A vintage black and white photograph captured on the wooden deck of a ship. On the left, a young boy dressed in a sailor uniform and a wide-brimmed hat smiles while holding a small goat on a leash, while a young girl in a long dress sits on a wooden ladder to the right, looking toward him.

Joanna Carver Colcord

Joanna and Lincoln Colcord on the Clara E. McGilvery with a goat. Joanna is seated on steps while Lincoln, dressed in a sailor suit, holds the goat's tether. Photo: Penobscot Marine Museum.

Joanna Carver Colcord was born aboard the Charlotte A. Littlefield in the southwest Pacific Ocean to Captain Lincoln Alden Colcord and Jane French. Colcord came from a long line of Mainers who had close ties to the ocean, and she predominantly grew up on sailing ships. When on land, she spent time in Searsport and the areas around Penobscot Bay. Spending so much time on the water ensured that she had a unique outlook on life; she learned practical applications of math and science aboard the ship, took correspondence courses, and her exposure to countless places and cultures exposed her to concepts such as a sense of duty and racial equality. The photographs she took during her time at sea document an extraordinary global perspective. More than 600 glass and cellulose negatives remain, in addition to a 300-page scrapbook detailing her travels and are housed in the Joanna Colcord Collection at the Penobscot Marine Museum.

As an adult, Colcord attended the University of Maine, where she earned a BS in chemistry and an MS in biological chemistry. Opportunities for women in the science fields were limited then, and as a result Colcord subsequently attended the New York School of Philanthropy to become a social worker. Throughout her career she sought higher standards of training for social workers and pushed for reforms to make relief during the Great Depression more accessible to those in need.

In addition to her contributions to social work, Colcord was also a folklorist who published several books about American seafaring culture and sea shanties.

After health challenges forced her to retire from social work, Colcord married longtime friend and recent widower, Frank Bruno, at the age of 68. They remained together until Bruno's passing five years later, in 1955. She resided in Lebanon, Indiana, until her death from health complications in 1960.

Penobscot Marine Museum

A black and white maritime photograph of a majestic three-masted sailing ship gliding across the open ocean under a cloudy sky. The vessel is fully rigged with its large white sails catching the wind as it cuts through the choppy water. — Colcord's earliest known photographs within the museum's collection were taken (on glass plates) between 1899 and 1901, on a series of voyages from Maine to Hong Kong aboard her father's ship, the State of Maine, when she was 18. Penobscot Marine Museum.

A black and white studio portrait of a woman captured from a three-quarters angle, standing against a plain white background. She is wearing an elegant, long-sleeved dark dress with a white collar, an ornate belt buckle, and a decorative wide hat perched on her styled hair. — Formal photographic portrait of Joanna Colcord in her late teens or early twenties. Photo: Penobscot Marine Museum.

A dramatic black and white photograph of a man standing on the curved stern of a ship amidst heavy seas. He is wearing a dark, heavy weather jacket and a cap with his arms crossed, looking up and to the left as large, churning ocean waves crest behind him. — Capt. Lincoln A. Colcord is standing at the taffrail of the ship State of Maine off the Cape of Good Hope in 1900. Photo: Penobscot Marine Museum.

A hand-colored historical photograph looking down a bustling, narrow canal packed with small wooden houseboats and sampans. Tall, weathered buildings line the left side of the waterway, while a stone walkway shaded by large green trees runs along the right side. — Several Chinese sampans, propelled with poles, with half shelters. Anchored in small canal bordered by buildings and trees. May be water taxis. Photo: Penobscot Marine Museum.

A high-angle, sepia-toned photograph of a crowded outdoor marketplace labeled "Guadeloupe" along the top edge. Numerous people, many dressed in light-colored clothing and wearing wide-brimmed hats, are seen walking, standing, and tending to market stalls on the pavement. — It is not known exactly when Colcord photographed this market scene on the French island of Guadeloupe, located in the Caribbean. Photo: Penobscot Marine Museum.

A historical black and white photograph showing a patriotic gathering beneath a large canvas tent draped with American flags. People in early 20th-century attire, including a man in a white military uniform, stand behind a wire fence near tables decorated with patriotic banners. — Patriotic rally, group under large canopy; United States flags. Photo: Penobscot Marine Museum.

A close-up, sepia-toned photograph of a family aboard a boat. A woman wearing a traditional woven straw hat sits on the left holding a young toddler, while two other young children sit beside her under a bright sky with a flag visible in the background. — This photograph, taken in Hong Kong around 1900, showcases a more intimate view of a sampan, focusing on members of the "crew" that served Captain Colcord's ship, the State of Maine, while she was in port. Photo: Penobscot Marine Museum.

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