From Bullrakes to Clambakes with Dune Brothers and Dr. Michael Bell

Join the Rhode Island Historical Society on Monday, August 4th at 6pm for From Bullrakes to Clambakes, featuring Dune Brothers and a presentation by former state folklorist Dr. Michael Bell.

Guests will first hear from a Dune Brothers co-owner and chef, Nick Gillespie, on the origins of Dune Brothers and their pier-to-plate approach to showcasing and supporting Rhode Island seafood. Guests will enjoy a cup of Dune Brothers’ Rhode Island clam chowder and clam cakes, along with a Fresh Catch Ale from Narragansett Brewery.

Then, Bell will then share the occupational folklife of people involved in the shellfishing industry of Narragansett Bay, including bullraking for quahogs from a skiff, selling the catch to a dealer (both ashore and on the “buy boat”), and the daily routine of wholesale shellfish dealers and restaurants specializing in shellfish. This presentation will draw on the materials Bell collected with the American Folklife Center in 1979.

Michael E. Bell was awarded a Ph.D. in Folklore from Indiana University at Bloomington, an M.A. in Folklore and Mythology from the University of California at Los Angeles, and a B.A. in Anthropology and Archaeology from the University of Arizona, Tucson. For more than twenty-five years, Bell was the Consulting Folklorist at the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission in Providence, Rhode Island. He has also taught folklore, English, and anthropology at several colleges and universities. Dr. Bell has served as a scholar or consultant on numerous projects, particularly those concerned with folklore, folk art, oral history, and humanities programs for young adults. Bell has completed a variety of publications and media productions on topics ranging from local legends and the magical black cat bone to the occupational folklife of the shell fishing industry of Narragansett Bay.

Tickets are $28 for members and $35 for nonmembers. Registration is required. Tickets are available here.

You may also like the following events from Rhode Island Historical Society:

• Next Thursday, 17th July, 06:30 pm, Concerts Under the Elms: Bird Stick in Providence
• This month, 24th July, 06:30 pm, Concerts Under the Elms: Alexus Lee in Providence
• This month, 26th July, 10:00 am, Living the Dream: Everyday Life in Sylvia DeWolf Ostrander’s New England in Providence

Also check out other Food & Drink events in Providence, Arts events in Providence.