Good afternoon,
We would like to share a press release for a speaker series, free to the public, with the next event coming up on 3/28.
This is an unusual opportunity as the Ship History Center is member based and not usually open to the public.
Naturally press is welcome at the event. If you wish to coordinate other visits to the Ship History Center please let us know.
Feel free to share as you see fit.
Amy Rajack
Membership & Advertising Coordinator
Steamship Historical Society of America
401-463-3570
Steamship Historical Society of America
News Release
March 16th, 2026
Contact Kae Ferragamo, Administrative Assistant
assistant@sshsa.org ~ 401-463-3570 ~ shiphistory.org/contact
SSHSA DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES
MAKES MARITIME HISTORY COME ALIVE
Crafted to bring the history of engine-powered vessels, their contributing crews, and their passengers alive in the minds of the present generation
The Steamship Historical Society of America (SSHSA) invites the community to learn about ship history and engage with experts of maritime history through the Distinguished Speaker Series. Talks will be free to both members and the general public.
SSHSA will be hosting speakers at its Ship History Center located at 2500 Post Road in Warwick. Talks will take place throughout the spring and fall of 2026. Our next talk takes place on March 28th at 10:30 AM. Visitors will have the chance to listen to speakers while surrounded by the very history being presented. The Ship History Center is filled with maritime artifacts such as models, artwork, photos, postcards, dinnerware, and furniture from steamships of the past.
Our next presenter, Daniel Harrington, will meld local history with performance art at the Ship History Center with his talk entitled “Larchmont Remembered” which focuses on the sinking of the steamship Larchmont. The presentation will span one-hour, featuring digitally restored photos, engaging graphics, live music, and eyewitness accounts to bring the story of New England’s most horrific sea disaster to life.
Our first speaker in the series, Captain Eric Takakjian, shared details of the SS Yarmouth Castle fire on November 13th, 1965, and the subsequent accident investigation that changed US and international standards for the construction and operations of passenger ships. He is co-author of the novel titled “Yarmouth Castle Burning: The Deadliest Passenger Ship Disaster off the Coast of the United States Since 1934” which looks at firsthand narratives of the tragedy. You can watch this presentation in full on the SSHSA’s Youtube page or at SSHSA.org.
For those who may not be able to attend in person events, SSHSA will also offer a Zoom option for all presentations. To learn more about the Distinguished Speaker Series and SSHSA, sign up for e-newsletters at shiphistory.org/newsletter to receive email updates on future talks and SSHSA related news.
About SSHSA: The Steamship Historical Society of America was founded in 1935 by seven amateur historians. Ninety years later, it has grown to become the world’s leading organization on the history of engine-powered vessels with diverse supporters and members including maritime collectors and artists, navy and merchant mariners, historians, students, genealogists, ship engineers and architects, and maritime history enthusiasts.