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Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Painting, C. Lillie Brown, Briar Hill Cottage by C. Lillie Brown
Painting by C. Lillie Brown (Caroline) of house at 25 Beaconsfield Road, Briar Hill, formnerly owned by Miss Humphries who ran a lolly shop in the left hand sode of the building. Frequented by children from the Briar Hill school which was opposite. House now demolished.29.2 x 39.1 cm Oil on (Fredrix USA) linen mounted paper board 12" x 16 " (30.5 x 40.6 cm) in standard frame Signed in brown paint lower left C Lillie Brown25 beaconsfield road, briar hill, miss humphries, lolly shop, briar hill school -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Functional object - Whale Oil Lamp, n.d
Brass 3 burner whale oil lamp. Has 3 hanging chains for tools, but one tool is missing. Has 2 decorative pierre work reflectors, attached to frame. Round base, turned stand, handle at top. -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Document - License, Marine Board of Launceston, Launch Master's Licence, 13-02-1920
The Launch Master Frederick Heather was licensed to be Master of Launches within the Port of Launceston. Amongst the vessels that he captained was the S.S. ROWITTA. Fredrick’s son is one of the volunteers at the Low Head Pilot Station Museum, Frederick Heather is also related to a Harry Heather from Tasmania and was also a ship master, one of his ships being the "Alma Doepel", a sailing schooner built in 1903 and sailed by Harry for about 21 years until his death in 1937. Flagstaff Hill’s collection includes a painting of the Alma Doepel. SS ROWITTA: - The 1909 steam ferry, SS Rowitta, was installed as an exhibit at Flagstaff Hill in 1975 and was enjoyed by many visitors for 40 years. Rowitta was a timber steam ferry built in Hobart in 1909 using planks of Huon and Karri wood. It was a favourite of sightseeing passengers along Tasmania’s Tamar and Derwent rivers for 30 years. Rowitta was also known as Tarkarri and Sorrento and had worked as a coastal trading vessel between Devonport and Melbourne, and Melbourne Queenscliff and Sorrento. In 1974 Rowitta was purchased by Flagstaff Hilt to convert into a representation of the Speculant, a historic and locally significant sailing ship listed on the Victorian Heritage Database. (The Speculant was built in Scotland in 1895 and traded timber between the United Kingdom and Russia. Warrnambool’s P J McGennan & Co. then bought the vessel to trade pine timber from New Zealand to Victorian ports and cargo to Melbourne. It was the largest ship registered with Warrnambool as her home port, playing a key role in the early 1900s in the Port of Warrnambool. In 1911, on her way to Melbourne, it was wrecked near Cape Otway. None of the nine crew lost their lives.) The promised funds for converting Rowitta into the Speculant were no longer available, so it was restored back to its original configuration. The vessel represented the importance of coastal traders to transport, trade and communication in Australia times before rail and motor vehicles. Sadly, in 2015 the time had come to demolish the Rowitta due to her excessive deterioration and the high cost of ongoing repairs. The vessel had given over 100 years of service and pleasure to those who knew her. The licence is significant for its association with the Tasmanian early to mid-1900s passenger ferry, the S.S. Rowitta. It is connected to the history of the Rowitta, which was a large exhibit on display at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village from the museum’s early beginnings until the vessel’s end of life 40 years later. The display was used as an aid to maritime education. The Rowitta represents the importance of coastal traders to transport, trade and communication along the coast of Victoria, between states, and in Australia before rail and motor vehicles. The vessel was an example of a ferry built in the early 20th century that served many different roles over its lifetime of over 100 years. Launch Master's License No 8 issued to Fredrick Heather to act as Master of a steam, oil or electric launch trading within the Port of Launceston. Date issued 13th February 1920. The license is printed with hand written details added.Handwritten on License "Master's" "Frederick Heather" "Master" "13th February 1920" Also two signatures (indecipherable) of Master Warden and Secretary.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, launch master's licence, rowitta, frederick heather, port of launceston, launch master's license, marine board of launceston, tarkarri, speculant, purdon & featherstone of hobart, passenger ferry 1909, vessel, charles street wharf launceston, sorrento -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Newspaper - JACK PERRY COLLECTION: NEWSPAPER DEPRESSION HOUSEHOLD HAWKING
