The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is a 501 (c) (3) accredited, not-for-profit organization existing to research, interpret, and exhibit the maritime history of Florida and the Caribbean in ways that increase knowledge, enrich the spirit, and stimulate inquiry.
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Announces Remembrance Ceremony for Board Member Donald Kincaid
On February 4, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Courtyard of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, friends and colleagues are invited to join us as we honor Don Kincaid. Planned are intimate speeches from his friends and colleagues, as well as a special presentation beginning at 7 p.m. of his amazing pictures he took while working side by side with MFMM researchers. These remarkable images will include photos from the days of searching for the Atocha as well as other shipwrecks across the Florida Keys and the Bahamas.
The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum mourns the death of board member Donald Kincaid. “Don was a friend, a colleague, and we are deeply saddened by his passing,” said Melissa Kendrick, President and Chief Executive Officer. “He was kind and generous with his support, and we will continually be grateful for Don’s dedication, guidance and leadership as a member of the community and MFMHS Board of Trustees. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
About Mr. Kincaid
Don Kincaid was a photographer and filmmaker for more than 40 years. The ocean life and shipwrecks were always a passion of his which led him to documenting exploration operations for Mel Fisher in his quest to discover the sunken 1622 Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha.
“As luck would have it, I was tasked with shooting underwater images of an anchor and found an 8 ½ -foot gold chain instead, the first treasure from Atocha,” says Mr. Kincaid.
His work with National Geographic began in 1972 while shooting nearly every summer on the treasure boats for the following 14 years, resulting in several articles and films. In addition to these accolades, he has worked on more than a dozen feature films and books, about 25 documentaries, and just completed a children’s book on treasure, due out soon. He has also been a civil servant to the ocean he photographs, serving on the board of trustees for the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and the advisory council for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
“In more recent years, Don Kincaid accompanied the museum’s archaeological team on all of our at sea operations. Don documented our explorations with his extraordinary photographs, both above and under water. This provides a historical record beyond quantifiable the results of the day at sea,” said Melissa Kendrick, President and Chief Executive Officer. Don’s photographs are part of the museum’s permanent collections. Through his generosity the museum has received more than 30,000 images dating back to the 1970s.
About The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society and Museum
The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society and Museum is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has been nationally-accredited museum by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum is dedicated to research, interpret, and exhibit the maritime history of Florida and the Caribbean in ways that increase knowledge, enrich the spirit, and stimulate inquiry. The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is the official maritime museum of Monroe County.
