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History

Answering Lubec’s Fish Whistles

Old timers in Lubec remember the days when the coastal economy revolved around sardines.

30 Years of Innovation

A glimpse at just a few of the people, boats, and innovations along the Maine coast from the last 30 years.

Way Back When at MBH&H

30 years of chronicling the coast.

Way Back When 147 — Summer Colonies

Bayville in East Boothbay was one of many post-Civil War summer colonies in Maine.

Back When “Working Waterfront” Meant Just That

Photojournalists preserved these scenes from the midcoast Maine working waterfront during the 1940s through 1970s.

Summer Camp Life

Two early summer camps in Maine.

Touring Boothbay Harbor

Two vintage postcards from Boothbay Harbor, excerpted from the book Maine on Glass: The Early Twentieth Century in Glass Plate Photography.

Charting the Coast

Nautical charts of the Maine coast were first produced in the late 1860s. Since then, evolving technology has led to increasingly detailed knowledge of the ocean bottom.

Way Back When — Issue 143

An early-1900s view of the Penobscot River from the book "Maine On Glass," show an array of vessels.

The Revenue Man

Catching rumrunners during Prohibition was one thing, but convicting them was another, as a customs agent on Mount Desert Island learned, much to his frustration.

From Rum to Lobsters

The qualities that made them good for rum-running during Prohibition also made builder Will Frost’s boats good for lobstering. His semi-displacement hulls, renowned for maintaining speed at capacity, have influenced the design of lobsterboats ever since.

Remembering the Oakey L. Alexander

Sometimes when disaster strikes, the official rescuers need help. In 1947, a whole community came out to save a shipwrecked crew off Cape Elizabeth.

The Hidden Life of Seaweed

While some beachcombers turn up their nose at a slimy piece of seaweed on the beach, they should not. What keeps that seaweed flexible and slippery is also what keeps our ice cream smooth in our mouths, our lipstick smooth on our lips, and our shaving cream smooth across our cheeks.

Influenced by Nature

Charles Eliot was a noted landscape architect who helped create the land trust model that led to the formation of Acadia National Park. Sailing vacations to Maine with his family when he was young helped inspire his later work.

What's In a Name?

Henry R. Hinckley was an innovator, an early pioneer in the concept of fiberglass production yacht construction. But when it came to boat names, he found one he liked and stuck with it.