Discover East India Marine Society's Maritime Treasures

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The East India Marine Society has an incredible collection of maritime treasures, and I'm excited to share some of the highlights with you. The society's museum features over 14,000 objects, including navigational instruments, ship models, and other maritime artifacts.

These artifacts are a testament to the society's rich history and the important role it played in the development of the United States. The society's collection includes a 17th-century astrolabe, which was used by sailors to measure the position of the stars.

The East India Marine Society's museum is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in maritime history. With its vast collection of artifacts, it's a treasure trove of knowledge and insight into the lives of sailors and traders who shaped the course of history.

The Society

The Society was a group of wealthy and influential individuals who were passionate about the ocean and its exploration. They were known as the East India Marine Society, and they were founded in 1798.

A diverse group of adults in a collaborative team meeting inside a well-lit office room.
Credit: pexels.com, A diverse group of adults in a collaborative team meeting inside a well-lit office room.

The Society's members were primarily traders and merchants who had traveled extensively throughout the world. They brought back exotic treasures and stories of their adventures.

The Society's headquarters was located in the Customs House in Boston, Massachusetts. It was a grand building that served as a meeting place for the Society's members.

The Society's collection of artifacts and specimens was vast and diverse. It included everything from rare shells to taxidermied animals.

Collections and Exhibits

The East India Marine Society's collection is a treasure trove of diverse objects, with over 2,269 items listed in its first catalogue published in 1821. This impressive collection includes shells, coins, and ethnological artifacts such as costume, musical instruments, and statuary.

Donations from members and non-members alike contributed to the growth of the collection, with notable donors including William Bentley, a New England local, and Nusserwanjee Maneckjee, a merchant from Bombay. The society's requirement for members to donate a diverse range of objects from their travels explains the predominance of Pacific artifacts on display.

The collection was further expanded to over 4,299 objects with the release of a second catalogue ten years after the first. This impressive growth necessitated the hiring of a curator to fill in gaps in the collection, reorganize the displays, and create a catalogue.

Collecting the Globe: The Salem Museum

Fragment of a Bolivia Map in an Old Geography Atlas
Credit: pexels.com, Fragment of a Bolivia Map in an Old Geography Atlas

The Salem East India Marine Society Museum has a fascinating history of collecting artifacts from around the globe. The museum's collection was started by donations from Captain Jonathan Carnes, which included items as diverse as an elephant's tooth and a pipe from Sumatra.

The society's requirement for its members to donate a diverse range of objects from their travels explains the predominance of Pacific artifacts on display. This approach to collecting has resulted in a unique collection of objects from various parts of the world.

The museum received so many objects in the first two decades of its existence that it hired a curator to fill in gaps in the collection, reorganize the displays, and create a catalogue. This catalogue of the museum's collections was published in 1821, listing 2,269 objects.

Here's a breakdown of the objects included in the first catalogue:

  • Shells
  • Coins
  • Other ethnological artifacts, such as costume, musical instruments, statuary, weaponry
  • Manuscript journals of sea voyages between Salem and places including Batavia, Bombay, Calcutta, Canton, Ceylon, Isle de France, Manila, Mocha, Sumatra, and Tranquebar

The collection continued to grow, with a second catalogue published ten years later, listing 4,299 objects. The objects included in this catalogue are a testament to the museum's commitment to collecting and preserving a diverse range of artifacts from around the world.

Series List

Delicious shrimp biryani with Indian spices, served with traditional condiments in New Delhi, India.
Credit: pexels.com, Delicious shrimp biryani with Indian spices, served with traditional condiments in New Delhi, India.

The collections and exhibits at our archives are a treasure trove of historical documents and artifacts. The series list is a great place to start exploring.

The series list is organized into four main categories: Founding Documents and Meeting Minutes, Correspondence, Reports, Information Relating to EIMS Objects, Scrapbooks, and Guest Books.

Each of these categories contains unique and valuable information that provides insight into the history of the organization. For example, the Founding Documents and Meeting Minutes series contains records of the organization's early meetings and decisions.

Here is a breakdown of the series list:

  • A. Founding Documents and Meeting Minutes
  • B. Correspondence, Reports, Information Relating to EIMS Objects
  • C. Scrapbooks
  • D. Guest Books

These categories are not only interesting to read about, but also provide a useful framework for researchers and historians to organize and analyze the collections.

Nellie Kling

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Nellie Kling is a seasoned copy editor with a keen eye for detail and a passion for clear, concise writing. She has honed her skills over years of experience, ensuring that every article she touches is polished and engaging. Nellie's expertise shines through in her coverage of cruise line news, where she provides insightful and well-researched content that captivates her audience.

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