Inside Out! The First Hundred Years: Evolution of a Museum

Museums, at their best, are devoted to collecting and caring for art and artifacts, and in sharing stories that are relevant and interesting to the greater communities which they serve. In 1903, a group of New Bedford citizens created what would become the New Bedford Whaling Museum (NBWM). This institution has grown and evolved over time to keep pace with changing times and changing interests of our visitors.

This exhibition took us through a photographic journey showing how the Museum has changed and adapted since 1903. What is now occupying a full city block and ten buildings, the Museum has grown from its origins of the Bourne Building, purposefully built to house the Lagoda whaleship model, to a repurposed 19th century bank building to a state of the art modern facility for new classrooms and library collections. Every building has a history, as does every museum. The folks who led the way over the last hundred years are integral to that history.

Curators: Dr. Christina Connett Brophy, The Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Chair for the Chief Curator; and Mark Procknik, New Bedford Whaling Museum Librarian

Virtual Curator Talk

October 8, 2020
with Dr. Christina Connett Brophy, The Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Chair for the Chief Curator; and Mark Procknik, New Bedford Whaling Museum Librarian
View Zoom event HERE