Newspaper articles re depression era, including articles on household hawking, includes information re selling Harcourt apples, Goanna oil, Rawleighs; drought and depression; quartz crushing; schooling in the depression; 8.10.99 - 25.11.99. Bendigo Weekly.person, individual, jack perry, depression, hawking, goanna oil, rawleighs -
Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation Society
Photograph - Railway loopline to Princes Pier, Port Melbourne, c. 1950
One of four B&W photographs showing views of the Port Melbourne railway yards: Railway loopline to Princes Pier with train of Oil tankers leaving C.O.R. yard. Electrical overhead still evident in picture (prior to 1952)transport - railways -
Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History
Painting, portrait, ben joel, 1997
Associate Professor Neville J Davis, was appointed President of ANZCA in 1995 until 1996. Professor Davis was a member of both the last Board of the Faculty and the first Council of the newly formed Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. Further information about Professor Davis can be found on Lives of the Fellows,http://anzca.online-exhibition.net/fellows/fellows-1992/neville-james-davis/ The artist Ben Joel is a Western Australian artist, well known for his commissioned portraits and contemporary pieces in most media. Joel's artworks are represented in private and public art collections. Oil painting on canvas of Associate Professor Neville J Davis, seated at an angle, wearing the Presidential gown and badge. The backdrop is plain with a mock outline of a window. Mounted in a plain gold frame with a brass plaque affixed to center of frame[plaque] ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR / NEVILLE J DAVIS / PRESIDENT 1995-1996painting, anzca president, davis, neville, joel, ben -
Tatura Irrigation & Wartime Camps Museum
Painting, Valma Paterson
Vincenzo Galea was an Italian POW in Camp 13 Murchison. This portrait of Valma Paterson was painted from a photograph supplied by her father George Paterson, a Hygiene Officer with the Australian Army. Oil Portrait on canvas. Olive green background. A young lady with short dark brown hair. Gold highlights near centre part. Dark brown eyes and red lips. Wearing a light pink top with pleats on shoulders.V Galea 23/11/45camp 13, paterson, valma, george, murchison, vincenzo, galea, portrait -
Stawell Historical Society Inc
Domestic object - Realia, Flat Iron with Kerosine Burner
Used for camping? to iron clothes or in home if not heatedRusty Flat Iron Size 3. 1X Primus Kerosine - Rusty. Both held in cut down vacuum oil tin made in Australia. In Black Paint "Laudel" 2 prickers for Primus - cleaning pipes when clogged.Illegible inscription until co Ltd.domestic -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Painting - Oil Painting in frame (one of a set of 4), Yarran Dheren '88, 1988
Painting of Yarran Dheren Reserve, Mitcham by Whitehorse Historical Society member, Barbara Rogalski. One of a set of 4 paintings.Small oil painting of bushland with bush of pink & white blossom in foreground. Mounted in beige cotton fabric with inner beige plastic frame. Outer frame of brown wood with gold trim. Yarran Dheren Reserve is located in Mitcham.Yarran Dheren '88 Barbara Rogalski.painting, yarran dheren, barbara rogalski -
South Gippsland Shire Council
Painting, Framed, Draught Horses
Framed oil painting by Jack White. The painting features three draught horses pulling a harvester. Cream textured vinyl window mount with gold trim. Green and gold wood frame. Artist's signature lower right corner. -
Ballarat Tramway Museum
Photograph - Digital image
Digital image of a Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board MMTB No. 15 truck or bogie photographed at Preston Workshops. Note the motor suspension bearing oil caps are opened. Marked for possible use under No. 1 end of tram 747.trams, tramways, bogies, trucks, mmtb, preston workshops -
Lara RSL Sub Branch
Mounted print of H.M.A.S.Sydney in Korean waters
