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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
The Morse Hallway
Faces of a Century
Thirteen rarely-seen portraits from the Museum’s collection highlight individuals who shaped Island life over the past 100 years. Featuring works by celebrated painters and photographers.
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The Hollinshead, Cox, and Fleischner Galleries
Stay Safe, Stand Strong: Martha’s Vineyard in 2020
Photographer Dan Waters captures the resilience of Vineyarders during a year of crisis, isolation, and solidarity. Experience the Island’s response to 2020 through powerful black-and-white images.
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Grain Family Gallery
Finding Our Way Home: The Denniston Family and 11 Masonic Avenue
Step inside the inspiring story of Rev. Oscar Denniston, his family, and the vibrant community he nurtured at 11 Masonic Avenue in Oak Bluffs. From its beginnings as the Oakland Mission serving immigrant families, to its transformation into the Bradley Memorial Church, this historic space was a home, a sanctuary, and a beacon of hope for people of all backgrounds.
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Adele H. Waggaman Community Gallery
Where They Still Remain
African American and Wampanoag History Intertwined
This exhibition explores the work of photographer and writer Austin Bryant, who focuses on the connections between African American and Wampanoag communities on the Island over the past several hundred years.
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Saltzman Cabinet of Curiosities
Vanity: The Last Working Catboat
Built over the winter of 1928-29 by Edgartown boatbuilder Manuel Swartz Roberts for commercial fisherman Thomas Pease and his son Oscar, the catboat Vanity worked the waters of Martha’s Vineyard for over half a century. In this exhibit, explore the life of the last working catboat of Martha’s Vineyard through artifacts, photographs, archival materials, and film footage.
READ MORECOLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS
Woven Bag
Contemporary Wampanoag artists and artisans help us picture the world of their ancestors, the first inhabitants of this Island, by making objects using old and new materials while drawing on old and new techniques.
Mary Norton Sampler
Mary H. Norton made this sampler in Holmes Hole (now Vineyard Haven) when she was around 12 years old.
Jagging Wheel
Though most familiar in the form of whales’ teeth carved with pictures of ships, scrimshaw was an extremely varied art.
Chappy
Mary Drake Coles learned to paint during childhood summers on Martha’s Vineyard, in her teens in Provincetown, and later at Smith College, in Paris, Majorca, Haiti, and New York.
Zeb Tilton Portrait
Benton found inspiration on Martha’s Vineyard from his first visits to the Island in the 1920s until his death in 1975.
Dancing Dolls (Brinquinho)
Mary Paiva Drouin, the daughter of a first-generation Portuguese immigrant family, recalls how her family’s cherished “dancing dolls” in traditional Portuguese dress were paraded through the streets of Oak Bluffs during the Holy Ghost Festival.
Brickman’s Shirt
One of the earliest Jewish families to settle here, the Brickmans operated a shoe business on Main Street in Vineyard Haven that became Brickman’s department store.
Dial Telephone Service Comes to Aquinnah
This photograph, staged in May 1955 to celebrate the introduction of dial telephone service in Chilmark and Gay Head, captures the tension between tradition and modernity.
Gislaine Portrait
In 2017, the Museum exhibited photographer Mila Lowe’s “Local Immigrants Project.” Lowe undertook the project to document the wide diversity of recent immigrants to the Island.
Luce Dressing Box
Captain Richard G. Luce presented this box to his daughter, Abbie Bradford Luce, upon returning from one of his many long voyages.
Life Preserver
Life preserver from the City of Columbus, which crashed on the underwater rocks of Devil’s Bridge in January 1884 when a gash was torn in the hull and seawater rushed into the steamer.
Priscilla Pearl Necklaces
Manufactured in Hyannis at the Priscilla Laboratory, these glass and herring scale “pearls” were named “Priscilla Pearls” and sold around the country through mail order and at Lina Call’s Priscilla Pearl Shop in Edgartown.
Violin
Owned by E. Gale Huntington, this violin was possibly carried around Cape Horn on a voyage by Menemsha fisherman Lyman Cottle.
Monohansett
Monohansett (1862), depicted in this painting by J. P. Winegar, was the first reliable steam ferry to serve Martha’s Vineyard.
Fall River Line Advertisement
Palatial “night boats” like Plymouth connected New York and Martha’s Vineyard.
“Enchanted Isle” Poster
This 1934 travel poster promoted the Vineyard as a playground of the rich and stylish.
Islander
Islander, which operated from 1950-2007, revolutionized ferry service to the Vineyard.
Island Queen Advertisement
Summer “excursion boats” like the Island Queen carried day tourists to Oak Bluffs.
Provincetown-Boston Airlines Timetable
Provincetown-Boston Airline was the Island’s leading air carrier for 40 years.
