Stories are the lifeblood of culture. In Guinea, Virginia, storytelling is a key trait of its people and it’s how the heritage of the watermen’s life is passed down from generation to generation. In this online exhibit, you have an opportunity to listen to story excerpts that tell the tales of daily Guinea commerce, life on the water, and the vagaries of the seafood industry. For each theme, you can select and listen to a short excerpt from a longer interview. A transcript is provided to assist while you listen to the authentic and unique Guinea dialect. When you are done, take a moment to play the online game or print out the bookmarks to color. If you are in the museum, ask for the Buck’s Store scavenger hunt. Can you find the objects on the list . . .
…an old fashioned telephone comes to mind! Ring, ring!
THE GENERAL STORE
How did Buck’s Store come to be?
A bologna roll at the General Store!
Long days at Buck’s.
LIFE ON THE WATER
An ice storm off of Cape Henry
Pound netting to catch fish. What’s that?
When do fishermen shuck a scallop?
GUINEA COMMERCE
A story about the invention of the crab pot
Slack water? What’s that?
Goodness! How much can you get for a scallop catch?
Learn more about oral histories with Old Dominion University’s “Tidewater Voices“
Acknowledgments: This online exhibit has been developed by interns with the Captain’s SHIP Program at Christopher Newport University in May 2021. Montana Coward reviewed, selected, and formatted the audio excerpts and accompanying transcripts; Jamie Eagle developed the online and museum-based educational activities; Sophia Johnston developed the interactive webpage and integrated it with the Guinea Heritage website. Buck’s Store Museum extends our gratitude and appreciation to the interns and to CNU for devoting their time and talents to this project.