The HMAS Sydney in Korean waters launching Hawker Sea Fury fighters. The HMAS Sydney is flanked on either sides by her destroyer escorts HMAS Tobruk, and HMCS Sioux. A rescue helicopter is hovering above the Sydney.HMAS Sydney joined United Nations forces in Korean waters in October 1951. The Sydneys' role consisted predominantly of direct attacks on ground targets and assistance to ground operations. Sydney can be seen here launching Hawker Sea Fury fighters from the Nos. 805 and 808 Squadrons with Fairey Firefly on deck.Mounted print of H.M.A.S.Sydney in Korean watersRay Honisett H.M.A.S.Sydney in Korean waters.1951_52 1975 oil on canvas 121.9 x 182.9cm Australian War Memorial (28077) Telegraphist E.LOGAN R.A.N. R51533 1957/58korean war, h.m.a.s.. sydney, navy, lara r.s.l. -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Domestic object - Wringer, Pre 1940
2007 - All metal parts treated for rust; wood carefully cleaned to preserve printing then treated with museum mixture.Hand operated two roller - spring pressure clothes wringer for mounting ( with two clamps) on the divider between the clothes trough.Anchor Brand No. 672 on top bar.|Anchor Brand Insignia on four uprights with LM Co. Erie P.A .|'oil here'(followed by an arrow) on four places near cogs.domestic items, laundering -
Lilydale RSL Sub Branch
Print - Framed Print, George Whambert (1873-1930), The Last Great Cavalry Charge, Print 1940/ Original oil painting 1920
Print in wooden frame The Charge of the 4th. Light Horse at Beersheba /Dusk 31 Oct.1917 -
Coal Creek Community Park & Museum
Tin, sweets
The picture on lid of tin is 'Geoff' (1931) by W. B. McINNES. Medium : oil on canvas Measurements: 116.8 x 86.2 cm Accession Number : 4574-3 National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Felton Bequest, 1931. Rectangular metal tin with fitted lid, depicting a boy with fishing rod seated on trunk and surrounded by fishing gear on the lid, gold, silver and black pattern around edge.Geoff by W B McInnes after original in National Gallery Melbourne, Victoria. -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Functional object - Kerosene lamp with reflector plate, Victor Lamp Company, U.S.A, c. 1920
An item of this type would have been used for lighting purposes by householders both within and around the house in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It may have originally been attached to a wall or ledge. This item has no known local provenance but is retained as an example of a lighting mechanism some 100 years ago.This is the main body of a kerosene lamp. It is made of metal and the base and back stand have been painted green. It has a mantle, an oil container and a round reflector plate (which has been originally painted silver). The glass bulb is missing.N (?) 23 Victorvintage lighting, kerosene lamps -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Equipment - Whale Oil Lamp, n.d
Tin wall-mounted whale oil lamp, that also has two feet, making it stable on a flat surface. Asa ? tiger head where the burner exits. Round base, curved stand, hook for hanging. Clear glass chimney. -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Lights, Victorian kerosene banquet lamp, c1900
The kerosene lamp is a type of lighting device that uses kerosene as a fuel. Kerosene lamps have a wick or mantle as light source, protected by a glass chimney or globe; lamps may be used on a table, or hand-held lanterns may used for portable lighting. There are three types of kerosene lamp: traditional flat wick, central draught (tubular round wick), and mantle lamp. The side screws adjust the length of the wick and hence the strength of the flame / light produced. Prior to the introduction of gas and electricity these lamps provided light in households after sunset.Prior to the introduction of gas and electricity these lamps provided light after sunset for the early settlers, as they established their farms and businesses, in Moorabbin Shire.A Victorian kerosene banquet lamp, with a gilded metal quad footed base, cranberry glass oil reservoir with geometric patterns, original etched, yellow, glass globe shade and clear glass chimney. There are 2 side screws for adjusting the flame.early settlers. pioneers, follett w, moorabbin, bentleigh, brighton, ormond, market gardeners, kerosene, paraffin, lights, lamps, candles -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Painting - Landscape, William A. Delecca
