Museum’s Latest Micro Exhibit Explores the Mechanics Behind Maritime Life

March 26, 2025 (Toledo, Ohio) – The National Museum of the Great Lakes announces the opening of its latest temporary micro exhibit, Mechanics Behind Maritime Life: Taffrail Log, on display Saturday, March 29 through Friday, May 16, 2025. This exhibit offers an opportunity to explore the evolution of maritime navigation through original artifacts from renowned makers like Negus, Bliss, and Walker.

Visitors will get an up-close look at the inner workings of taffrail logs, including governors, rotators, and registers—essential components used by mariners for centuries to measure a vessel’s speed. Artifact highlights include the Negus “Improved” Log from 1892, the distinctive cylindrical register of a Bliss log, and the Cherub Mark III by Walker & Sons, which remained in production until 1994.

“Taffrail logs played a crucial role in maritime history, helping sailors navigate the unpredictable waters of the Great Lakes,” said Carrie Sowden, Director of Archeology and Research, National Museum of the Great Lakes. “This exhibit gives visitors a chance to see firsthand how these instruments shaped modern navigation.”

Mechanics Behind Maritime Life: Taffrail Log is included with regular museum admission. For more information, visit nmgl.org/events or contact 419-214-5000.

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About the National Museum of the Great Lakes: Founded in 1944, the Great Lakes Historical Society has been preserving our shared cultural history by publishing a quarterly journal Inland Seas® since 1945; by operating a maritime museum since 1952; by offering educational programs to the general public since 1956; by conducting underwater archaeological research across the Great Lakes since 2001; and by managing the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship since 2014 and Museum Tug Ohio since 2019. The opening of the National Museum of the Great Lakes enables the Great Lakes Historical Society to continue its mission to preserve and make known the important history of the Great Lakes.

WHAT: Mechanics Behind Maritime Life: Taffrail Log

WHEN: March 29 – May 16, 2025

WHERE: National Museum of the Great Lakes
1701 Front St., Toledo, OH 43605

ADMISSION: $20.00 (Museum & Ship) / $14.00 (Museum Only) – Adults (18-64)
$18.00 (Museum & Ship) / $12.00 (Museum Only) – Seniors (65+)
$14.00 (Museum & Ship) / $8.00 (Museum Only) – Youth (6-17)
FREE – Children 5 and under, GLHS/NMGL Members, Museums 4 All

MEDIA CONTACT: Ashley Streichert Lovejoy, 419-460-8181