Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Lectures to Chronicle Key West’s Spanish Galleon Shipwrecks, African American Heritage

KEY WEST, Florida Keys — One of the New World’s oldest shipwrecks, Civil War-era emancipation in Key West, and the discovery of two fabled sunken Spanish galleons are to be highlighted for audiences during a winter lecture series at the island city’s Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. 

Scheduled each Tuesday from Jan. 28 through Feb. 25, the lectures begin at 6:30 p.m. at the museum, located at 200 Greene St. The fully accredited museum is an internationally recognized center for the excavation, preservation, research and exhibition of New World maritime artifacts.

Its unparalleled collection of 17th-century maritime and shipwreck antiquities includes priceless treasure and artifacts from the Spanish galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita, sunk in 1622; and objects from the English merchant slave ship Henrietta Marie, lost in 1700. The heritage of the three vessels, each discovered and excavated in waters off Key West under the auspices of museum founder Mel Fisher, is chronicled in the facility’s permanent exhibitions.

The lecture series starts Tuesday, Jan. 28, with a showing of the mini documentary “Before Juneteenth: Florida’s Emancipations.” The film is paired with commentary about Key West’s unique role in the mid-1800s evolution of emancipation by Corey Malcom, Ph.D., lead historian for the Florida Keys History Center and the museum’s longtime director of archaeology.  

The following Tuesday, Feb. 4, is to feature scholar, artist and activist Dinizulu Gene Tinnie, discussing the Cuban slaving vessel Amistad, its seizure by captured Africans and its relevance to the maritime slave trade. The trade — including Key West’s place in the U.S. Navy’s anti-slavery efforts — is examined in the museum’s “Spirits of the Passage” exhibit. 

A rare 16th-century shipwreck takes center stage Tuesday, Feb. 11, when Malcom guides an informal tour of a new exhibition titled “Uncovering the Santa Clara.” Malcom, who led the museum’s team that identified and excavated the 1564 vessel, also plans to display Santa Clara artifacts during a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility’s conservation laboratory. Registration is required; visit ticketleap.events/tickets/maritimemuseum/collections-insights-the-santa-clara-insider-tour.

Carol Tedesco, author of “Treasure Coins of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha & the Santa Margarita” and other shipwreck-related books and archaeological “mystery” articles, is to speak Tuesday, Feb. 18. With a focus on silver coins and other intriguing artifacts, she will discuss the similarities and differences in Spanish Colonial shipwreck cargoes based on year, geography and twists of fate. 

Finally, a presentation by members of the “golden crew” that found and recovered the 1622 sunken galleons Atocha and Margarita is scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 25. Tom Ford, Syd Jones, Andy Matroci and Vince Trotta will share their personal recollections of one of the greatest discoveries of Spanish Colonial sunken treasure in the world. 

Admission to all lectures is free, but seating is limited.

Mel Fisher Maritime Museum information: melfisher.org