Beneath the Surface: People of the 1622 Plate Fleet
FAIN: PB-274641-20
Mel Fisher Museum (Key West, FL 33040-6516)
Melissa Kendrick (Project Director: May 2020 to October 2022)
Retention of staff to enable the development of an online resource to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the wrecking of the Spanish Plate Fleet of 1622.
The museum is developing an online resource for the 400th anniversary of the sinking of the Spanish Plate Fleet of 1622. It will provide free public access to collection records and a virtual exhibition, “Beneath the Surface.” Free educational modules in English and Spanish will be included, as will opportunities to book virtual visits with museum specialists. Podcasts, short videos, and other media will further illuminate the stories. The artifact collection of 31,000 objects contextualizes the lives of the people aboard the ships. This data has been migrated from old systems to Collective Access. Most records have been cleaned but 7,200 remain, with scans and other information to be added. Some archives must be rehoused. Attendance revenue provides 80% of the museum’s income but the county closed due to the corona virus and we expect a major loss of tourism throughout 2020. Without NEH funding, ten program staff will be furloughed and it will not be possible to complete the project.