The Woods Hole Historical Museum has been presenting Conversations on the last Monday of the month since 1974. Recordings of these talks, as well as individual interviews, are housed in the archives of the Museum. Please check dates, times, and locations in these listings. Occasionally the speaker's schedule necessitates a change from the "standard" schedule.

Conversations are free and free parking is available.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's submersible Alvin explored the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1986, surveyed the first known hydrothermal vent sites in the 1970s, and located a lost hydrogen bomb in the Mediterranean Sea in 1966.

Alvin was taken out of service at the end of 2010 to undergo the first stage of a multimillion-dollar upgrade funded by the National Science Foundation.  Named for Woods Hole resident Allyn Vine, a WHOI engineer and geophysicist who was instrumental in pioneering deep submergence technology, the sub was put into service in 1964 and has made more than 4,600 dives. The upgrade will ultimately allow the sub to stay down up to 12 hours, and dive to 6,500 meters.

Dr. Susan Humphris is lead scientist overseeing the sub's upgrade and has gone on more than 30 dives in Alvin in the course of her research into the marine geochemistry of the ocean floor. Dr. Humphris estimates that she has spent three years of her life at sea on research vessels. She received her Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography from the Joint Program MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Prior to joining WHOI's staff, she spent 13 years with the Sea Education Association, first as a Staff Scientist teaching intensive Oceanography to undergraduates both on shore and at sea on their sailing research vessels, and then as Dean for six years. She returned to WHOI in 1992 and is now a senior scientist. She has served as the Chair of the Geology and Geophysics Department, Director of the Deep Ocean Exploration Institute, and most recently, as the Acting Vice President for Marine Facilities and Operations. Dr. Humphris has authored or co-authored more than 70 scientific papers, and was a co-creator of the highly successful Dive and Discover web site that brings oceanographic expeditions in near real-time to students and the general public.

This year, the series runs for 11 weeks, from January 12th through March 22nd, with classes held at the Woods Hole Public Library on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. The workshop series is open to the public and offers classes on a variety of handcrafts, from traditional to contemporary. Among this year's offerings are recycled wool mittens, bookbinding, papercut valentines, ropework, indigo dyeing, printmaking and basketry. Workshops in this popular series fill up quickly, so please call the Woods Hole Public Library at (508) 548-8961 for more information and to pre-register.

All classes are sponsored by the Woods Hole Historical Collection and Museum.
Free parking.
The workshops are free, with a small fee for materials payable at the class.

Learn to make Polish paper stars as seen in Lauren Leveque's art installation at the Woods Hole Historical Museum's Winter Art Bight. First crafted in Woods Hole by the late Freiderun Jannasch for her famous Christmas tree, these lovely winter ornaments are meticulously constructed of a series of cut, rolled, glued and stacked pieces. Be prepared to spend time on the process -- the result is worth the effort!

Participants are welcome to bring their own paper, such as wrapping paper, origami paper, or any other lightweight paper. Assorted papers will also be available, as well as an instruction sheet to bring home.

Class size is limited to 12 participants, so please call (508) 548-8961 to pre-register and to get a short list of items to bring.

Back by popular demand: Margaret McCormick and Kellie Porter, both librarians at the Woods Hole Library, will teach you how to transform old wool sweaters into cozy felt mittens. For extra warmth, the mittens will be lined with polar fleece, the material used in fleece jackets. Participants can design their own one-of-a-kind mittens by mixing and matching colors.

Please call (508) 548-8961 to pre-register. Bring your sewing machine, if possible, and scissors, thread, pins and other sewing necessities. The workshop is free, with a small charge for the fabric which will be provided.

Make your own accordion book, perfect for holding photographs. You will get to mix and match papers to create your own one of a kind covers. All tools and materials included, the only thing you need to bring is yourself! Taught by Ruth Bleakley, a local bookbinder and stationery and invitation designer.

Class size is limited to 15 participants, so please call (508) 548-8961 to pre-register.

Why let kids have all the fun?  Grown-ups, join Lauren Leveque for a fun evening of crafting intricate hand-cut paper Valentines for someone special (or yourself!). Assorted papers and traditional and contemporary templates will be provided, including some brand new designs. Each participant will be given a handout with additional templates to bring home. Class size is limited to 12 participants, so please call (508) 548-8961 to pre-register and to get a short list of items to bring.

Join Stephen Wagner, mariner, for a hands-on ropework class on Bowlines, Bends & Hitches, for which you will find countless uses on your boat or in your backyard. Materials provided.

Class size is limited to 10 participants, so please call (508) 548-8961 early to pre-register.

Join Rachel Switzer to learn the basics of indigo dyeing with an introduction to shibori, a Japanese resist-dyeing technique. Participants may bring one or two smallish pieces of cloth to dye or over-dye or a skein of yarn to experiment with. Rachel will also provide pieces of fabric to manipulate and dye. Your finished samples could be used in patchwork, gift wrapping or other craft projects.

Class size is limited to 8 participants, so please call (508) 548-8961 to pre-register and to get a short list of items to bring. Wear an apron and/or old clothes.

Lauren Leveque will teach a simple and fun technique to print custom designs on blank notebooks. Each participant will receive 3 high-quality Moleskine Cahiers with attractive kraft brown covers. Participants are welcome to bring along an additional stack of blank books or notecards to print at the same time. (We'll be using white ink only.)

Class size is limited to 12 participants, so please call (508) 548-8961 to pre-register and to get a short list of items to bring.

A monkey's fist knot is tied from one continuous strand of rope and is used by mariners as an end weight to heave a long rope line from ship-to-shore or ship-to-ship, among other uses. Ryan Schenk will teach a hands-on class on how to use this knot to create an attractive and functional doorstop.

Class size is limited to 12 participants, so please call (508) 548-8961 to pre-register and to get a short list of items to bring.

Join Lauren Leveque to create a set of 3 unique hand printed tea towels. Blank tea towels, design templates, materials and tools will be provided, as well as an instruction sheet to bring home. Lauren can also show you how to create your own design templates.

Class size is limited to 12 participants, so please call (508) 548-8961 early to pre-register and to get a short list of materials to bring.

Barbara is an accomplished teacher of basketry techniques and has been teaching for many years. She will teach a two-session workshop on March 15 and March 22. Details to come.

Class size is limited to 12 participants, so please call (508) 548-8961 early to pre-register and to get a list of items to bring, such as scissors and a ruler. The materials for the basket will be provided at a nominal charge