Dear History Lover,

        A sensational summer is upon us and it's high time to explore the history that abounds, even on Boston's own Harbor. Do I write of the awe-inspiring Harborfest activities that annually commemorate our Independence Day celebration? No. I speak of one of the United States' most unique National Historic Landmarks, floating peacefully, moored alongside the barge at the East Boston Marina. History At Play's Summer Gala is Saturday July 26, 6pm ET, aboard & alongside the Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, which, in 1989, was designated a national historic landmark (or, in this case, a floating landmark), as she "... possesses national significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America." (Department of the Interior)

          I have been an adoring fan of the Nantucket Lightship for nearly a decade, after accidentally discovering this historic gem at the end of the East Boston Marina.

          On Saturday July 26, the Nantucket Lightship serves as the backdrop and setting for one of Boston's most immersive historic events! A 1940s Hollywood Golden Age Gala invites attendees to walk the red carpet to the year 1945. The war is over. Technicolor has dazzled audiences for years in picture houses. Audiences continue to rave over motion pictures like Casablanca and the French film Children of Paradise (Les enfants du paradis). Movie star Hedy Lamarr laments turning down the role of "Ilsa Lund" in the aforementioned Casablanca; a role which secured Ingrid Bergman's mark in motion picture history. Unbeknownst to Hedy, however, her name would continue shining brightly on cinema marquees for at least 7 more years, and "the most beautiful woman in the world" secured a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her performance in Samson & Delilah (1949). 

        You better believe if History At Play hosts a gala, we're going to choose the venue with care. We love the Nantucket Lightship for many reasons: its incomparable views of the Boston skyline at sunset; its carefully restored engine room and time capsule feel; and the fact that it never leaves the dock, so you can't miss the boat! Above all, we love the Nantucket's history, including the fact that she is a restoration that was paid for by The White Star Line (of Titanic fame) after Titanic's sister ship RMS Olympic sawed the "OG" Nantucket/LV-117 in half on a foggy morning in 1934. We credit the folks at Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 for the information that follows about this mind-blowing story. You can experience the ship's majestic quality for yourself by snagging tickets to this incredible, immersive experience. And, lest we forget, it's a birthday party too! A Forties Gala for my 41st! Let's celebrate!

Early Bird Sales CLOSE July 5!

Use Promo Code "Fam123" for discounted $10 OFF at Eventbrite.

Tickets also available on Resident Advisor (no promo codes).

          If you prefer to listen to the story of the 1934 RMS Olympic/US Nantucket tragedy, here is an audio narration and a video to enjoy the same. 

          On the morning of May 15, 1934, the Nantucket was on her mooring just outside the Cape Cod Shoals. Not far from her location, the massive White Star Liner Olympic, sister ship of the Titanic, was following the Lightship’s radio signal and, under reduced speed, was heading directly towards her. There was a heavy fog that blanketed the area around Nantucket Shoal that day. In order to avoid collision with the Lightship, the captain and crew of the Olympic had intended to change course; however, due to a grave miscalculation and riding the radio beam too closely, around 11 o’clock that morning the Olympic hit the Nantucket Lightship /LV-117, running the vessel over.

         The crew aboard the Lightship had zero chance to avoid the hit, as the Liner was only a few hundred feet away when she emerged from the fog-shrouded horizon. "It happened so quick we don't know just how it did happen. We were in the water before we knew it," said First Officer Clinton E. Mosher from the deck of the Olympic after it reached New York. "I barely had time to get on deck and swim for my life," said Radioman John F. Perry. He was stationed in the Radio Room at the time. One of the Lightship's Oilers, L. V. Roberts, was asleep in his bunk when the Olympic ran into the Lightship. "It is really a mystery that I came up so suddenly," he said. The men who happened to be on [the Lightship’s] deck had a slight chance for their lives, but those who were down below were like rats in a trap, with no chance whatsoever. It was one of the most distressing catastrophes that had occurred in that section of the coast in many years. A Lightship stationed as a safe-guard to navigation, warning big ocean liners to keep away from danger, was herself cut down and sent to the bottom by one of the very craft she was there to protect.” ("White Star Liner Olympic Sinks Nantucket Lightship." Inquirer & Mirror, May 19, 1934)

         The Olympic was nearly 75 times the size [tonnage] of the Nantucket Lightship/LV-117. She cut through the Lightship in seconds, breaking the vessel in two, and within a minute or two the LV-117 had sunk to the bottom of the ocean. The Captain of the Olympic ordered his crew to drop the lifeboats and assist the survivors. Seven of the eleven crew, including Captain Braithwaite, were rescued and brought to the safety of the Liner’s decks. Not long after, three members of the Lightship’s crew had died. The Olympic kept watch for a few hours in hopes that the other members of the Lightship’s crew would be found. However, their effort was futile. With her flag half-mast, by late afternoon the Olympic was underway and heading to New York.

          Sadly, months after rescue, Captain Braithwaite died from injuries he endured during the collision. Though the White Star Line, which had since merged with Cunard to become Cunard-White Star Line, was at fault and their insurance agents admitted that, it took nearly a year for a settlement to be reached between White Star Line-Cunard and the U.S. Government, along with the crew's family. Those who survived the collision:
Clinton E. Mosher of New Bedford, First Officer
John F. Perry of Provincetown, Radioman
L. V. Roberts of East Boston, Oiler

Those who perished as a result of the collision:

William W. Perry of Reading, Chief Engineer
Isaac Pina of New Bedford, Ship’s Cook
Alfred Moneiro of New Bedford, Second Cook
Justin F. Richmond of Wodburn, Oiler
Matthew S. Rodriques of New Bedford, Seaman
John M. Fortes of New Bedford, Seaman
Ernest B. George of New Bedford, Seaman, and 

Captain George W. Braithewaite of Cambridge

          The most impactful way to appreciate this national landmark is to see this heroic vessel's light shining bright in the night sky; to smell the salt air; to ring the bell aboard the main deck; to taste the sparkling cider we'll enjoy together; and to listen to a fusion of 1940s big band, Honky Tonk, & dance music, while learning the legendary story of Hedy Lamarr, enjoying artists' creations, and dancing the night away.

"Nothing is perfect in this world. Nothing is sure... There are detours.... You have to have a certain respect for what you do and then, you do not care what other people think." 

~ Hedy Lamarr          

Historically Yours,