Under The Black Flag

NEWPORT NEWS, VA. -- The exploits of notorious pirates including Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and Jean Lafitte come to life in "Under the Black Flag: Life Among the Pirates," an exhibition that tells the true stories of pirates, explores the myths of piracy that have flourished in literature and film, and examines acts of piracy still taking place today.

On display through January 4, 1998 at the Mariners' Museum, the exhibition features more than 40 watercolors by marine artist William Gilkerson; a silver-plated skull reputed to be Blackbeard's; legendary pirate illustrations by N.C. Wyeth and Howard Pyle; and a fascinating collection of weapons, pirate booty, maps, archaeological materials, navigational instruments, scrimshaw, ship models, rare books, and movie costumes.

Organized by the South Street Seaport Museum of New York City, the exhibition is the first initiative in the new alliance between the two institutions. The exhibition was curated by world-renowned pirate authority David Cordingly, former head of exhibitions at Britain's National Maritime Museum and author of Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates, published by Harcourt Brace.

"Under the Black Flag" explores both the fact and fiction of pirates, beginning with the history of piracy and the social and political circumstances that gave rise to its heyday and continuing to the larger-than-life pirate legends that have been created in literature, art, film, and popular culture. The exhibition offers an historical overview of piracy in Western waters including the Virginia and North Carolina coasts.

Beginning with the pirates of ancient Greece and Rome, the exhibition traces the history of one of the world's oldest and most bloodthirsty professions. Visitors will learn about the often blurry distinctions between "pirates," "buccaneers," "privateers," and "corsairs," and discover the sometimes surprising truth about how these rogues of the sea lived from day to day, governed themselves, sometimes included women and escaped slaves in their ranks, and flourished at various times in history.

A collection of detailed and historically accurate watercolors by William Gilkerson illustrates pirate escapades including the adventures of the Sixteenth Century Irish pirate queen Grace O'Malley, Sir Francis Drake's bold attack of a Spanish treasure ship in 1579, and the frightening specter of Blackbeard aboard Queen Anne's Revenge. The watercolors are complemented by an array of artifacts including Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century cutlasses, boarding axes and pikes, an Eighteenth Century grenade with a wood fuse plug, and a brass swivel cannon.

The exhibition also explores the legends and lore of piracy that are celebrated in classics such as Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, Disney's Peter Pan, and countless tales of burying treasure chests and walking the plank. Visitors can compare pirate myth and reality as they view ways that pirates have been romanticized in popular culture. Items on display include "The Siege of the Round-House," a swashbuckling N.C. Wyeth illustration from Kidnapped, "Kidd on the Deck of the Adventure Galley," a watercolor by Howard Pyle; and two costumes from the movie Hook. Visitors can also view an ornate Seventeenth Century treasure chest full of pirate booty and a pirate island complete with palm trees and a sandy beach.

A highlight of the exhibition is a silver-plated skull, possibly that of the infamous Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard. After his death at the hands of Lieutenant Robert Maynard's crew in 1718 off the shores of North Carolina, Blackbeard's head was cut off and placed on a pole at the entrance to Hampton Roads, Va., as a warning to other pirates. Shrouded in mystery for centuries, the skull is said to have been silver plated following its rescue by Blackbeard's fellow "Brethren of the Coast." The skull is believed to have made its way to a tavern in Alexandria, Va., during the late 1800s, and reportedly passed through the hands of several private collectors. The skull on display was acquired by a collector of pirate artifacts some 50 years ago before its recent acquisition by the Peabody-Essex Museum of Massachusetts.

"Under the Black Flag" also explores the growing problem of modern piracy through a series of photographs, weapons, and accounts of recent incidents involving organized criminal gangs equipped with high-speed boats and automatic weapons. From early October through January 4, 1998, the exhibition will be complemented by "Blood Upon the Waters: Contemporary Piracy in the South China Sea," a photography exhibit organized by the South Street Seaport Museum that will bring visitors face-to-face with the pirates of today. The result of daring investigative work by photographer Nitin Vadukul and journalist Donovan Webster, the exhibition documents the violent actions of a band of Filipino pirates during a single day on the South China Sea.

On October 18, at 3 pm, visitors may learn about the history of piracy in and around Chesapeake Bay during a presentation by Peter Wrike, Old Dominion University Professor and authority on pirates.

On November 13-15, an international group of maritime security experts, naval historians, and scholars will examine the problem of modern piracy during a scholarly symposium sponsored by the Mariners' Museum. Eric Ellen, executive director of the International Chamber of Commerce's International Maritime Bureau, is chairman of the symposium. For more information, call the museum at 757/596-2222.

The Mariners' Museum, one of the largest and most comprehensive maritime museums in the world, houses a treasure trove of more than 35,000 items inspired by man's experiences with the sea.

The museum's permanent galleries hold treasures including the anchor from the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, Captain John Smith's map of the Chesapeake Bay, and the polar bear figurehead from the vessel that Admiral Richard Byrd sailed on his Antarctic expedition in the 1930s. Through the interpretation of the museum's collection, which reflects man's use of the sea for transportation, food, battle, and pleasure, visitors can discover centuries of maritime history.

Complementing the museum's galleries is the award-winning film, Mariner, which highlights maritime activity the world over. Historical interpreters, including a model ship builder, an Eighteenth Century sea captain, and a Nineteenth Century whaler appear regularly in the galleries, demonstrating nautical skills.

The Mariners' Museum is open from 10 am until 5 pm daily. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Telephone 757/596-2222 or 800/581-7245, or write to The Mariners' Museum, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606.