Bill Delecca was born in Bendigo, Victoria in 1929. A Bendigo-based teacher and painter, he has exhibited widely in the local area from 1951, including a retrospective in Bendigo Art Gallery, 1990. He has twice won the Bendigo Art Prize for watercolour and his work is represented in galleries and private collections throughout Australia and overseas. Instrumental in the establishment of degree courses in Art at Bendigo College of Advanced Education, he is also the author of an Education Department report to the Australia Council, 1987.Oil pastel painting of a weatherboard house behind a wooden fence. A bare tree is next to the house and another outside the fence next to a boat. A green shrub at the right. The painting is signed by W.A. Delecca '52. Untitled. William Delecca collection.Signature of the artist at bottom rightaustralian bush, william delecca, landscape -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Slide - PETER ELLIS COLLECTION: SLIDE, May 1970 - Jan 1972
Coloured slide transparency. Image is of a bush area. There is some machinery set into the ground in the foreground and some water from either a river or dam can be seen to the right. The words, Ruedin's Euc Oil Condenser are handwritten across the bottom border.Kodachrome Transparencyslide, bendigo, bendigo institute of technology -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Newspaper - JENNY FOLEY COLLECTION: PUFFIN' STUFF
Bendigo Advertiser "The way we were" from Tuesday, July 6, 2004. Puffin' stuff: the first oil engine in Charlton was used on Mr Fred Judd' property at Teddywaddy. In this particular operation the engine is being used to cut chaff.newspaper, bendigo advertiser, the way we were -
Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History
Painting, Bruce Fletcher, Dust Off, 1980
The painting was donated to ANZCA in 1995 by Dr Bernard Dunn. Bruce Fletcher, from Melbourne Victoria, studied under William Dargie, who had been an official war artist during the second world war. Fletcher followed the same pathway as his mentor and was the first of two official war artists appointed during the Vietnam War. His artwork are held in the art collection of the Australin War Memorial, Canberra. The title of the painting, 'Dust Off' is a term adopted in Vietnam which refers to the medical evacuation of sick or wounded soldiers, from the field, by a helicopter. It was originally a radio call sign selected from a US Navy Signal Operations book in 1963. [ref. 'Medicine at War. 1950-1972'].In June 2012, a Royal Children's Hospital Anaesthetic Registrar attended a College Tour conducted by Dr Rod Westhorpe when he saw the painting and informed us that the term 'Dust off' emanates from the Korean War and is in fact the acronym for Decisive, Unwavering, Support to our Fighting Forces'. The painting was based on a black and white photograph taken in Vietnam in 1971. An image of the photograph is located in the electronic supplementary file. Oil painting on board of a scene in which a military helicopter is about to land with a group of soldiers in the foreground, one wounded and one soldier standing. A cargo military helicopter is in the distance flying away from the scene. The painting is set in a gold frame.[plaque affixed to centre front of frame] DUST OFF \ BY BRUCE FLETCHER \ DEPICTING THE MEDICAL EVACUATION \ OF WOUNDED SOLDIERS FROM THE FIELD \ IN VIETNAM \ PRESENTED BY \ DR BERNARD L. DUNNpainting, dunn, bernard, fletcher, bruce, vietnam war, dust off -
Lakes Entrance Regional Historical Society (operating as Lakes Entrance History Centre & Museum)
Book, M Holding, Serious Accidents, 2010
A folder containing inquests inquiries into accidental deaths associated with various types of mining. James Roadknight taking rocks from Granite Rock for entrance works, Francis William Robinson delivering supplies to oil bure and Thomas Douglas Hollingsmines and mining, oil and gas industry, construction -
Mont De Lancey
Lamp, 1980's
Valmae GaudionSmall lantern, made of glass and metal. Has a black decorative neck and silver decorative bands around the base. Has a metal handle at the back and a black turning knob on the side of the lantern. Has fragrant blue burning oil inside."Made in Hong Kong" and "33 10" on the baselanterns -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Negative - Set of 3, Wal Jack, 19/01/1941 12:00:00 AM
