As part of the History Revival: Coastal Chronicles lecture series, Claudia Leister will talk about the history of the H.M.S DeBraak, a famous British warship that sank off the shores of Cape Henlopen on May 25, 1798, as well as her experiences during the salvage of the ship in the 1980’s.

Claudia Leister has served as executive director of the Milford Museum since retiring as the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ curator of collections management in June 2011. She began her 34-year career with the division in March 1977 as a volunteer at the Island Field Museum. The following month, she was hired as a casual/seasonal supervisor for a summer archaeological team followed by work as an archaeological assistant. In 1980, she began full-time employment as the division’s registrar (later renamed curator of registration, then curator of collections management). Beginning in 1986, she was deeply involved in the processing, cataloging and curating of artifacts from the DeBraak shipwreck. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in archaeology/anthropology from Michigan State University, and a master’s degree in history from the University of Delaware.

The History Revival: Coastal Chronicles lecture series is a collaborative effort of the Zwaanendael Museum and Lewes Public Library. The Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay have been an integral part of Delaware’s history, and have connected the small state to global events and issues. Maritime communities and industries have taken advantage of Delaware's coast for centuries. Delawareans past and present have benefited and struggled against the water's constant change. Through lectures, music, and historical theater, the goal of History Revival: Coastal Chronicles is to widen the understanding of maritime history within Delaware.

This lecture series is partially funded by the Delaware Humanities, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

NOTE: this session is available to attend in-person or through Zoom. You MUST REGISTER and indicate which you prefer.

If you have need assistance with registration or getting your Zoom invitation, please email us.

Basic written instructions for using Zoom may be found here and a brief video tutorial may be found here. Closed captioning is available for all our sessions. Information on enabling closed captioning in Zoom may be found here.