Richard Lea, of Atlanta, Ga., began collecting, salvaging and diving for pirate treasure when he was 17, and he has amassed hundreds of items that are on display as the new Pirate Exhibit Now open at Ripley’s Believe It or Not Panama City Beach. The now 70-year-old has collected Spanish and English pirate items from the 1500s through 1800s.
“I have been scuba diving and free diving my whole life,” Lea said. “The first piece I found was a crucifix when I was scuba diving in Cozmel.”
The pirate treasure exhibit begins with a map of the world in the 1400s, including the Papal Line of Demarcation, along with a 300-pound treasure chest. The exhibit then displays tools of the pirates trade: pirate flags, swords, pistols, cannons, skulls, ball and chains, masks and Spanish coins. The exhibit has more than 300 items and is valued at more than $5 million.
“The items are valuable because of their craftsmanship, the clear age and condition they are in,” Lea said.
An interesting item in the exhibit is a death mask made of melted bronze. The melted bronze was poured over a recently deceased person’s face to show their exact expression during the time of death.
“This practice originated with the Bogis pirates, who were feared by many,” Lea said. “And soon ‘bogis’ was shortened into ‘bogey,’ and that is where the ‘Bogey Man’ comes from.”
The Pirate exhibit in Panama City not only offers interesting artifacts, but also a good history lesson. An information card is with each piece and gives the story behind the piece and where it was found.
“We brought our family because it is a good place for them to cool off and learn something,” Jeremy Spann of Douglasville, Ga., said. “And I love all the swords and torture devices.”
The real pirate exhibit will be open for a year at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not in Panama City Beach. For more information, call 1-850-273-8109 or visit the sinking ship on 9907 Front Beach Road.
|
|