Mystic Seaport Hails Discovery of Lost Whaleship Two Brothers

Wreck is an Important Link to America’s Maritime Past

 

Mystic, Conn. ~ Mystic Seaport is excited to learn of the positive identification of the wreck of the whaleship Two Brothers in waters off Hawaii. The find is of national significance not only because she was able to be identified, but because she underscores the scope and influence of American whaling, the first truly global industry dominated by the then emerging nation.

      The Two Brothers was located and then identified through the work of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency’s Maritime Heritage Program.  Mystic Seaport has a close working relationship with the MHP and their Lost Ships Survey to share expertise and knowledge. The goal of the work is to raise awareness of the importance of America’s maritime heritage.

      “We applaud the work NOAA is doing,” said Steve White, President of Mystic Seaport. “Discoveries like the Two Brothers are a chance to connect with our shared heritage and reengage in a conversation about a largely forgotten chapter of our history.”

       The discovery highlights the importance of preserving artifacts from that era. Very little remains of a fleet that once numbered over 2,700 vessels and ranged the far reaches of the globe in pursuit of whales.  For more than 200 years, the whaling industry played an essential role in facilitating the economic and technological development that helped transform America into a great nation.

      “So much has been lost or forgotten about the whaling experience, it is primarily through artifacts like the Two Brothers and the Charles W. Morgan that we can know and understand how important it was to the story of our country. A discovery such as this brings life to our history just as stepping on board the Morgan does,” said White.

      The Charles W. Morgan, launched in 1841, is the last remaining whaleship in the world and a National Historic Landmark.  Mystic Seaport is in the process of a multi-year renovation of the Morgan and plans to return her to sea in 2014 to continue to tell the story of American whaling.

      The Two Brothers was found near French Frigate Shoals, about 600 miles northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. She wrecked in 1823 when she hit a reef at night. The ship is particularly notable because her captain, George Pollard, was also the commander of the ship Essex when it was rammed by a whale and sank in 1820. The incident is credited as an inspiration for Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.

 

      Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Visitors can explore American maritime history firsthand and climb aboard historic tall ships, stroll through a re-created 19th-century coastal village and watch a working preservation shipyard in action. Admission is $24 for adults, $15 for youth (ages 6 -17) and free for children ages five and under. For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org.