Beautifully, finely woven lightship baskets are unique to the island of Nantucket. Their design evolved slowly, beginning in the 19th century with the native indians, to the crewmen aboard their lightships stationed at South Shoals.
With many shipwrecks occurring at South Shoals, the Lightships functioned as lighthouses. It was here that 'basket making' became a hobby for lightship crewmen, as well as a source of income. A cottage industry was born.
Basket weaving on these sea vessels ended soon after the turn of the 20th century. Today, there is no large scale commercial production, but dozens of hobbyists and part-time weavers continue the basket making tradition on Nantucket.
The Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum is preserving this rich history. For more information, visit http://www.nantucketlightshipbasketmuseum.org/
Photo Credits: 1. Michael Kane Lightship Baskets 2. Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum
