Raleigh, NC
looking_glass@earthlink.net
Travel Regions: Statewide
Kevin Duffus is a researcher, author and documentary filmmaker who specializes in North Carolina maritime history. With 32 years of experience in the television industry, Duffus has combined his skill of research, writing, photography and editing to produce a series of feature length documentaries. Some of his award-winning documentaries include: The Graveyard of the Atlantic: Four Hundred Years of Shipwrecks, Mysteries and Heroic Rescues; The Cape Hatteras Light: AmericaÕs Greatest Sentinel; and Move of the Century, documenting the remarkable relocation of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. Mr. Duffus is also a regular contributor to Our State magazine
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How Shipwrecks Shaped the Destiny of the
Outer Banks (new)
For more than 450 years, shipwrecks shaped the destiny of NC’s
Outer Banks, creating one of the most intriguing histories and cultures
in America. Kevin Duffus, author of the 2007 book Shipwrecks of
the Outer Banks—an Illustrated Guide, presents a wide-ranging
discussion of shipwrecks and their legacy—lifesaving, salvage,
rumors of wreckers, and the hundreds of forgotten shipwreck victims
buried among the dunes. Duffus explains the various causes of shipwrecks
and why there is a Graveyard of the Atlantic in the first place,
what it was like for passengers and crew when ships crashed into
the breakers along the banks, and the true stories of some of the
most incredible rescues. Duffus shares the memories of the last
living lighthouse keeper on the Outer Banks, the descendants of
lifesavers, residents who played on shipwrecks as children, and
one well-known historian who used to dance on the deck of a wrecked
vessel. Audience members will also learn precise locations of famous
and deadly wrecks, as well as places to see remains of shipwrecks
today.
The Lost Light: The Mystery of the Missing Cape Hatteras Fresnel
Lens
In 2002, Kevin Duffus solved the long-standing mystery of the missing, first-order Fresnel lens from the 1803 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, lost for 140 years. Confederate officials secretly removed and hid the 6,000-pound, 12-foot tall, bronze and crystal optic from the historic Hatteras tower in 1861 to prevent it from aiding the enemy. In its wake, the missing lens left a trail of destruction, defiance, and recrimination--careers were lost, towns were threatened, and the steamboat that transported the apparatus was captured and sunk. Mr. Duffus discovered more than the storied lens; he compiled a volume of research that for the first time accurately portrays the fate of the South's lighthouses during the Civil War. In this lecture, Duffus tells a fascinating story illustrated with copies
War Zone: World War II Off North Carolina's Outer Banks
In 1942, the United States suffered one if its worst defeats of WWII, not in Europe or the Pacific, but along the nation's eastern seaboard. Three hundred ninety-seven ships were sunk or damaged, and 5,000 people were killed. For six months, 65 German U-boats hunted merchant vessels practically unopposed within view of coastal communities. The greatest of these attacks occurred off North Carolina's Outer Banks. For this lecture, Kevin Duffus has compiled a stunning collection of eyewitness stories of merchant sailors, Coast Guard recruits, and coastal residents who survived the events. He discusses the facts behind decades-old urban legends of German spies, sympathizers, and saboteurs. His story is one of faith, courage, and determination as well as infamy, irony, and innocence.
Requirements for Program: LCD projector and screen preferred
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