(Provincetown, MA) –September 24, 2019 – Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown 400 announced today that it is planning to publish a commemorative book for the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower Pilgrims’ first landing in the “new world” in Provincetown in 1620. The PMPM is working with Cape Business Publishing Group, LLC to produce the commemorative book. The book will be published in the Spring of 2020 and will be available for purchase from the PMPM and it will be also sold in the museum’s gift shop for years to come. Cape Business Publishing Group, LLC, in a collaborative effort, is donating a portion of the publishing run to the PMPM to help support the Provincetown 400 celebration which is overseen by the PMPM.
“The Provincetown 400 Commemorative book will be a keepsake for visitors and local residents too,” said Dr. K. David Weidner, Executive Director, PMPM and Co-Chair of Provincetown 400. “The book will give us the opportunity to raise funds to support a series of signature events for the 2020 commemoration focusing on Provincetown and the region’s importance to the birth of the nation. We chose to work with Cape Business Publishing Group because of its proven track record for producing high quality publications for a cause.”
The book will cover the Mayflower Pilgrims’ first landing, their interaction with the native Wampanoag people, the signing of the Mayflower Compact – the first democratic governing document America and considered a precursor to the U.S. Constitution.
“We are very excited to be working with Dr. Weidner and his team to pull this off. It just feels right to have something like this to celebrate a most important part of history, which occurred right where we live and work,” said Robert Viamari the owner of Cape Business Publishing Group, LLC. “My team is so excited to work on a project of this caliber and we cannot thank the folks at PMPM for having confidence in our ability to deliver a quality product.”
The commemorative book will be hard-bound in full color and also include stories about the significance of Provincetown in American history and how the town has continued to serve as a place where people seek freedom. From the land where the Wampanoag’s first made their mark, to the establishment of the Portuguese fishing community and the whaling industry, to the early 20th century migration of artists and writers, to the rise in LGBTQ tourism, Provincetown’s unique history will be featured throughout the publication.
Provincetown 400 events include a week-long stay in September 2020 in Provincetown Harbor of the Mayflower II replica, re-enactments of the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and a visit by more than 2,000 Mayflower descendants are a few highlights of the 400th commemoration.
The PMPM is also preparing a new exhibition to more accurately portray the history of the Wampanoag native people, their presence on Cape Cod prior to the arrival of the Mayflower Pilgrims, their interactions with the Pilgrims and the significance of that time period in history. The new exhibition, opening in spring 2020, will be the only one of its kind in the United States. The PMPM is working with the Mashpee, Mass.-based Smoke Sygnals, the leading Native American creative agency in the Northeast on the new exhibition. It will be located in the Museum’s Mayflower Room and will include interactive videos and panels to educate visitors on the accurate story about the local Wampanoag people and their interaction with the Mayflower Pilgrims and other colonists.
About the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum
Dedicated in 1910, the Monument commemorates the first landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims in Provincetown in 1620. Here they signed the historic Mayflower Compact, the first agreement to establish a government by the people in the ‘new world;’ which became the cornerstone of American democracy. They explored the Cape for five weeks before sailing on to Plymouth. At 252 feet, the Monument is an engineering marvel and the tallest granite tower in the United States. Visitors can climb the Monument’s 116 steps and 60 ramps at a leisurely pace and enjoy a breathtaking view of the entire Cape and visit our webcam for a live “View from the Top.” The Provincetown Museum at the base of the Monument presents engaging exhibitions of important chapters in our national heritage and the Town’s history and oversees Provincetown 400, the committee developing the commemorations for 2020, the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and landing in Provincetown. Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum is a non-profit educational, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. For more information please visit pilgrim-monument.org.
