Blackbeard returns to the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort as a newly expanded exhibit opens to the public on Saturday, January 24. The exhibit includes new artifacts from Blackbeard's ship, Queen Anne's Revenge and a new Conservation Laboratory.
Staff members from the Queen Anne's Revenge Conservation Lab in Greenville will be at the Museum conducting lab demonstrations on the conservation of artifacts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
One of the highlights of the new exhibit is a Conservation Laboratory where visitors can view and interact with conservators as they prepare QAR artifacts for eventual exhibition. The lab will provide visitors with a better understanding of the work that goes into preparing these- artifacts as they come from the "ocean floor to the museum door."
The lab has been designed to support a wide range of conservation activities from opening concretions and cleaning to photography and documentation. It has both wet and dry cleaning stations, an air scribe booth, and examination areas.
Broad windows on two sides of the lab will allow visitors to easily observe the work in progress and interact with the conservators. The lab will be manned by a combination of students, professional conservators, and museum staff.
The newly expanded Queen Anne's Revenge exhibit is made possible through the generous donations from Beaufort Wine & Food and the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum. The funding for entire exhibit was approximately $40,000.
"Beaufort Wine and Food is thrilled to be able to fund the conservation lab addition to the Queen Anne's Revenge exhibit at the North Carolina Maritime Museum," stated Lindsay E. Parker, Executive Director of Beaufort Wine & Food.
The donation of $31,000 from Beaufort Wine & Food went to cover the entire cost of the Conservation Laboratory and any additional funding needed to complete the exhibit.
Considered one of the premier culinary events in North Carolina, Beaufort Wine and Food combines a series of carefully crafted events to create an unforgettable cultural experience. Their events are scheduled for April 22-26, 2015.
The Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum continue to provide ongoing support to the Museum. Through donations from their membership during the 2013 Annual Appeal, the Friends have donated $10,000 to the QARexhibit.
"We believe this expanded exhibit continues to showcase the unique story of the pirate Blackbeard and will attract many new and repeat visitors to the Museum, as well as Beaufort," stated Brent Creelman, Director of Operations for the Friends of the Museum.
The Conservation Laboratory gives the North Carolina Maritime Museum a unique opportunity to bring the "behind the scenes" elements of the QAR Project to a wider public audience.
The Blackbeard's Legacy Case contains an expanded version on modern day piracy materials that are now on display, and an entirely new exhibit on how Blackbeard and his contemporary pirates are viewed in the modern world.
The exhibit will also have a virtual Queen Anne's Revenge program for visitors as well.
"The association of Blackbeard and the artifacts from Queen Anne's Revenge makes this of primary importance to the history of Beaufort and North Carolina," stated Joseph K. Schwarzer, Director of the North Carolina Maritime Museums. "We are thrilled to be able to preserve this remarkably unique and important piece of history through an expanded QARexhibit with the support of Beaufort Wine & Food and the Friends of the Museum," he stated.
Events scheduled for the opening of the new exhibit on Saturday include:
- At 11 a.m., a ribbon cutting of the new Queen Anne's Revenge exhibit will take place with non-other than by Blackbeard himself in attendance.
- Following the ribbon cutting, children will be invited to participate and work on their own "concretions" (cookies) and see how many "artifacts" (chocolate chips) they are able to successfully recover.
- Guided tours of Queen Anne's Revenge exhibit will take place at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. These tours are limited to just 25 people and are expected to fill up. They are on a first come, first serve basis. You can call to make reservations in advance at 252-728-7317.
- Museum volunteers will have a Discovery Table with touchable props for visitors to see from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- At 3 p.m., Baylus C. Brooks will discuss his new book, Quest for Blackbeard: Edward Thache and his Family of Spanish Town, Jamaica. Brooks is a colonial maritime historian of North Carolina studying in East Carolina University's Maritime Studies Program.
- On Friday, January 23, the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum have planned a "Preview Party" of the newly expanded QAR exhibit for donors. To become a member of the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum, contact Gina Holland at 252-728-1638.
In 1718, the notorious pirate Blackbeard lost his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, when it ran aground in Beaufort Inlet. For more than 270 years, it was hidden by water and sand - a mystery to archaeologists around the world.
In 1996, private company Intersal, Inc. discovered the shipwreck. The Museum became the official repository for allQueen Anne's Revenge artifacts and has offered a small exhibit of them since 1997.
The legend of Blackbeard continues with this newly expanded Queen Anne's Revenge exhibit.