HARRIET N. ELDRIDGE from New Bedford.

Historic Portraits of New Bedford’s Fishing Fleet

1/22/2013 - New Bedford was one of the most famed whaling cities in the world during the 19th century. To this day, it is a bustling port, receiving considerable cargo and numerous cruise ships. As a fishery, it still thrives despite declines; the cash value of its combined annual catch has been… SEE MORE
Typical gill netter tied up at the wharf. Portland.

Meet the Italian Gill Netters of Portland, circa 1920s

1/10/2013 - Italian immigrants living in Portland during the 1920s pretty much cornered the market on gill netting. In 1926, about 100 fishermen operated twelve vessels from 30' to 50' in length. At the height of the season, it was not uncommon to see children out on the docks mending nets. This… SEE MORE
COLUMBIA,PILGRIM, PURITAN, and YANKEE, Eastern Rig draggers/seiners owned by Capt. Ben Pine.

The Long, Salty Heritage of Gloucester

12/13/2012 - Few cities have played as important a role in America's commercial fisheries as Gloucester. These historic images, from the archives of Atlantic Fisherman and housed at the Penobscot Marine Museum, give a taste of this important harbor. SEE MORE
From the pages of Atlantic Fisherman.

Portrait of an Unknown Maine Fisherman

12/3/2012 - This gent is showing off periwinkle traps used in Biddeford Pool. Though this photo lacks the depth of context we typically like in our posts, we thought it was a striking portrait and couldn't resist sharing it. This image is from the Atlantic Fisherman collection housed at the Penobscot Marine… SEE MORE
On Board the ELLEN J.

Historic Oystering Images from South Norwalk

11/27/2012 - These circa-1950 harbor scenes from South Norwalk depict the small fleet of Captain Fred Lovejoy, an oyster fisherman, and are taken from the Atlantic Fisherman collection at the Penobscot Marine Museum. Atlantic Fisherman was a well-respected fisheries publication originally based in Boston; by the time these photos were taken, the… SEE MORE
Canadian Myrtle Stuart Mitchell with her boat in Eastport for the 4th of July festivities,1924.

A Real Daughter of the Sea’ in Eastport

11/20/2012 - “A real daughter of the sea,” Mrs. Myrtle Stuart Mitchell “was brought up on the salt water, handles a fishing boat like a man. She can sail ‘em, run the engine and lay her course with the best of them. And she boxes the compass as fast as she can… SEE MORE
ANNIE & REUBEN, a stalwart old stone schooner

Unloading At the Maine Central Railroad Wharf

11/14/2012 - With masts spaced widely apart and shipping a steam-driven loading boom, the schooner Annie & Reuben stood out from the other coasters. Her cargo was mostly granite, quarried locally. To retain stability under sail, the granite blocks had to be placed low. Here, at the Maine Central Railroad wharf in… SEE MORE
At dry dock in Boston, 1928

Views of a Classic: Old Ironsides

11/5/2012 - The USS Constitution, known informally as "Old Ironsides" on account of her being a critical vessel in several American victories in the War of 1812, is the oldest wooden vessel afloat today. Still owned by the Navy, she's a three-masted heavy frigate, 165' LOA, of 2,200 tons. She was built… SEE MORE
Net reel on unidentified trawler

Photo Archive Welcomes National Fisherman Collection

10/16/2012 - In mid-September, our photo archivists, Kevin Johnson and Matt Wheeler, drove to Portland to pick up some 20,000 photographs housed in four file cabinets. This new addition to our photography archives was donated by the highly-regarded commercial fishing journal, National Fisherman. PMM acquired images from a related publication, Atlantic Fisherman,… SEE MORE