New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center Prepares to Digitize History

Fishing families in New Bedford may want to start going through photo albums and other mementos in preparation for a large undertaking by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

The Heritage Center has been awarded a $12,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant, which will allow the Center to digitally archive photos, log books, and other items from families involved in Greater New Bedford's fishing industry.

Heritage Center Executive Director Laura Orleans encourages local families to go through their keepsakes and consider them for documentation. "So much of the history is housed in the homes of the families and the family businesses of the community. So, it's not yet so much in a museum and not so much that you can read about in a book at this point," says Orleans.

Orleans says the Heritage Center will host a day-long public event in the spring that will digitize whatever items families submit. Organizers will also conduct "house calls" for those not able to make it to the event in May.

Once the items are catalogued, they will be made available for viewing and research online through the New Bedford Public Library's website.