Set of three Black and white negative by Wal Jack of Q148 and Q192 in the yard at Camberwell Depot, 19/1/1941. In the background is a building advertising Castrol Oil, Dunlop tyres and Shell petrol and D&J Evans Hardware Merchants.trams, tramways, camberwell depot, q class, tram 148, tram 192 -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Administrative record - Form, Hawthorn Tramways Trust (HTT), "Car Oiling Record", c1920
Hawthorn Tramways Trust form No. 82, recording the oiling of the various components of tramcars over 28 day period. Has been marked up in pencil for changes to the layout, at the time of the takeover of the Trust by the MMTB and the formation of the Eastern System. Demonstrates an HTT tramcar maintenance form.Printed form on off white card - form No. 82tramways, htt, forms, tramcar maintenance, tramcar inspection -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Document - Specification - set of 7 - worker ammenties etc, Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB), mid 1950s
Seven documents for the supply and delivery of equipment and sheds for track workers - All undated. 1 - "Five oil-fired 25 gallon urns for boiling water" - 4 sheets 2 - "Two (2) mobile bitumen heaters - oil fired" - 6 sheets 3 - "Six (6) mobile tool boxes" - 4 sheets 4 - "Three hundred (300) barricade posts and six hundred (600) barricade rails - 4 sheets 5 - "Five (5) portable gangers' offices" - 5 sheets 6 - "Two (2) portable lamp cabins" - 7 sheets 7 - "Four (4) mobile conveniences" - 4 sheetsYields information about the MMTB tender for track workers facilities and equipment.Set of seven documents - foolscap sheets stapled in top left hand corner and hole punched along the top edge.mmtb, tramways, contracts, purchases, trackwork, tools -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Ephemera - Labels, Gaspers Modern Print, Giffen Russell, Early 20th century
These labels come from the business of Giffen Russell and Company, a wine and spirits store in Fairy Street, Warrnambool. Giffen Russell commenced business in 1878 and was joined by Joseph Powell as a partner in 1881. The business of Giffen Russell and Co. was operating in the early 1900s and still went by that name in the 1940s with H.L.Lynch the proprietor at that time. These labels are of considerable interest as they show the extent of the goods sold by Giffen Russell, a prominent wine and spirits dealer in Warrnambool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. .1 A sheet of white paper with a gilt edge and black printing .2 A sheet of white paper with a blue border and blue printing .3 A sheet of paper with blue printing and decoration on a green background .4 A sheet of white paper with a blue border and blue printing .5 A sheet of white paper with a decorative blue border and blue printing .6 A sheet of white paper pasted on to a piece of card. The printing is gold and blue surrounded by decorative patterns, including bunches of grapes .1Australian Gin bottled by Giffen Russell & Co. Warrnambool .2 Finest Virgin Olive Oil Product of Italy .3 Pure Australian Wine Frontignac bottled by Giffen Russell & Co. Warrnambool .4 Raw Linseed Oil bottled by Giffen Russell & Co, .5 Finest Brown Malt bottled by Giffen Russell & Co. Warrnambool .6 Seppelts Invalid Port bottled by Giffen Russell, Merchants, Warrnambool giffen russell, wine merchant, history of warrnambool -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Functional object - Portable lamp, Lucas Industries, c 1900
This portable lamp was manufactured by the Lucas Industries, a company in Birmingham, England that first produced lamps after 1875. It could have domestic use or be attached to cars or bicycles early in the 20th Century to provide light at night. The lighting fluid was oil. This object is an interesting example of lighting for cars and bicycles and in the home in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.This is a brass lantern with a circular glass piece in the middle front, and a top metal mechanism with a handle. Inside the circular opening is a domed jet with holes for lighting the lamp. On the sides there are various mechanisms for turning the light up and down, opening the front glass and opening the bottom to allow filling of the lighting fluid. The item is corroded on the exterior. The top has air vents to permit the vapours to escape. On the side is the maker's name LUCAS No. 722 KING OF THE ROAD JOS. LUCAS LTD. vintage lighting, lucas industries -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone in two pieces. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips