Program Areas:
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Seventeen foot tall second
order Fresnel lens from
White Shoal serves as
centerpiece for the museum. |
Museum Operations - The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
opened its first exhibits to the public in 1985. Today, the
museum is visited by more than 81,000 people each summer.
Museum programs are essentially of the humanities, designed
to examine man's attempts to harness nature and the
hardships encountered while navigating the Great Lakes.
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Crew of the David Boyd during 1997
Whitefish Bay Expedition with the
National Geographic Society. |
Diving and Research - The Shipwreck Society's
primary research boat is the 47-foot
David Boyd,
fully equipped with electronic navigation gear, a sidescan
sonar, and the Society's Phantom S4 ROV. Dive efforts are
centered on locating and documenting historically
significant wrecksites to further our knowledge of
underwater cultural resources. GLSHS's dive team has
located and documented numerous previously
undiscovered/undocumented shipwreck sites.
The Society has worked with such prestigious organizations
as National Geographic Society, Harbor Branch
Oceanographic, the Canadian Navy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, and many state and local governmental agencies
throughout the Great Lakes.
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GLSHS diver exploring
wreck of the Comet.
Photo by Terry Begnoche. |
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society - Wreck Diving
Policy - The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
(GLSHS) is committed to preservation and interpretation of
Great Lakes maritime history.
Specifically relating to Great Lakes Shipwrecks, GLSHS
supports and promotes lawful safe diving on all shipwrecks.
GLSHS has made a formal agreement with the State of
Michigan to preserve and protect Michigan's shipwreck
heritage. Further, GLSHS desires to assist all states and
provinces bordering the Great Lakes and connecting waters
in all efforts which encourage historic preservation.
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GLSHS Executive Director Tom Farnquist
explains the significance of the replica
bell to Sea Cadets from Sault Ste. Marie,
Ontario aboard HMCS Cormorant |
Education - GLSHS is a multi-faceted organization
attracting global attention from sailors, educators,
historians, divers, archeologists, and museum visitors.
Three state universities are involved in the student intern
program being offered by GLSHS. Students are provided the
opportunity to gain experience in all areas of museum
operations and Great Lakes maritime research.
Outreach - More than 100 million people have been
introduced to GLSHS and its interpretive programs through
television and print. The Discovery Channel's "Shipwreck -
The Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald" aired in
March, 1996. National Geographic Magazine featured the
story of the Edmund Fitzgerald's bell recovery in
the January 1996 issue. Articles about the Great Lakes
Shipwreck Museum have appeared in numerous magazines,
including Michigan History, Lake Superior Magazine, and
Lighthouse Digest.
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Detail of restored
Lightkeepers Quarters. |
Historic Restoration and Preservation - The museum
completed a 6-year restoration of the 1861 Lightkeepers
Quarters in 1996. The 1923 U.S. Coast Guard Lookout Tower
was restored and dedicated in July of 1998. The Society is
currently involved in a $4 million capital improvement
project that will restore additional U.S. Coast Guard
Lifeboat Station structures.
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Mannequin of Capt. Robert Carlson,
Keeper at Whitefish Point 1903-1931.
Human Figure Sculpture by Craig Yanek |
Fine Arts - The Society commissions, on average,
three works of art per year with emphasis on paintings,
sculptures and models
