Temperatures yesterday were over 100 degrees F again in Savannah. I slept late to refresh myself, had a good breakfast and then went out to visit one of Savannah's cemeteries, the Colonial Cemetery, but again found the heat and humidity so oppressive I changed course and headed in the direction of some indoor, air-conditioned entertainment. I went to the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum. I was a bit skeptical at first about the $8.50 admission charge, but, having now seen the museum, I can say it was well worth it.
The museum houses a truly impressive collection of ship models illustrating the maritime history of Savannah. They are meticulously detailed and many have cutaway sections that allow you to see inside the vessels. Besides the ship models, the collection includes shipbuilding and sailmaking tools, navigation tools, art depicting maritime vessels, scrimshaw, objects illustrating the lives of sailors, and even a few actual figureheads.
A small figurehead in the shape of a horse's head was striking, I thought (left). I also liked a French Porcelain "brothel cat." According to the museum notes, these were placed in the windows of brothels that catered to ship's crews. The eyes were removable. Green eyes were inserted to indicate the establishment was open for business. Red eyes meant the place was full or that the police were in the area. A cat with its back turned indicated a brothel was closed. Is this the origin of the expression "cathouse"?* Well worth the time to visit--the museum, that is. Highly recommended.
As it was still hot when I left the Maritime Museum, I next headed for the Jepson Center for the Arts, one of a group of three museums in the city collectively known as the Telfair Museums. The Jepson Center houses contemporary art. The building is interesting, especially the spacious entry area lit with natural light. The highlight of the visit was a show of paper works from the museum's collections called "Innovative Work from the Telfair Galleries." Unfortunately, this is one of those places that allows no photography, so I can't illustrate what I saw, but I particularly liked a piece called "Studio" by Conrad Marca-Relli, one called "The River Boat Guide" by Jerome Meadows, "Strata #389" by Susan Schwalb, and "Flock" by Kiki Smith. Elsewhere in the galleries, "Low Country Construct No. 1" by Elizabeth Cain was of interest as well.
[*A subsequent search suggests that the use of the cats was perhaps peculiar to Savannah. According to the OED, "cat" was a common term for a prostitute possibly as early as 1401 but certainly so by the 17th century. Therefore "cathouse" would have sounded the way "whorehouse" does to us today.]
The museum houses a truly impressive collection of ship models illustrating the maritime history of Savannah. They are meticulously detailed and many have cutaway sections that allow you to see inside the vessels. Besides the ship models, the collection includes shipbuilding and sailmaking tools, navigation tools, art depicting maritime vessels, scrimshaw, objects illustrating the lives of sailors, and even a few actual figureheads.
A small figurehead in the shape of a horse's head was striking, I thought (left). I also liked a French Porcelain "brothel cat." According to the museum notes, these were placed in the windows of brothels that catered to ship's crews. The eyes were removable. Green eyes were inserted to indicate the establishment was open for business. Red eyes meant the place was full or that the police were in the area. A cat with its back turned indicated a brothel was closed. Is this the origin of the expression "cathouse"?* Well worth the time to visit--the museum, that is. Highly recommended.
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