen serve an important role, but they have many other roles, Orleans said. They own and captain boats, process fish, study fisheries as scientists, make fishing gear, do the bookkeeping, serve as observers for fisheries management and act as some of the strongest advocates for the industry. 

This reality will be the focus of the center’s new project, “Women’s Work: At Sea, On Shore, At Home, In the Community.” Programming starts this month and will culminate in a new exhibit on women scheduled to open late this summer. 

Women tend to be “invisible” in this industry, Orleans said. “Fishing happens out of sight, offshore or in these mysterious processing places… What we try to do with the programs and exhibits is shine a light and humanize the often mysterious, unknown industry… People just don’t have any sense of ways in which women are involved.”

The executive director said compared to other ports, especially out west in California and Alaska, the Port of New Bedford has fewer women on boats and going out to sea. 

When asked if she would like to see more women in the local fleets, Orleans said she wants anyone, regardless of gender, to get a job on a boat if they have the skills and commitment. 

Orleans said pre-pandemic, the center would have school groups visit, which is one of the reasons they are creating the new exhibit on women.

“I have been painfully aware of the fact that you see images of men,” Orleans said. “I always have wanted the high school kids, especially high school girls, to see themselves on the walls and in the center… to not just take my word for it.” 

The exhibit, which is still in its early stages of planning, will look at women in each part of the industry, she said. The center will also focus on Mary Stanley, a woman better known as “Fish Mary,” who was the only local woman offloading heavy bags of fish from boats in the 1950s and 1960s. 

Before the exhibit opens, the center will offer many opportunities to learn more about women’s roles in the fishing industry.

This March, during Women’s History Month, the center is offering two programs. On March 11 at 7 p.m., attendees will explore women and the sea through a virtual concert and lecture on Facebook. Then, on March 19 at 7 p.m., the center will stream a documentary through Zoom on women in the fishing industry at Point Judith, Rhode Island. 

Orleans said she and other staff are excited about partnering with local schools and the YWCA to bring awareness to young women in the community about the ways in which women have been involved.

“In particular, for women to see themselves in strong roles,” Orleans said. 

The center is receiving funding for the new programs and exhibit from the National Endowment for the Arts, Women’s Fisheries Network, Massachusetts Cultural Council and the cultural councils of Dartmouth, Mattapoisett, New Bedford and Westport.

For more information about upcoming programs and exhibits, visit fishingheritagecenter.org/programs/calendar/

Read the article here.

1420 WBSM

Mary Serreze | February 5, 2021

Women have always played a big role in the world of commercial fishing, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts will help the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center highlight their work at sea and on shore.

Women’s Work: At Sea, On Shore, At Home, In the Community will use photography, film, music, poetry, and storytelling to highlight the often-untold stories of women in commercial fishing communities.

The $15,000 NEA grant, which requires a local match, is among 1,073 grants awarded to local arts projects across the country, representing nearly $25 million in federal funding.

From March through December 2021 in New Bedford, gallery exhibits and programs will explore the lives, skills, and experiences of women who work in the fishing industry, as well as the work of those who are connected through family.

The fishing heritage center is excited to highlight contributions women make to the industry, “thus dispelling the common misperception that the commercial fishing industry is exclusively a man’s world,” said executive director Laura Orleans.

Orleans said that local businesses are invited to help the center raise matching funds. The center can be reached at info@fishingheritagecenter.org or at (508) 993-8894.

The center will partner with Our Sisters School, Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School, Global Learning Charter Public High School, and the YWCA to engage young people in the project.

The center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the story of the commercial fishing industry past, present, and future through exhibits, programs, and archives. It’s located at 38 Bethel Street in downtown New Bedford.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is among select organizations nationwide that have demonstrated “creativity, excellence, and resilience during this very challenging year,” said Arts Endowment Acting Chairman Ann Eilers.

Read online: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center to Highlight Women’s Work

1420 WBSM

Mary Serreze (February 5, 2021)

New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center to Highlight Women’s Work

Women have always played a big role in the world of commercial fishing, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts will help the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center highlight their work at sea and on shore.

Women’s Work: At Sea, On Shore, At Home, In the Community will use photography, film, music, poetry, and storytelling to highlight the often-untold stories of women in commercial fishing communities.

The $15,000 NEA grant, which requires a local match, is among 1,073 grants awarded to local arts projects across the country, representing nearly $25 million in federal funding.

From March through December 2021 in New Bedford, gallery exhibits and programs will explore the lives, skills, and experiences of women who work in the fishing industry, as well as the work of those who are connected through family.

The fishing heritage center is excited to highlight contributions women make to the industry, “thus dispelling the common misperception that the commercial fishing industry is exclusively a man’s world,” said executive director Laura Orleans.

Orleans said that local businesses are invited to help the center raise matching funds. The center can be reached at info@fishingheritagecenter.org or at (508) 993-8894.

The center will partner with Our Sisters School, Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School, Global Learning Charter Public High School, and the YWCA to engage young people in the project.

The center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the story of the commercial fishing industry past, present, and future through exhibits, programs, and archives. It’s located at 38 Bethel Street in downtown New Bedford.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is among select organizations nationwide that have demonstrated “creativity, excellence, and resilience during this very challenging year,” said Arts Endowment Acting Chairman Ann Eilers.

Read the article online here.

Our Wicked Fish

January 18, 2020