Featured Interviews

Ed Churchill, Chief Curator, Maine State Museum

Ed Churchill received his doctorate from the University of Maine in 1979. He has worked at the Maine State Museum since 1971 where he now is employed as the chief curator. He has specialized in early Maine and northeast American history and Maine-related material culture, especially furniture and metals. Churchill has authored books on Maine-painted furniture and Britannia and silver-plated wares. He has co-edited and contributed to "Maine: the Pine Tree State" and "American Beginnings: Exploration, Culture and Cartography in the Land of Norumbega." He has also written a number of articles. Churchill is now developing a major long-term exhibit on Maine Homelife and has a major role in a joint effort by the Maine State Museum and Maine Public Broadcasting Network to create what will be the first multi-segment video history of the State of Maine. His long-term projects include histories of Maine-related furniture and silver.

James William Hunter, III

James Hunter works as an underwater archaeologist with the Naval Historical Center’s Underwater Archaeology Branch. He received his master’s degree in historical archaeology from the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Hunter has participated in the archaeological investigation of a number of shipwrecks from various time periods. He participated in the Naval Historical Center’s 2001 archaeological investigation of submerged sites associated with the Penobscot Expedition of 1779, and was responsible for producing the final technical report outlining the project.

Hunter has contributed written articles and archaeological illustrations to a number of historical and archaeological journals. His archaeological illustrations have appeared in two books. In addition, he has authored or co-authored several archaeological reports, and assisted with the nomination of two shipwreck sites to the National Register of Historic Places. Hunter recently submitted an article about the Naval Historical Center’s investigation of one Penobscot Expedition shipwreck (the Phinney Site) to the "International Journal of Nautical Archaeology." The article appeared in IJNA’s April 2004 issue. Hunter resides in Charleston, S.C.

James S. Leamon

James S. Leamon is professor of history emeritus at Bates College with a doctorate in American colonial history from Brown University, and an historical archaeologist certified by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. His publications include "Revolution Downeast: The War for American Independence" and co-editor and co-author with Charles E. Clark and Karen Bowden of "Maine in the Early Republic." He is currently writing a biography of the Rev. Jacob Bailey, Maine’s leading Revolutionary War loyalist.

Brent Phinney

Brent Phinney is a history buff and the owner of Kustom Steel in Brewer, Maine.

Warren Reiss

Warren Riess is a research associate professor of history and marine sciences at the University of Maine, stationed at the Darling Marine Center. During the past 25 years his research has focused on the maritime history and archaeology of early America. He lectures on American history, world trade, maritime and naval history, and the archaeology of shipwreck sites at the University of Maine.