Reykjavík Maritime Museum

The story of the rowing boat industry in Iceland is told here and the rowing boat Farsæll, which is a four-person boat and was built shortly after 1900, can be viewed. The empty house life and the stockfish processing  the past are vividly described. An empty house man was a description of a man that didn't own a land, that moved from the countryside to the seaside in order to live as a fisherman but not as a farmer. 

Since colonization, fishing has been important to Icelanders and fish products have been valuable exports. Up until the second half of the 19th century, the country's inhabitants fished almost exclusively on rowboats, and then mainly on smaller boats.
For a long time, cured fish was Iceland's main export product, but as the 19th century progressed, salted fish became an increasingly important and valuable export product. Its exports quadrupled at the end of the 19th century and its value increased sixfold. This was the result of increased demand from Spain, technological changes, larger fish markets and cheap, good Spanish salt being imported. 

From Poverty to Abundance

The permanent exhibition of the Maritime Museum is called; "From poverty to abundance" and describes the great changes that took place around and after the turn of the century in Icelanders' fishing and the processing of the catch.

From Poverty to Abund­ance

The permanent exhibition of the Maritime Museum is called; "From poverty to abundance" and describes the great changes that took place around and after the turn of the century in Icelanders' fishing and the processing of the catch.

From Poverty to Abundance