This looks fascinating. The New Bedford Whaling Museum has announced that, in partnership with Mystic Seaport Museum, they have developed the world’s most comprehensive whaling history database which is now available online for everyone to use at WhalingHistory.org.
In their announcement, they say that “researchers, genealogists, students, teachers, and history buffs alike will find the site to be the most robust and useful repository of whaling history documentation and scholarship. Users will be able to find and trace whaling voyages and ships to specific logbooks, as well as the list of crewmembers aboard most of the voyages. The foundational fabric of Whaling History features three databases that have been stitched together – the American Offshore Whaling Voyage (AOWV) database, the American Offshore Whaling Log database, and an extensive whaling crew list database.”
Watched a program in lighting before electricty, mentioned whale oil lamps and how clean it burned, no or very little soot.
That’s great!
Time for some “new” whaling stories!
Re whaling. There is an old black and white movie titled “Down to The Sea Again in Ships”. It covers 1 voyage of a whaling ship (actual film of one if not the Last voyage of an American sailing vessel from arounf 1920). Drama aside, it gives an example of the trials and successes of a voyage and hunt from those open long boats.
In my opinion it is worthwile to sit and watch this film if you can find it. Onec in a blue moon it can be had on the Turner Classic Movie channel.
Pingback: New York History Around The Web This Week | The New York History Blog