“Poor
Boy to Rockefeller: Long Island Oysters & Oystermen”
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“Chiarrappa” - Harper's Weekly
(September
16, 1882, 584) |
This
exhibit explores the significant role the humble oyster
has played in the lives of Long Islanders over the centuries.
The exhibit brings together historic objects
and images as it explores the biology, sociology, economics,
geography and history of this remarkable natural resource
and the industry it spawned. Included in the presentation
are the boats and tools of the oystermen and processors;
the pushcarts and gaily decorated barges of the vendors;
the elegant oyster forks and plates of the high-end restaurants
and Gold Coast mansions, and a glimpse at what oystering
meant to Long Islanders a century ago. Finally, the exhibit
explores the plight of the oyster today: struggling to
make a comeback, and even doing its part to clean our
waters all by itself.
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| Courtesy Long Island Maritime Museum |
For further information contact The Whaling Museum at
631-367-3418
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| Courtesy New York Historical
Society |
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Poor Boy to Rockefeller: Long Island Oysters & Oystermen
Exhibit Images
People have had to devise
ways to collect oysters.
See the tools and techniques
they used, including a dredge and 12 foot tongs
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The
oyster industry peaked during the 19th century,
as the nation’s huge appetite for oysters
was met by the labors of thousands of Islanders. |
A display of the variety of shucking
tools.
One shucker working for a commercial factory could open 5,000 oysters in a day! |
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