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Edward Potthast, Portrait of a Fisherman,1900 |
The oldest fishing port in America, Gloucester has a proud history with the sea. A fishing museum as well as an art museum, we are committed to preserving the
famous stories of Cape Ann's mariners for generations to come.
Indeed, fishing remains an important part of the local economy. Fishing also remains one of the most dangerous professions, as demonstrated by Sebastian Junger in his book The Perfect Storm. (The movie by the same name was filmed in Gloucester.)
Fisheries and Maritime Collection
The Cape Ann Museum’s
Fisheries and Maritime Collection reflects Cape Ann’s preeminence in seafaring pursuits. Boat-building enthusiasts and historians will be particularly well-rewarded: the Museum's collection includes three intact historic vessels and detailed 19th century ship models.
Fishing Characters
Gloucester boasts three sailors who braved the Atlantic in solo sails – Alfred Johnson in 1876, Howard Blackburn in 1899 and 1901, and newspaper publisher Philip Weld in the 1970s. Other colorful fishing characters have punctuated the history of this port, on land and at sea.
History of the Port
Gloucester’s deep water harbor attracted a group of
Englishmen from the Dorchester Company, who landed here in 1623 to
fish and to establish a settlement. Gloucester thus became the
country’s first fishing port. By the late 19th century, Gloucester
was a record-setting port for fisheries under sail.
The city remained a fishing center as waves of immigrants –
primarily Nova Scotian, Sicilian and Portuguese – came to fish the
waters off Cape Ann.
Trade was conducted with Surinam, China, Europe and India. The
most lucrative was the trade with the Dutch colony Surinam. It
made fortunes for many sea captains, but it also brought shame to
some local families because slaves were part of the trade along
with rum, molasses and dried fish. |
