The world premiere of the documentary film “The Legacy of Gilbert Klingel: Man of Steel” will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 15, at Mathews High School.
The documentary tells the story of the Chesapeake Bay pioneer, naturalist, author, diver and boatbuilder who lived on Gwynn’s Island.
“Gilbert Klingel accomplished so many things in his lifetime that his story needs to be told as an educational, historical and inspirational film to folks today,” said the film’s director/producer Dave Miller.
Klingel began coming to Gwynn’s Island on summer vacations with his family at the age of eight. He loved the area so much that he came back as a adult in the 1950s and built the Gwynn’s Island Boat Yard on Milford Haven, making steel-hull boats from 30’ to 75’.
But beyond that, Klingel (1908-1983) was a self-made renaissance man of many talents. After organizing a trip to Haiti to study lizards in his early 20s, he convinced the America...