[42] The Port of Baltimore ■ January/February 2017

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 Fairfi eld 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 fl oated 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 offi cial welcoming vessel and VIP launch, an auxiliary fi reboat 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 signifi cant 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

A New Focus on the PortBALTIMORE MUSEUM OF INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANITA KASSOFBY MERRILL WITTY | Photograph by Kathy Bergren Smith

PORT PERSON

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be named in Bentley’s will as the recipient of a generous gift to be used for preserving and sharing the original footage from “The Port that Built a City and State,” her long-running WMAR television show and making it more widely available to the public.

Bentley was a champion of the museum from its inception and was a member of the Board of Trustees at the time of her death. Through April, the BMI will display a collection of her garments — several of them from her television show — including stunning dresses and hats, many of them manufactured here in Baltimore. She was a champion of American designers and manufacturers.

As director, Kassof has also proposed a curriculum that would expose thousands of schoolchildren to the important history and ongoing role of the Port of Baltimore. Currently, several guided tours and hands-on activities — such as the popular oyster-canning program — celebrate the role of the Port in shaping Baltimore.

“It’s impossible to overstate the signifi cance of the Port to Baltimore’s growth and ongoing economic vitality,” she said. “Simply put, without the Port, there would be no Baltimore.”

She continued: “We welcome members of the Port community to visit the museum, attend our public programs, help advise us as we explore options for long-term preservation plans for the Baltimore, and join the conversation about how we can continue to share the story of the Port with museum visitors.” �

For more information on how to save the crane and about the BMI’s other projects, visit www.thebmi.org.

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