Page 44 - Port of Baltimore Magazine January/February 2016

PORT PERSON
A New Focus on the Port
BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANITA KASSOF
BY MERRILL WITTY | Photograph by Kathy Bergren Smith
After a museum career spanning two-and-a-half decades, Anita Kassof was thrilled to take the helm of the Baltimore Museum of Industry (BMI) in February 2015.
“The BMI is a true Baltimore gem and, given its popularity and longevity, together with its location in a burgeoning neighborhood, I believe great things lie ahead for the
museum,” she said.
She is using her role at the BMI, which celebrates the city’s
industrial legacy, to draw attention to the Port of Baltimore and its role in building the City of Baltimore and fueling the local economy. Recently, the Port of Baltimore magazine spoke with her about several Port-related projects under her purview.
One such project involves the restoration of the museum’s 1942 whirley crane, which was used to build WWII Liberty ships at the Bethlehem Steel shipyards.
Baltimoreans may be familiar with cranes rising into the skyline, but the BMI’s 1942 whirley crane — named for its ability to rotate 360 degrees — once stood above it all. During World War II, this crane worked in Bethlehem Steel’s Fairfield Shipyard, building Liberty and Victory ships.
After the war, it was moved to the Key Highway yard, where it helped repair and repurpose ships. “The Yards” employed 11,000 workers
and was the largest repair facility in the U.S. until its closure in 1982. The crane was donated to the BMI in 1989 and floated down the Harbor to its new home. Today, the crane is a local landmark for residents and travelers on Interstate 95.
The crane was eventually due for some restoration work after 25 years of standing sentinel at the BMI. The crane cab was cleaned and sealed last year and the next step is to
repair, repaint and light this beacon. Once restored, the crane will serve
as a glowing source of community pride and a landmark on par with the Bromo Seltzer Tower, the Washington Monument and the Natty Boh sign.
Another plan in the works is for an outdoor exhibition centered around the steam tug Baltimore. The museum is currently exploring how best to preserve the ST Baltimore, also one
of the museum’s most notable and cherished artifacts. Built in 1906 by the Skinner Shipbuilding Company, the Baltimore operated as a harbor inspection tug, an official welcoming vessel and VIP launch, an auxiliary fireboat and a light icebreaker.
The BMI hopes to bring her up
on land, where she will serve as the centerpiece of an outdoor exhibition that explores the history and ongoing impact of the Port of Baltimore. In connection with these efforts, Kassof said, “We’re currently contemplating how best to use our significant outdoor waterfront space to better serve as a neighborhood amenity and to continue telling the stories that begin inside the museum.”
The BMI is the repository of Port- related material, including all the extant footage and scripts from Helen Delich Bentley’s “The Port That Built a City and State” archives.
The museum was honored to
[42] The Port of Baltimore ■ January/February 2017