The Maine Lobsterman

October 6th 2013 around 3pm
(Just happened to also be going to Nickelodeon Cinemas to see Gravity that day)

Initial Notes: Not many people were in the area that day. It was quite cold and rainy, so it wasn't the usual scene of bustling people shopping and tourists taking pictures. Myself, Zack, and our friend Maeve were the only people in the square when we took the picture before going into the warm movie theater where we bought cookies and hot chocolate.

 Reaction: What I found most interesting about the Maine Lobsterman statue in Portland is the fact it is situated smack dab in the middle of one of the busiest plazas. There is literally no way not everyone who comes to spend the day in Portland can miss it. It is also quite large, I did not realize it would be as big as it was when I visited it. Also, for being in the middle of such a busy plaza it is in relatively good condition whereas I would have thought it would be pretty beaten up. I guess that is just me being biased against the young people of Portland. I’ve lived on a college campus for so long with young people who disrespect everyone else’s belongings that I would have figured the statue would be worse for wear.

 To get to the nitty gritty details of the site and its importance, the statue is situated on the corner of Temple and Middle streets in Portland in the middle of a cobblestone plaza. The sculpture was made by Victor Kahill and is officially called, The Maine Lobsterman (hard to believe, right?). It was originally created by Kahill in 1939 for the World’s Fair and was exhibited in the Hall of States. The version situated where I visited is a bronze version made in 1977. There are two other bronze versions in Harpswell, Maine and Washington, DC.

What makes this site so interesting and important to Maine, Portland in particular, is how important Lobstermen are to the state. One of the many things Maine is known for is lobster. One of the ways Maine makes most of its money is through lobster fishing. Portland is right on the water, so it would only make sense that the statue dedicated to the job most Mainers have would be on the water. Not only does it show what Maine is known for and what most Mainers do for a living this was shown at the World’s Fair in 1939. That means in 1939 when everyone was showing off about their states and their achievements, Maine was being shown as a hardworking state that makes its living off of resilient, tough lobsters.