The White Falcon - 29.01.1993, Page 4

Museum highlights Iceland’s seafaring history
Story and photos
J03 (SW) Andreas Walter
The creaky, wooden door of the 128-year-
old warehouse swings open to reveal the
restored relics that are part of the Maritime
Museum in Hafharfjordur.
The building functions as a permanent
museum, a place for temporary exhibitions
and an outlet for lectures and research. A
collection of ship models, paintings, photo-
graphs and drawings illustrating various types
of ships and boats highlight the sights. The
items include a detailed model of a steam
engine, an actual chart room and wireless
transmitter room from a trawler, and items
and photographs from saltfish curing in the
past.
The door eases shut to seal out the cold
wind as one's eyes adjust to the dated items
covering the floors, hanging on the walls, and
suspended from the ancient, exposed-beam
ceilings.
“The history of our displays start with a
model of a whaling vessel from the year 900.
This reflects the beginning of Iceland’s de-
pendance on fishing,” said J6n Allansson,
museum curator, pointing to the glass-en-
closed boat.
Continuing the tour through the building, a
host of intricate, wooden models, each depict-
ing different and significant changes in the
way islanders fished the sea, are revealed. A
variety of sailing crafts, dating from the 14th
to 20th century, line the walls.
The largest display on the first floor depicts
A 50-year-old diving suit includes an air
compressor and sound powered telephone.
the history of “Skipautgerd Rikisins,” one of
Iceland’s largest commercial fishing compa-
nies, an organization that went bankrupt in
recent years.
Wanning sunlight filters through the win-
dows, casting an eerie glow on a manaquin of
a centuries-old fisherman. The form is
swathed in original sheepskin wrappings,
including a tunic, trou-
sers and sea shoes.
“In order for the fish-
ing gear to stay flexible,
the skins were constantly
saturated with fish-liver
oil,” said Allansson.
Brittle to the touch, the
age-old material harks
back to a time when man
depended solely on the
sea for his livelihood.
The last display on the
first floor depicts a set of
row boats with oars
(right), complete with
gear and artifacts.
A scale-model rendi-
tion of a steam engine
from a 1925 fishing ves-
sel captures one's inter-
est on the second floor.
“The majority of our
exhibits are donations by
craftsmen from nearby
communities or relics
found discarded in aban-
doned fishing houses,”
commented Allansson.
The old wooden floor
creaks under the visitor's
step. Detailed mock-ups
of a chart room and wire-
less transmitter room
occupy the far comer of
the second floor. Origi-
nal equipment, from an
era when satellite com-
munications were merely a fantasy, adds to
the realism of the display.
“The wireless operators were one of the
most important members of the crew, they
provided the vital link from ship to shore,” re-
marked Allansson.
A rickity, time-worn staircase leads to the
last display level of the museum. One's eyes
are immediately drawn to the 1940’s era
diving suit, complete with brass helmet, glass
portholes and a sound-powered phone. The
suit, worn by divers making underwater re-
pairs to ships tied up in port, survives com-
pletely intact. The display includes a human-
powered air compressor.
The building was rented in 1980 from the
town of Hafharfjordur, after which renov
tions began. The changes dramatically
tered the appearance of the former one-ti
pipe factory, town fire brigade and trawler
operating company.
According to Allansson, “The renovations
cleaned up the traces of its varied past, yet
a tne
yJP
The Maritime Museum houses three floors of restored relics and
models of fishing vessels from Iceland's past. The first display
describes whaling in Iceland from the 10th century.
kept the original structure and character in-
tact.”
The museum is open Monday through
Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Satur-
days and Sundays from 2 to 6 p.m. Admis-
sion is 200 Kr per person, but is reduced to
100 Kr per person with a group of 10 or more.
Follow Highway 41 to Reykjavik and watch
for signs to Hafharfjordur immediately fol-
lowing the aluminum plant. Take the left,
turnoff into Hafharfjordur and follow
road down to the harbor area. The bluis!
gray, metal-roofed building will be on your
right side.
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The White Falcon