September 12, 2019 — F/V Innovation, a new exhibit exploring the evolution of vessels and gear and paying tribute to some of the individuals whose innovations propelled the industry into the modern era, will open on the Sept. 12 AHA! Night.
The exhibit will be on display in the Center’s gallery through March of 2020.
The City of New Bedford has a long history of maritime innovators. Perhaps most notable is blacksmith Lewis Temple, who developed the Toggle Iron in 1848, a harpoon that revolutionized the whaling industry.
In the years since, there have been many who have made their mark on the working waterfront including some who hold patents for their inventions.
F/V Innovation will feature Dan Mullins, known as the father of the modern fishing industry, Hathaway Machine Co., which produced essential fishing gear including the Hathaway winch, and the F/V Narragansett, America’s first stern trawler, as well as others whose contributions helped to make fishing safer, easier, more profitable, and more sustainable.