Islander and Island Home
Islander (1950) passes her successor Island Home (2007) in Vineyard Haven Harbor.
Satinet Sample
Hard-wearing satinet cloth: the West Tisbury woolen mill’s signature product.
Vanderhoops at Aquinnah Circle
Harrison and Selina Vanderhoop selling Wampanoag crafts at Aquinnah Circle.
King’s Paint Mill
Clay pigments from King’s Paint Mill in Chilmark tinted the houses of southern New England.
Bricks on Pier
The signature product of the Roaring Brook brickyard awaits shipment to the mainland.
Erford Burt Bass Boat
One of Erford Burt’s signature “bass boats” in the basin at Burt’s Boatyard on the Lagoon.
Model of the SS Drottingholm
Van Ryper offered its customers affordable “models of ships on which you’ve sailed.”
Dairy Cooperative Bottle
Martha’s Vineyard Cooperative Dairy helped the Island’s small farmers, but could not compete with mainland producers.
Chilmark Chocolates Sign
Chilmark Chocolates was known for its delicious product, and its community spirit.
Black Dog Catalog
The Black Dog began as a year-round restaurant, but became a lifestyle brand.
Harpoon
The ancestors of the Wampanoag people who live here now fished using harpoons such as this one, which was found along the shore in Aquinnah.
Joseph Belain Portrait
Over the course of 20 whaling voyages, Aquinnah-born Joseph Belain (1848-1926), served as harpooner, second mate, first mate, and twice as a replacement master.
Whale and Porpoise Oil Samples
Beginning in the mid-19th century and ending in the 1940s, William F. Nye Company of New Bedford refined and processed whale and porpoise oil for various purposes.
Nomansland Codfish Box
Salted and dried cod was sold to Fischer Brothers of Vineyard Haven, who packaged it in wooden boxes like this one and sold it locally as well as shipping it to New Bedford and Providence.
Eel Pot
Before the 20th century, eels were caught and eaten in great numbers by islanders, who captured them in the fall and winter using pots like this one.
Menemsha Swordfishing Fleet
Equipped by a tall mast for lookouts and a long narrow platform for the harpooner jutting out from the bow, “Sword boats” supplied a market in which swordfish was seen as a delicacy.
“Dorothy and Everett” Weathervane
Using the vessels he knew as inspiration, local fisherman Jimmy Morgan made weathervanes and sold them in his small shop in Menemsha to supplement his income.
Photograph of Fishermen
Fishermen could once make a good living selling the fish they caught in net traps along the northwest shore of the Vineyard.
Chart of Holmes Hole
This view of Holmes Hole (now Vineyard Haven) harbor in 1781 looks familiar at first glance, but a closer look reveals unfamiliar features.
The Harbor of Holmes Hole
Twelve years before this chart was drawn in 1847, the citizens of Holmes Hole blocked Bass Creek with a worn-out schooner filled with rocks, making way for Water Street and Union Wharf.
Martha’s Vineyard Railroad Train on the Beach
The Martha’s Vineyard Railroad operated from 1872 to 1896, carrying passengers from the Oak Bluffs steamer wharf to the outskirts of Edgartown, then to Katama.
1938 Beach Road Flooding
This photograph, looking down Beach Road toward Five Corners, was taken during the 1938 Hurricane.
Bathhouse Debris on Oak Bluffs Steamer Wharf
Bathhouses were a fixture of Oak Bluffs — a monument to the social customs of a bygone era — until September 1944, when the Great Atlantic Hurricane struck the Island.
Bunker on South Beach
This concrete structure, used to train World War II naval aviators, originally stood in the dunes behind the beach; by the late 1960s or early 1970s, it stood at the water’s edge.
Moving the Gay Head Light
The brick tower of the current Gay Head Light was built in 1856, and by the early twenty-first century, erosion had left it dangerously close to the edge of the cliffs.
EVENTS
Sequan: Cultural Perpetuity With More Than Human Relations
Join us on Saturday, April 26, for a powerful conversation with Brad Lopes (Aquinnah Wampanoag) and Taylor Smalley (Herring Pond Wampanoag) as they explore the deep, historic relationships between Wampanoag communities and their more-than-human relatives—such as herring, eel, whales, sturgeon, and seals—and the enduring importance of time and seasonality in the Dawnland.
Finding Our Way Home: Stories from the Denniston Family Archive
Join us on Tuesday, April 29 for a special program delving into the lives and legacies of the Denniston family, featured in the current exhibition Finding Our Way Home. Drawing from a rich collection of photographs, documents, and personal belongings uncovered in their Oak Bluffs home, the program offers a deeper look at the remarkable story of Rev. Oscar Denniston, his family, and the vibrant community they helped build on Martha’s Vineyard.
