Shipwrecks: A Special Collections pop-up

Monday (Nov. 10) was the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which resulted in the loss of 29 lives. For the past several weeks, the media has covered every aspect of this tragedy, and justifiably so.  

The world has always been fascinated with shipwrecks, propelled by tales of swashbuckling pirates, buried treasure, survival and self-reliance. Whole generations have grown up watching movies about Robinson Crusoe, the Swiss Family Robinson and Treasure Island. 

On Thursday, Michigan State University Special Collections will host a one-day pop-up exhibit of rare materials that explore hazardous voyages, lost ships and unforgettable storms.  

One item included in the exhibit is worth mentioning here. The 1620 edition of “Purchas His Pilgrimage” details early voyages to Virginia by mostly British vessels. It includes the story of the wreck of a ship called the Sea Venture. The ship was sailing to Jamestown but ended up in Bermuda, where it sank in 1609. It is widely believed that William Shakespeare used this shipwreck as the basis for his play “The Tempest,” which premiered in 1611. In early seafaring, a “tempest” referred to a major storm almost magical in origin. 

According to Dayna Topalian, who has helped curate and organize the pop-up, what makes “Purchas” so intriguing is that it provides contemporary accounts of shipwrecks from that early period. The book itself is encyclopedic, covering everything a sea captain would need to know on a major voyage. 

Pop-up visitors are also invited to explore an accompanying exhibit, “Encounters and Exchanges,” which includes rare books, travel narratives, atlases and maps.