Mystic Seaport to Celebrate Opening of ''Ships, Clocks & Stars: The Quest for Longitude''

Mystic, CT – Mystic Seaport is holding a series of events to celebrate the opening of its newest exhibit, “Ship, Clocks, & Stars: The Quest for Longitude” on Saturday, September 19. A media preview will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Thursday, September 17.

"Ships, Clocks & Stars" celebrates the 300th anniversary of the British Longitude Act of 1714, which offered a huge prize for any practical way to determine longitude at sea. The longitude problem was so difficult that—despite that incentive—it took more than a century to solve it. Through the latest research and extraordinary historic artifacts—many never before displayed outside the UK—the exhibition tells the story of the clockmakers, astronomers, naval officers, and others who pursued the long “quest for longitude” to ultimate success.

The award-winning exhibit is a production of the National Maritime Museum in London and is sponsored by United Technologies Corporation. The exhibit runs through March, 28, 2016, after which time it will move to the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

A press release with background information and high-resolution images available for download can be found on the Mystic Seaport website. Video b-roll will be available on request.

Media Preview
Thursday, September 17, 2-5 p.m.
Exclusive opportunity to view and photograph the new exhibit prior to its opening. Exhibit curator Dr. Richard Dunn will be available for interviews.

“Longitude Found”
Thursday, September 17, 7 p.m.
Dr. Richard Dunn will give a public presentation titled “Longitude Found” about the story behind the “Ships, Clocks & Stars” exhibit and how he and his team combined the latest scholarly research with remarkable historic artifacts to bring the quest to measure longitude at sea to life. The event is free to Mystic Seaport members; $15 for non-members. The talk will be in the River Room at Latitude 41 Restaurant, 105 Greenmanville Ave., Mystic, CT.

Book Signing with Dava Sobel
Friday, September 18, 3:30-5 p.m.
Author Dava Sobel will attend a book signing in the Maritime Bookstore to sign copies of her 1995 book “Longitude.” The best-selling book is credited with popularizing the story of longitude. This event is free and open to the public. Maritime Bookstore at Mystic Seaport, 41 Greenmanville Ave., Mystic, CT.

Opening Reception
Friday, September 18, 7 p.m.
Mystic Seaport will hold a private reception to celebrate the opening of the exhibit the following day. Author Dava Sobel, museum leadership, and other dignitaries will offer brief remarks and guests will be able to view the exhibit. This event is invitation-only and not open to the public.  Interested members of the news media are invited to attend. RSVP required.

Ribbon Cutting
Saturday, September 19, 10 a.m.
Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) will lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the R. J. Schaefer Building at Mystic Seaport to mark the official opening of the exhibit. 

About Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. The state-of-the-art Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport provides scholars and researchers from around the world access to the Museum’s renowned archives. Mystic Seaport is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $25 for adults and $16 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.