A Living Tradition: Nantucket Lightship Baskets with Michael Harrison and Jack Fritsch

The Nantucket Historical Association presents a discussion on the history and current widespread appeal of Nantucket lightship baskets with Michael Harrison, Chief Curator and Obed Macy Research Chair of the Nantucket Historical Association, and Jack Fritsch, founder of the Antiques Depot.
There was an issue with sound recording in this video, so captions are provided.
Jack Fritsch first came to Nantucket as a research biologist in 1979. His love for history and antiques quickly led him to co-found the Antiques Depot in 1989 with the late Howard Chadwick. Jack is familiar to many as the former manager of the island’s auction gallery for 23 years. Jack’s experience also includes participating in many highly respected antiques shows, as well as providing his expertise to several premier New England auction galleries, nationally known museums, and private collections, as well as being a professional Personal Property Appraiser. Jack has written for the Nantucket Historical Association’s Historic Nantucket and also for the Nantucket publication Yesterday’s Island. A very active member of the community, he has served as a former Chair of the NHA’s Festival of Trees and is a perennial volunteer at the event. Jack has served on many boards, including the Nantucket Book Foundation, the Nantucket Center for Elder Affairs, the Town of Nantucket Senior Center Committee, the Nantucket Musical Arts Society, and for many years served on the Nantucket Arts Council.
Michael R. Harrison has held curatorial positions at the National Building Museum, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and the Glasgow Museum of Transport. He is the author of numerous books and articles, as well as nearly seventy historical reports on maritime, architectural, and engineering topics for the U.S. National Park Service’s Heritage Documentation Programs. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a master’s degree in museum studies from George Washington University.