From Bullrakes to Clambakes
Michael Bell explores the occupational folklife of Narragansett Bay’s shellfishing industry. Bell focuses on the traditional techniques, verbal expressions, material culture and customs of work shared by Rhode Island’s bullrakers. Activities covered in this talk include bullraking for quahogs from a skiff, selling out the catch, and the daily routine of shellfish dealers and restaurants specializing in shellfish. Photographs by Alexander Caserta are incorporated into this talk.
Dr. Michael E. Bell, consulting folklorist with the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, develops and implements programs that express and interpret Rhode Island folklife and oral history. He received his Ph.D. in Folklore from Indiana University, Bloomington, 1980 and his dissertation topic was African American voodoo practices. He is principal scholar on the Pawtuxet Village: One Space, Many Places project and the Pawtuxet Village Freedom Project; Folklorist on the Languages of the Land: a Dialogue with Salter Grove and Fish Tales projects, amongst many others. He is on the board of directors at the Cranston Historical Society, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Voices and Visions of Village Life project, and former Chair of the Cranston Historic District Commission.
Needs: Powerpoint projector (preferred) or slide projector/screen and lighted lectern/water