About The Historical Vagabond

Welcome to The Historical Vagabond, my blog about history, culture and related topics.

I consider myself a vagabond of sorts, wandering along the paths of history, with no “home” to return to. Sure I have my favorite haunts, but I’ve been known to wander along the path, often with no set direction. I’m sure I’m not the only one who goes down a Wikipedia rabbit hole just for the sake of curiosity. My love of history and culture cannot be contained within one niche, instead I prefer to meander. So here I am, to share my historical wanderings, with no visible means of support.

About the Logo

My logo is based on The Wayfarer by Hieronymus Bosch. It was my first choice for the website name as well, until I saw how common the name was. The Wayfarer speaks to me at this point in my life, looking back on the travels and experiences that brought me here. I love the idea of being a wanderer, making my way from town to town. Gathering stories and making friends along the way, without a final destination in mind. 

In my teens and early 20’s I was lucky enough to do a bit of that – in the form of a couple backpacking trips through Europe. We were poor, hungry, but happy travelers that would often bump into our fellow wayfarers in the various train stations, hostels and backpacker bars along the way. It’s an infectious feeling, thinking you could just keep on going, surviving on baguettes and student museum passes as you look out the train window.

The plan to “walk the earth” didn’t pan out, but the love of history, culture and that wandering, wayfaring, spirit endures within. This is my meandering journey through history, where the only destination is the journey itself. It is time once again to examine other historical topics, to go through the old journals and photo albums with an older set of eyes, and make friends along the way.

Who am I and What am I Doing Here?

I’m Justin Demetri, a maritime historian that primarily focuses on the New England fishing industry out of my hometown of Gloucester, Massachusetts. For over 15 years I have worked very hard to become an authority on this subject matter after a childhood spent within the Gloucester fishing industry. However, I am reluctant to be typecast by such a narrow field.

As you read above, I study a wide range of historical subjects and I find my field restricting. If there is one thing that sets me apart from many historians and researchers, it’s my ability to retain, recall, and incorporate all this disparate knowledge into whatever project I’m working on. Taking a multi-subject and sometimes multidisciplinary approach to historical research has made me a much better maritime historian.

As the first male in my family to not pursue commercial fishing, I had to blaze my own trail without much guidance, which led me to study history and anthropology. In 2000, I earned my bachelor’s in anthropology, but struggled to convince employers of my talents. Apparently I can explain centuries of fishing vessel evolution, but I can’t tell you why I’m the perfect fit for your organization.

In 2008 I took a part-time job at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, where in a flash all this local lore that I picked up came flooding back. Since that time I have established myself as an authority – however reluctant – on the 400 year history of the Gloucester fishing industry. During this time I have also become very knowledgeable on wooden shipbuilding techniques thanks to the help of my good friend and traditional shipbuilder, Captain Harold Burnham of Essex, Massachusetts.

I continued in a similar role as the Historian for Maritime Gloucester until the end of 2025. As I move to greener pastures, I continue to pay homage to my Sicilian and Nova Scotia fishing roots. To pay respect to all those who gave their lives just to bring fish to market. It is also to honor the friends and family who taught me all this, and whose shoulders I stand on every day.

Previous Works

My first big break in writing came thanks to my friend Paulo of Life in Italy. I wrote many articles on Italian life, food and culture, which still seem to be popular after many years. You can take a look at my many articles over at LifeinItaly.com.

I’ve been fortunate to have played a role in some historical and cultural documentaries about maritime history and my Sicilian-American heritage. One of them, Love & Grease, by WBZ-Boston won an Emmy in 2023.

I hope you enjoy this new journey. If you do, please let me know in comments or through the contact form. If you really like what you see, please consider supporting the project by Buying Me A Coffee.

Thank you for visiting.