FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2008
CONTACT: Natalie Alford
Information & Communication Specialist
Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks program at the N.C. Transportation Museum
SPENCER, N.C. – On Saturday, Jan. 26, visitors to the N.C. Transportation Museum (NCTM) can learn how the shipwreck graveyard of the Atlantic shaped the destiny of the Outer Banks. Kevin Duffus, author of Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks—An Illustrated Guide, will show documentary clips and present a wide-ranging discussion of North Carolina shipwrecks and their legacy at 1 p.m. in the museum’s Roundhouse Orientation Theater.
“This year, with help from the N.C. Humanities Council, we are able offer several free programs on interesting topics like Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks,” said Brian Moffitt, NCTM Educational Programs Coordinator. “We are very excited about these programs because they offer a unique perspective on North Carolina’s transportation history.”
Kevin Duffus, a researcher, author and documentary film maker who specializes in North Carolina maritime history, is part of the N.C. Humanities Council Road Scholars Speakers Bureau grant program.
During the NCTM program, Duffus will explain the various causes of shipwrecks and why there is a “Graveyard of the Atlantic” in the first place, what shipwrecks were like for crew and passengers, and the true stories of some of the region’s most incredible rescues. Duffus will share the memories of the last living lighthouse keeper on the Outer Banks, residents who played on the shipwrecks as children, and more. Audience members will also learn precise locations of famous and deadly wrecks, as well as places to see remains of shipwrecks today.
The Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks program is made possible in part by the N.C. Humanities Council, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, log on to www.nchumanities.org or call (336) 334-5325.
This program at the N.C. Transportation Museum reflects the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources 2008 theme “Telling Our Stories,” a yearlong celebration that showcases the story of North Carolina’s rich arts, heritage, and cultural life.
For more information about the N.C. Transportation Museum, call 704-636-2889, toll-free at 1-877-NCTM-FUN, or visit www.nctrans.org.
The N.C. Transportation Museum, located in historic Spencer Shops, the former Southern Railway repair facility for steam locomotives, is part of the Division of State Historic Sites, Department of Cultural Resources.
# # #
Division of State Historic Sites, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources
www.ncculture.com
