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Mystic, Conn. - Frozen In: Captain Comer and the Hudson Bay Inuit, an exhibition chronicling the life and work of Captain George Comer of East Haddam, CT, and his extraordinary relationship with the Inuit, opens in the Schaefer Gallery at Mystic Seaport Saturday, May 24, at 9 a.m. The exhibition explores the lives and legacy of Comer and the Inuit, as well as the challenges they faced living in one of the harshest environments on earth. Frozen In will feature a full-scale reconstruction of Comer’s winter deck house from his 1903 expedition aboard the vessel Era, as well as a reconstructed Inuit igloo, traditional clothing, tools, journals, photographs and actual voice recordings made by Comer and his Inuit companions more than 100 years ago. Authentic Inuit objects of ivory, bone, sealskin and stone will also be displayed. “Comer dedicated much of his working life to the establishment of a bridge between two cultures, and he did so with great success,” said Fred Calabretta, the exhibit’s curator. By 1905, Comer possessed an understanding and appreciation of the people of western Hudson Bay that was unsurpassed by any other outsider. Despite a lack of formal training he conducted pioneering fieldwork in Arctic anthropology, employing the use of photography, sound recordings, archaeology, written records and plaster life masks. Anthropologists, museum curators and scientists encouraged and supported Comer’s work, as he provided them with a window to people they knew little about. Comer’s collections soon found their way into some of the world’s greatest museums, including the American Museum of Natural History and the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, both of whom are among an impressive list of lenders to this exhibition. “This union of loan objects with Mystic Seaport’s holdings is unique,” Calabretta said. “For the first time, the Inuit clothing, tools, personal effects and mementos collected by Comer will be reunited with the photographs, recordings, life masks and stories of their creators. Such a striking representation of Comer-related materials has never before been assembled for public view.” Frozen In: Captain Comer and the Hudson Bay Inuit will remain open through April 2009. The exhibit is free with Museum admission. For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org/frozenin. Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum is located one mile south of exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $18.50 for adults and $13 for children ages 6-17. Children 5 and under are admitted for free. For more information, call 888.973.2767 or visit www.mysticseaport.org. © Copyright by StamfordPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of StamfordPlus.com, Stamford Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. Related Articles: SoundWaters hosts annual Horseshoe Crab Day on May 31 - May 16, 2008 - 11:22:47 AM The WoodenBoat Show returns to Mystic Seaport - May 15, 2008 - 12:59:07 AM Local benefit performance sells out a week ahead of scheduled performance - May 14, 2008 - 1:59:39 PM Westport Arts Center announces call for entries - May 14, 2008 - 6:56:48 AM Southern Connecticut BOMA announces Green Expo - May 12, 2008 - 11:35:08 AM CURRENT HEADLINES: Top of Page
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