Fisherman's Memorial
by Joann Vitali
Title
Fisherman's Memorial
Artist
Joann Vitali
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
"They that go down to the sea in ships,
That do business in great waters;
These see the works of the Lord,
And his wonders in the deep."
Fisherman's Memorial, this iconic statue is often confused with the classic image of the Gorton's Fisherman. (Gorton's, a seafood company started in Gloucester, is credited with inventing fish sticks.)
The bronze statue is eight feet tall on a five-foot granite base. Gloucester bills itself as the "America's Oldest Seaport," and the monument was completed in 1925 to honor 300 years of Gloucester losing fisherman. Inscribed on the base is "They That Go Down To The Sea In Ships, 1623-1923."
Circling the cenotaph are plaques with the names of those lost at sea from 1716 through 2001. The six that make up the class of 1991 are the captain and crew of the Gloucester-based Andrea Gail, the fishing boat made famous in the book and film, The Perfect Storm. But it's not clear what it takes to get one's name on the plaques, since there are maybe 500 or so listed, whereas a city hall mural has the names of more than 5,000.
Just down the Stacy Esplanade is a newer memorial to the long-suffering fisherman's family. Conceived by the Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association, it was dedicated in August 2001. This statue, also 8 feet high, stands on a 20-ton boulder, and shows a fisherman's wife with her two children, looking out over the harbor.
Uploaded
October 10th, 2012
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Viewed 635 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/23/2024 at 4:38 PM
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