Rough Seas & Legacies

Rough Seas & Legacies: Stories of Carolina Piracy is an interactive musuem exhibition on the myths and history of the pirates who roamed the Carolina coast. This project represents a collaboration between Coastal Carolina University's Athenaeum Press and a visual team from East Carolina University. The exhibition is translated into 4 posters on Carolina pirates from original photographs and a limited-edition canvas pirate map.

From 1650-1730, pirates shared territories and trading networks with the locals of North and South Carolina. Pirates would raid ships from the Eastern Shore to the Caribbean, and import their stolen goods at major port cities in the Carolinas.

This exhibition takes you through the livelihood of pirates from the motives that persuaded them to join, to the democracy they followed onboard their ship, to the decisions they made that resulted in their life. In this exhibit, viewers will learn about how the landscapes of Carolina impacted these pirates’ lives and how the pirates made their marks on cities close to our homes. 

Purchase

Exhibit now on display at the Horry County Museum.

Purchase the Canvas Map ($25)

 

 

The Project

Rough Seas and Legacies: Stories of Carolina Piracy is a interpretation of the politics, myths and landscapes that influenced piracy during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This exhibition combines archival research with original photography and art to paint a unique portrait of pirates that sailed the Carolina coast. The exhibition traces the rise, practices and fall of piracy in the new colony, alluding to how the landscape shaped and retained the traces of pirates and their escapades. The exhibition contains physically interactive elements alongside multimedia videos and quizzes to engage with audiences.

Our students also developed an accompanying limited-edition canvas Carolina pirate map and original posters of the “ghosts” of famous pirates (available for purchase).

The Exhibit

Credits

Special Thanks

Special thanks to the staff at the Horry County Museum, especially Walter Hill, Hillary Winburn, and Marion Hayes. Also special thanks to Gregg Buck, Jim Arendt, Arianna Sellers, and Travis Brooks for their assistance during installation.

Student Contributors

  • Brittany Atkinson, Graduate Lead Editor
  • Leah Alford, Lead Photographer
  • Davonte Boatman, Researcher and Writer
  • Amy Danielowich, Researcher and Writer
  • Katina Eckert, Designer
  • Grey Eckert, Designer
  • Katie Johnson, Designer
  • Roy Lacle, Researcher and Writer
  • Jack Martin, Lead Designer
  • Valerie McLaurin, Graduate Writer and Editor
  • Quentin Keshon Milton, Videographer and Writer
  • James Pulley, Designer
  • Jordan Spirakis, Photographer and Composer
  • Sydney Watson, Lead Researcher

Athenaeum Press Faculty/Staff Team

  • Trisha O'Conor, Director Emeritus
  • Alli Crandell, Director
  • Scott Mann, Art and Production Manager
  • Easton Selby, Faculty Lead
  • Cali Duncan, Program Assistant
  • Abby Inman, Student Graphic Design Intern
  • James Pulley, Student Graphic Design Intern