Tilghman Watermen at Work The People, Skills, and Traditions of Tilghman Island

For generations, the rhythms of life on Tilghman Island have been measured by the tides. Long before sunrise, local watermen head onto the Chesapeake Bay, where knowledge passed from one generation to the next guides every decision—from reading the weather to understanding the seasonal movements of oysters, crabs, and fish. Their work is physically demanding, economically uncertain, and deeply connected to the health of the Bay, yet it remains one of Maryland’s most enduring maritime traditions.
Preserving these stories is the mission of the Tilghman Watermen’s Museum, a community institution dedicated to documenting and celebrating the history, heritage, and culture of Tilghman Island’s working waterfront. Through exhibits, oral histories, artifacts, boat models, artwork, and educational programs, the museum ensures that the lives and traditions of Chesapeake watermen continue to inspire future generations. The museum’s collections explain not only the history of the island but also the specialized methods watermen have developed to harvest the Bay’s resources, including crabbing, clamming, oyster harvesting, pound netting, and gill netting.
A compelling new museum exhibit, Tilghman Watermen at Work, showcases the remarkable photography of Jay Fleming, whose images have become synonymous with the modern Chesapeake Bay. Fleming has spent years documenting the people who make their living on the water, producing photographs that are both visually stunning and historically significant. Rather than simply capturing beautiful landscapes, his work reveals the determination, skill, and resilience of the men and women who continue to work the Bay despite changing environmental and economic conditions.
His photographs of Tilghman Island watermen place viewers aboard working boats, standing alongside captains as they haul heavy oyster tongs, sort blue crabs, retrieve fishing nets, or navigate through fog before dawn. Every image tells a story of experience earned through years on the water.
Among the many traditions highlighted in the exhibit is oyster harvesting, one of the Chesapeake’s oldest commercial fisheries. During the oyster season, oysters are harvested two ways. Hand tongs in shallow waters by some watermen, such as Amanda and T Haddaway. Dredges are used by watermen such as by Wade Murphy, III, a 6th generation waterman who captains the Skipjack “Rebecca T. Ruark.” The work requires strength, precision, and an intimate understanding of oyster bars that have supported island families for generations.
Blue crabs remain another cornerstone of Tilghman’s maritime economy. One traditional harvesting method uses trotlines—long baited lines stretched across the bottom. As crabs cling to the bait, watermen carefully lift the line toward the surface and swiftly scoop the crabs with long-handled nets before they release their grip.
Basket crabbing offers a different approach. Wire crab pots, commonly called baskets by many local watermen, are baited and lowered to the Bay floor. Watermen routinely work hundreds of these pots, lifting, emptying, rebaiting, and resetting each one throughout the day. Success depends on reading tides, water temperature, salinity, and weather conditions as much as on hard physical labor.
The exhibit also celebrates unique fishing techniques that are unique such as pound netting, one of the Bay’s oldest sustainable commercial fishing methods. Robbie Wilson, a 3rd generation waterman, erects a series of stationary nets that gently guide migrating fish into enclosed holding areas where they can be harvested with minimal disturbance to surrounding habitat.
One of the newest animals to be harvested by Tilghman watermen such as Coby Wilson, a 5th generation waterman, is blue catfish, an invasive species that is caught using trotlines or hoop nets. These fish are processed by Nick Hargrove at Tilghman Island Seafood, a processing plant at the base of the Knapps Narrows Bridge that ships blue catfish to buyers throughout the country.
What makes Jay Fleming’s photography exceptional is his ability to capture not only these traditional harvesting methods but also the people behind them. His images reveal weathered hands, determined expressions, worn workboats, and quiet moments of reflection that often go unnoticed. Together, they document a way of life that continues to evolve while remaining rooted in generations of Chesapeake heritage.
Tilghman Island has long been recognized as one of Maryland’s most historic watermen’s communities. From the booming oyster industry of the nineteenth century through today’s commercial fisheries, the island has been shaped by those who earn their living from the Bay. Although the industry has changed dramatically over time, the traditions, knowledge, and pride of its watermen continue to define the community.
The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum’s new exhibit featuring Jay Fleming’s photography provides visitors with an extraordinary opportunity to experience this heritage firsthand. By pairing powerful contemporary images with the museum’s extensive collection of artifacts and stories, the exhibit reminds us that the Chesapeake Bay is more than a scenic landscape—it is a working ecosystem sustained by generations of skilled watermen whose lives remain inseparable from its waters.
Whether visitors come to admire the artistry of Jay Fleming’s photographs or to learn about the traditions of Tilghman Island, they leave with a deeper appreciation for the people who continue to preserve one of Maryland’s most distinctive cultural legacies.