Edward Rowe Snow spent a lifetime collecting and sharing stories of shipwrecks, lighthouses, lifesaving, pirates, and the people who lived along the New England coast. An author, historian, lecturer, and storyteller, Snow became one of the region’s best-known chroniclers of maritime history.

On Saturday, October 3, the Hull Lifesaving Museum will celebrate Snow’s birthday with a special commemoration featuring someone uniquely qualified to tell his story: his daughter, Dolly Snow Bicknell.

Bicknell will share personal stories and memories of her father, offering a rare glimpse into the man behind the celebrated author, historian, and storyteller. The program will also feature rare family photographs and historic video footage from Snow’s lifetime, providing an intimate look at his work, his passions, and his life beyond the stories that made him famous.

For generations of New Englanders, Snow’s name has been synonymous with maritime lore. His fascination with the sea and its history led him to uncover and preserve countless stories that might otherwise have been forgotten. Through his books, lectures, radio broadcasts, and annual Christmas Eve programs, he helped keep New England’s maritime heritage alive.

Snow’s legacy also lives on through the Flying Santa, the Christmas tradition he continued from 1936 to 1980, bringing gifts by airplane to lighthouse keepers and their families throughout New England.

But the stories people knew were only part of Edward Rowe Snow’s life.

“This program gives us a chance to see Edward Rowe Snow not just as the legendary storyteller so many people remember, but as a father and a man whose life was deeply intertwined with the history he spent decades preserving,” said Michael McGurl, executive director of the Hull Lifesaving Museum. “Having Dolly share her personal memories, along with photographs and historic film from the family collection, makes this a truly special opportunity.”

The Edward Rowe Snow Birthday Commemoration will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, at the Windmill Point Boathouse, 185 Main Street.

Collectors and fans of Edward Rowe Snow will also have the opportunity to purchase signed copies of his books, including several featuring his original sketches.

Tickets are $20 and are available in advance at https://tinyurl.com/mtv7jukp.

For anyone interested in New England maritime history, the Flying Santa, or the remarkable life of one of the region’s most memorable storytellers, the afternoon promises stories that can only be told by someone who was there.

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