Harboring an ocean artifact?

Before throwing out that old rusted ship anchor collecting dust in your garage, you may want to consider loaning it to the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum.

As part of the museum’s “From Dredges to Dreamboats: 100 Years of Nautical History” exhibit, curators are collecting three-dimensional artifacts from Newport Beach’s nautical history. As long as it’s nautical and from Newport, anything goes.

“It needs to have come from the people, the residents of Newport Harbor,” nautical museum president David Muller said.

Sportfishing memorabilia, local inventions, and the early days of the Balboa Fun Zone ? museum officials hope that any artifacts representing Newport’s rich nautical history will add to the exhibit, Muller said.

“One of the most interesting parts of the exhibition is going to be the personality because that’s what gives us the character,” he said.

The museum is especially looking for anything having to do with the development of the island.

“Without dredging we wouldn’t be the recreational harbor we are today,” Muller said.

Community residents have a tremendous collection of nautical artifacts in their private homes and if they’ll share it, the museum will consider it for the exhibit, Muller said.

The city is flush with historical photos, some of which will be displayed in the exhibit, but the museum needs actual artifacts to add a new dimension, said Chris Trela, with the city’s centennial committee.

“One thing that we don’t seem to have enough of are actually three-dimensional objects that cover the history of Newport Beach,” Trela said.

The exhibit, which runs from June 9 to Oct. 15, is just one of the events in the year-long celebration of the Newport Beach centennial. The committee hopes the exhibit will serve as a reminder to residents that the city is continuing to celebrate the centennial, Trela said. The festivities will culminate Oct. 8, with “100 Years Between the Piers” ? a community dance and firework celebration.

The exhibit is in the final stages of being put together, but the museum has not yet received any nautical artifacts to add to it. Anyone who has an object to donate and is willing to part with it until October, should contact the Newport Beach Centennial hotline at (949) 718-1856 or the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum at (949) 673-7863.