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Burgess, Robert H.
There is scarcely a river, creek, or slough in the Chesapeake Bay Country that Robert H. Burgess (1913–2003) did not explore with his camera. Known to many as Dean of the Chesapeake, Robert “Bob” Burgess knew the Chesapeake Bay in its older, more primitive, and pleasant way of life. He saw the era of commercial sail and steam fading and undertook to document and preserve bay watercraft through photography. Without this labor of love, most of the sailing vessels in his book Chesapeake Sailing Craft would have passed on with no photographic record of their existence.
Baltimore-born, Burgess joined the staff of the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News in 1941, where he became curator of exhibits and was later named curator of publications. He was a member of the Steamship Historical Society of America, on the Board of Governors of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and a trustee of the Calvert Marine Museum and Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
In 2000, The Chesapeake Maritime Museum presented Robert H. Burgess the coveted Chesapeake Bay Heritage Award in recognition of “his significant contributions to the preservation of the cultural and maritime heritage of the Chesapeake Bay.” Among his legacies are the many articles and books about the Chesapeake Bay and its craft, illustrated with his photographs. His photos are widely recognized for their documentary and artistic quality.