The Astonishing Life of Jackie Clason
Get ready for an entertaining and unforgettable conversation with Jackie Clason. Her life has been nothing short of astonishing—ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh in 1972 and given the name “True Friendship of the Heart,” known as “Crash Clason” during her wild Demolition Derby days, and earning a Homeopathy degree from NYU, funded by none other than Laurance Rockefeller. Over the years, Jackie has become a cherished figure on the island, known for her healing touch in homeopathy and massage, guided by a spirit that’s curious, bold, and beautifully unconventional. Buckle up for the ride on Thursday, May 1st as Laurel Redington and Jackie Clason sit down for this wild conversation.
Artist Talk: Austin Bryant & Where They Still Remain
Join us on Saturday, May 3 for an evening with photographer and writer Austin Bryant as he shares insights into his ongoing project, Where They Still Remain, currently on view in the Waggaman Community Gallery.
A Whaling History of the Vineyard
Everyone knows whaling was central to the Island’s past—but how much do you really know about its lasting impact? Join MVM Research Librarian Bow Van Riper for a four-week deep dive into the history of whaling and the many ways it shaped (and continues to shape) life on Martha’s Vineyard. Each themed session stands alone, but together they offer a layered look at a vanished industry and its enduring legacy.
A Spring Medicinal Tea Party
Join us on Saturday, May 10th, as we open the Museum’s Rose Styron Garden for the season. The awakening of spring on the island offers a unique opportunity to connect with nature’s healing bounty through a Spring Medicinal Tea Party. More than just a social gathering, this event is a chance to delve into the world of local medicinal herbs, guided by the knowledge of Taylor Smalley, a member of the Herring Pond Wampanoag tribe.
A Whaling History of the Vineyard: Whaling as a Business
Everyone knows whaling was central to the Island’s past—but how much do you really know about its lasting impact? Join MVM Research Librarian Bow Van Riper for a four-week deep dive into the history of whaling and the many ways it shaped (and continues to shape) life on Martha’s Vineyard. Each themed session stands alone, but together they offer a layered look at a vanished industry and its enduring legacy.
Hearth-Cooked Island History: Seasonal Eating Before 1850
Join historian Norah Van Riper on Saturday, May 17, for a journey into Martha’s Vineyard’s culinary past. What did Islanders eat before the days of refrigeration and take-out? Discover the rich and often surprising food traditions that sustained the Island’s early inhabitants—long before industrial advances reshaped how and what we eat.
A Whaling History of the Vineyard: Whaling as a Career
Everyone knows whaling was central to the Island’s past—but how much do you really know about its lasting impact? Join MVM Research Librarian Bow Van Riper for a four-week deep dive into the history of whaling and the many ways it shaped (and continues to shape) life on Martha’s Vineyard. Each themed session stands alone, but together they offer a layered look at a vanished industry and its enduring legacy.
A Whaling History of the Vineyard: Whaling as a Memory
Everyone knows whaling was central to the Island’s past—but how much do you really know about its lasting impact? Join MVM Research Librarian Bow Van Riper for a four-week deep dive into the history of whaling and the many ways it shaped (and continues to shape) life on Martha’s Vineyard. Each themed session stands alone, but together they offer a layered look at a vanished industry and its enduring legacy.
[SOLD OUT] LET’S TALK JAWS LIVE!…LIVE!
[SOLD OUT] Join Nate Jones, Michael Smith, and Janie Jones Clark from the popular Let’s Talk Jaws Live! YouTube show, along with their special guests* Joe Alves, Jeffrey Kramer, and Dennis Prince, as they kick off the monumental 50th anniversary of Jaws and an exciting weekend ahead. Five years in the making, this knowledgeable crew is bringing their show on the road for a special presentation before a live audience on Martha’s Vineyard—no computer screen glare required!
Jaws Deep Dive: A FINatic’s Look at a Classic Film
Join historian, film scholar, and lifelong Jaws fan A. Bowdoin “Bow” Van Riper on Friday, June 20th, at 9:30am for an in-depth, fan-focused exploration of the film’s brilliance. Through carefully selected clips and stills, this program breaks down the elements that make Jaws a masterpiece.
Wendy Benchley: Half Century Reflections From Jaws to Ocean Conservation
Join Wendy Benchley on June 21 at 4 PM for a compelling conversation about her lifelong dedication to ocean conservation. A renowned global voice for protecting sharks and safeguarding our seas, Wendy’s five decades of scuba diving experience have fueled her efforts to advance marine policies and protect the world’s oceans.
Growing Up with ‘Uncle Quint’: Life on the Set of Jaws and Beyond
Join us on Saturday, June 21 at 1 PM for an entertaining and playfully provocative talk with author Christopher Shaw Myers, nephew of Robert “Quint” Shaw. Chris will share unforgettable stories about growing up with his legendary uncle—along with some fascinating behind-the-scenes insights about Jaws!
