Gales of November: Shipwrecks of Lake Superior
September 19 through December 20
The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center is proud to announce the opening of the exhibition “Gales of November: Shipwrecks on Lake Superior” at 12 p.m. on Friday, September 19. The exhibition will be on display in the Beaumier Center’s gallery in Gries through December 20th and is free and open to the public. The Beaumier Center is open to the public from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Fridays, and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
The exhibition, “Gales of November” looks specifically at the fascinating and tragic history of shipwrecks that occurred during that most dangerous month of the year for sailors on the Great Lakes. In November, large arctic air masses in Alaska and Canada begin to make their way southeast across the lakes. The Gulf of Mexico contributes to the development of low-pressure systems that make their way north, riding the jet stream towards the Great Lakes. When these systems collide over the Great Lakes, it creates a very unstable weather pattern that can turn into essentially an inland hurricane. One nickname for these storms is the "Witch of November," characterized by gale-force winds, massive waves and quick-changing weather patterns.
From the earliest days of sailing vessels on Lake Superior, November has taken its toll on the maritime trade. This exhibit will look at some of the more famous and fascinating shipwrecks that led to either the disappearance of a vessel or its eventual destruction. This coming November will be the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and so the story of that terrible tragedy will be chronicled. Other shipwrecks that will be featured include the Algoma (1885), Bannockburn (1902), Lucerne (1886), Myron (1919) and many others. Each section will feature images of these ships, copies of weather maps from the day they sank and newspaper headlines of some of the storms that wrecked their havoc on Lake Superior shipping. There will also be several artifacts on display from various Lake Superior shipwrecks on loan from Isle Royale National Park.
In addition, there will be a selection of drawings by the noted maritime artist Ed Pusick on display featuring his dramatic interpretations of various shipwrecks, including the Edmund Fitzgerald. These drawings are on loan from the Fred Stonehouse collection at the Marquette Maritime Museum. Ed Pusick (1927–2006) was a Navy veteran and architectural illustrator, best known as the "Master of Disaster" for his detailed illustrations of Great Lakes shipwrecks. After a military accident disabled him, he pursued his passion for drawing, creating influential shipwreck art that was featured on the History Channel, in museums and in books by historians such as Fred Stonehouse.