The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum preserves the memory of those Islanders who risked their lives performing rescues so that others might live. These men served in organizations devoted to maritime rescue, such as the Massachusetts Humane Society, United States Life-Saving Service, and the United States Coast Guard. Located next to important shipping lanes running along the East Coast when maritime travel was in its heyday, Nantucket Island saw hundreds of vessels passing by each day – all navigating without the advantages of modern technology.