The Reunion
Join us on the Museum’s waterfront lawn overlooking Lagoon Pond for Reunion Day, a community celebration of Jaws at Amity Homecoming Weekend with The Vineyard Gazette. This all-day festival on Sunday, June 22 brings together fans, Islanders, and those who were part of the film for a one-of-a-kind gathering filled with Jaws nostalgia.
[SOLD OUT]On the Job with Deputy Hendricks
Step back into Jaws with Emmy Award-winning actor Jeffrey Kramer, best known as Deputy Hendricks. Join us on Sunday, June 22nd for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to be on set during the making of the iconic film.
[SOLD OUT] Meet Joe Alves: Jaws and Beyond
Join us on June 22 at 11 AM for an exclusive conversation with legendary Production Designer Joe Alves (Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and more) and biographer Dennis L. Prince, author of Joe Alves: Adventures in Film Design.In this intimate setting at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, Alves will share insights from his remarkable 40-year career in film and television design, with a special focus on his work on Jaws in celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary. A book signing will follow the discussion.
Orca Model: FINatic Send-off with Cort Corino
Join Cort Corino on Monday, June 23, as he shares the incredible story behind his full-scale Orca model replica—a project that started as a spontaneous idea and turned into a three-year passion project, culminating on Martha’s Vineyard for the Jaws 50th Anniversary.
Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine
Join MVM Chief Curator Bonnie Stacy in conversation with Dr. Jessica B. Harris, celebrated culinary historian and author, as they discuss Harris’s new book Braided Heritage.
Evening of Discovery
Join us on Saturday, June 28th for the 26th Annual Evening of Discovery, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum’s signature summer gala and largest annual fundraising event. Held under the open sky on the Museum’s stunning Lewis Lawn overlooking Vineyard Haven Harbor, this special evening features festive food and drinks, lively auctions, and exclusive access to our latest exhibitions.
Jaws and the White Shark: 50 Years of Impact and Discovery with Dr. Greg Skomal
Join us in welcoming renowned marine biologist Dr. Greg Skomal back to Martha’s Vineyard, where he once served as lead scientist for the Massachusetts Fisheries’ Island station. With nearly four decades of shark research under his belt, Dr. Skomal is a respected explorer, author, and authority on the white shark. In this special 50th anniversary program on Friday, July 11th, he’ll examine how Jaws shaped public perception of the species—and reveal how our understanding of white sharks has evolved over the past half-century.
Jaws vs. Reality: The Truth About Great White Sharks
How much of Jaws is fact—and how much is fiction? Join Kristen Smith, Community Engagement Manager for the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, for a fascinating look at how Jaws shaped public perception of white sharks and the myths it left behind. This program will explore current research and conservation efforts—including tracking technology and data collection—that are deepening our understanding of these apex predators and reshaping how we protect them. Come separate science from cinema, and walk away with a more informed view of one of the ocean’s most misunderstood species.
Shark Smarts: Understanding Our Ocean Friends
Join Kristen Smith, Community Engagement Manager at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, for an interactive program that busts myths and uncovers the truth about sharks! Through a fun true-or-false activity, young participants will explore shark biology, behavior, and the latest local research happening right here in Massachusetts. A perfect program for curious kids and budding marine biologists alike!
Where are the Grapes? An Exploration of Wine & Cheese on Martha’s Vineyard
Wine and cheese are natural partners, and when paired thoughtfully, they enhance each other’s flavors in delightful ways. What better place to explore these perfect pairings than an Island said to be named for the wild grapes that once grew here?Join us on Saturday, July 26th for an evening of al fresco wine and cheese at the Thomas Cooke House and Legacy Gardens.
VISIT OUR CAMPUS
With an exciting slate of exhibits, guest speakers, and community events, there’s always something new to discover at MVM.
OPEN 10 – 4
TUESDAY – SUNDAY
YEAR-ROUND
100,000+
ITEMS IN
OUR COLLECTION
Explore maps, manuscripts, objects, photos, oral histories, and much more.
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FEET FROM THE
FERRY DOCK
Our Vineyard Haven campus is just a 10-minute walk from the Steamship Authority terminal.
100
YEARS OF SERVING THE ISLAND COMMUNITY
We are committed to collecting, preserving, and sharing all facets of the Island’s story, from the familiar to the untold.
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We provide thought-provoking and engaging learning experiences for students of all ages.
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We bring the Island’s history and culture to life through research and resources that encourage curiosity and compassion.
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“We believe in the mission and vision of the MV Museum. We want our grandchildren to love and appreciate this Island’s history, art, and culture as much as we do, so it is very important to us that the Museum continues to grow and thrive!”
BARBARA COUCH
