NEW BEDFORD, MA (7 April 2010) — The Ocean Explorium at New Bedford Seaport welcomes "SEA & ICE: The Extraordinary Life of Captain Bob Bartlett", an exhibit that chronicles an era of Arctic exploration under sail.

Captain Bartlett was a renowned Arctic explorer who successfully navigated Admiral Peary to his discovery of the North Pole in 1909.  Owner of the Effie M. Morrissey, now Schooner Ernestina, from 1926 - 1946, Capt. Bartlett made annual trips to the Arctic for scientific expeditions and anthropologic studies.  Some of these excursions were sponsored by National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Museum of Natural History.  Captain Bartlett and the Effie M. Morrissey also were commissioned by the U.S. Navy to survey the Arctic during World War II. 

The Effie M. Morrissey was purchased by Henrique Mendes of Cape Verde in 1948 and the vessel's name was changed to Ernestina.  The ship sailed among the Cape Verde Islands and to the United States, carrying passengers and goods between the two countries.  In 1982 the people of Cape Verde presented the ship to the people of the United States and in 1986 the Schooner Ernestina began her fourth career as a sailing school ship in New Bedford.

The Ocean Explorium is pleased to host "SEA & ICE:  The Extraordinary Life of Captain Bob Bartlett", designed by the Historic Sites Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.  The exhibit is scheduled to be installed in the Ocean Explorium in mid-April.  A special concert will celebrate the exhibit's opening night on Saturday, April 17, 2020, 7 pm.  A performance by Newfoundland's Jim Payne and Fergus O'Bryne will be followed by the Schooner Ernestina's New Bedford Harbor Sea Chantey Chorus.  Tickets to the opening night event cost $15, will be available at the door, and include refreshments while viewing the "SEA & ICE" exhibit and browsing in the Ocean Explorium. 

The Ocean Explorium will incorporate "SEA & ICE: The Extraordinary Life of Captain Bob Bartlett" into its exhibits and programs, as it tells the story of scientific research under rigorous conditions.  Many of the voyages of the Effie M. Morrissey and Schooner Ernestina have been plotted for display on the Science on a Sphere® exhibit in the Ocean Explorium.     

The Ocean Explorium is located at 174 Union Street in downtown New Bedford and is handicap accessible via the rear entrance.  Call 508.994.5400 for after-hours access.

For more information, contact Betsy Pye at 508.994.5400 or bpye@oceanexplorium.org or go to the Ocean Explorium website at www.oceanexplorium.org