Please join us on March 27, 2022, from 10 am to 4 pm in Babylon for a Fisherman Flea Market! The flea market will have over 30 tables of fishing related items, and attendees will have the opportunity for one-on-ones with fishermen, door prizes, a Marlin fishing contest, and more. Long Island Traditions will have […]
Thank you to the Anton Media Group for printing this article about the NEA Grant that Long Island Traditions was awarded to expand its Maritime Folk Arts programs. The grant will enable LIT to launch a new joint program with the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center (FHC), connecting Long Island maritime folk artists with their […]
We are pleased to announce that Long Island Traditions’ Director, Nancy Solomon, will be a guest on Nassau Community College’s radio program, “My Hometown,” airing on 90.3 FM, WHPC. The show will air on Thursday, September 23rd at 3:30pm, and will be replayed on Sunday, September 26th at 8am. The podcast of the program will […]
WLIW.org recently posted an article about “A World Within a World: Bay Houses of Long Island,” which will be airing on WLIW21 on October 15th at 8pm. The article includes a gallery of photos of bay houses. Read the article here!
Publications Videos
By Jayme Breschard Thomann Long Island’s waterfront communities were first settled by Native Americans who valued the sandy soil on which they could grow corn, tomatoes, squash and other commonplace vegetables. They also harvested abundant fish and shellfish from Great South Bay and the nearby ocean, traveling by canoe and other watercraft. In the late […]
Kenny Swaine: Clamshell artist Kenny Swaine is the 3rd-generation owner of a bait and tackle shop in St. James. Like his father and grandfather, Swaine catches killies and other baitfish that he sells to recreational fishermen, who use the bait to catch striped bass, bluefish and flounder. In 1990 Kenny began making fish and lighthouse […]
Lenny Nilson: Bait fisherman Lenny Nilson was born in Bay Shore in 1947 and spent the first five years observing his father who had a shrimp and killie business. By age 16 he began working on the bay. He has worked as a commercial fishermen for the Sunrise Fish Company, and currently owns L & […]
Fishermen and baymen, duck hunters and decoy carvers, clamshell artists and lifeguards are just some of the tradition bearers featured here. Through oral histories, Long Island Traditions has documented dozens of those committed to preserving a life on the water. Most are participants in our maritime education programs or festivals and museum programs. If you […]
Occupational Folk Artists There are many occupations that stretch back in time. Farmers and fishermen, instrument makers, and railroad workers. Long Island Traditions has documented some of these as part of its ongoing occupational research. Visit these artists to learn more about their time-honored professions. Some of these artists are available for public programs. If […]
