Travel the world without leaving Nantucket
NHA presents free program at Whaling Museum during school vacation week
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
Not every family actually leaves Nantucket during school vacation weeks, but the staff of the Nantucket Historical Association has created a way for islanders to explore other parts of the world through their senses during Passport to History: Vacation Destination Days.

U'u Club from the Marquesas (at left); Famille Rose Chinese Porcelain Bowl, 1860-70, brought to Nantucket by Captain George H. Brock, master of the clipper ship Midnight (at right). PHOTOS BY JEFF ALLEN

The free program for elementary school-aged children and their families runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, Feb. 25 - 29 at the Whaling Museum with a different theme for each afternoon. The program is made possible through a grant from the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation which allows NHA staff to present it in a size and scope that will interest the community on all generational levels.

"We've spent a lot of time developing this," said NHA Manager of Interpretation and Education Kim McCray, who with her team of Erik Ingmundson and Chris Mason conceived of entertaining ways to link program components with NHA exhibits and highlights of Nantucket history.

"We want them to feel like they are on vacation without leaving the island," said McCray. "In Passport to History, every day we will explore parts of the world where whalers would have gone."

Every afternoon's "trip" will include opportunities to view historic items from around the world that are on exhibit at the museum as well as enjoy activity stations running simultaneously where visitors may create their own treasures from NHA-provided materials, sample foods and beverages, listen to music from distant places and take part in interactive components of an "Adventure Walk" that will be up all week.

• Monday, Feb. 25 features Souvenirs of the World. During the whaling era, Nantucket fishermen brought home souvenirs from their travels such as Sailor's Valentines and scrimshaw. Besides being able to view pieces in the NHA collection, visitors will be given materials for Sailor's Valentines and chunks of plastic pipe cut in the shape of a whale's tooth on which they employ "markershaw," using marker pens to "etch" designs reminiscent of antique scrimshaw. The back of the old candle factory within the museum will be converted to an interactive walkway where people experience a sense of what it would be like to be in the locations explored during the week.

• Tuesday's program is Islands of the World. Though Nantucket is a main consideration, participants will examine what makes islands such special places, and see photos and talk about Hawaii, the Azores and other islands as examples of whaler destinations. Island crafts will be explored with shells, beads and shark's teeth provided so visitors may make their own bracelets and necklaces. Creating postcards of Nantucket will be another activity on Tuesday with a chance to make your own flag as part of the Adventure Walk island flags feature.

• On Wednesday, travelers will become South Pacific Explorers, learning of places such as New Zealand where the native population is called Maori. The museum has a model of a Maori war canoe from New Zealand that will be used by visitors to fashion their own canoes to take home. NHA Director Bill Tramposh came to Nantucket from New Zealand and will share stories of its folklore. In addition, the art form of tattooing will be examined as a cultural element and what was once a rite of passage for sailors to prove they had been to the South Pacific. A face painting artist will apply "tattoo"designs of choice on participants, who that afternoon will also engage in taste comparisons of foods eaten on board whaling ships such as hardtack, as opposed to fruits found on shore including coconut, pineapple and kiwi.

• Thursday's program is Far East Traders. Nantucketers were among the first Americans who traded goods in the Far East. Among the museum's collection are portraits painted by artists in the Far East from photographs brought by island whalers and tradesmen, who most frequently visited China. Also in the collection are pieces of authentic, painted china pottery which visitors will use to create their own designs employing collage materials on plastic tea cups. The importance of fans in China will be examined and Thursday's travelers will be given constructed, white fans to decorate as they wish. As a special treat that day, various types of teas will be experienced so people can smell them, feel their texture and watch the steeping process. Among those to be offered are blossoming or artisan teas which are tied into a ball. When the ball is dropped into hot water it opens, frequently revealing a real flower.

"They are really cool to watch," said McCray.

• Friday's program ties to the In Search of Giant Squid exhibit now on display at the museum. Called Under the Sea, the afternoon will focus on routes whalers and tradesmen followed in their 19th century expeditions, but more so on what lived in the waters they traveled over, such as whales, squid and sharks. Various mammalian shells will be observed including a tortoise shell in the museum collection. Using "fun foam" and paper plates, visitors will be able to craft a turtle to keep.

Among tastings of sea offerings will be dried squid, dried seaweed and sea salt along with "tamer" items, as McCray said, including Goldfish crackers. The Adventure Walk that afternoon will allow visitors to make their own sea creature and place it on a backdrop of open ocean. Other highpoints of the day will be a children's video called "Sea Tunes" that will play all afternoon in the museum's Discovery Room and a visit from Clara the Whale, a museum staffer dressed in a friendly, giant whale costume made by island artist Clara Urbahn.

Along with families, groups of children accompanied by adults are also welcome but reservations are recommended for group admissions. Reservations

can be arranged by calling 228-1894. I