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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Container - Bottle, 1840s to 1910
... increasingly machine made, which greatly reduced the production time... increasingly machine made, which greatly reduced the production time ...This handmade ‘gallon’ style of bottle was generally used for storing and transporting wine and ale. Many bottles similar to this one have their bases embossed with “6 TO THE GALLON”. It is one of many artefacts recovered from an unidentified shipwrecks along Victoria’s coast between the late 1960s and the early 1970s. It is now part of the John Chance Collection. The capacity of this is one-sixth of a gallon (imperial measure), which is equal to 758 ml. (American bottles were often inscribed “5 TO THE GALLON”, which is one-fifth of an American gallon, equal to 757 ml.) Contemporary home brewers can purchase new ‘6 to gallon’ bottles that hold 750 ml. and are sold in cases of 36 bottles, which is equal to 6 gallons of wine. Glass was made thousands of years ago by heating together quartz-sand (Silica), lime and potash. Potash was obtained from burnt wood, but these days potash is mined. The natural sand had imperfections such as different forms of iron, resulting in ‘black’ glass, which was really dark green or dark amber colour. The ‘black’ glass was enhanced by residual carbon in the potash. Black glass is rarely used nowadays but most beer, wine, and liquors are still sold in dark coloured glass. Glass vessels were core-formed from around 1500 BC. An inner core with the vessel’s shape was formed around a rod using a porous material such as clay or dung. Molten glass was then modelled around the core and decorated. When the glass had cooled the vessel was immersed in water and the inner core became liquid and was washed out. Much more recently, bottlers were crafted by a glassblower using molten glass and a blow pipe together with other hand tools. Another method was using simple moulds, called dip moulds, that allowed the glass to be blown into the mould to form the base, then the glassblower would continue blowing free-form to shape the shoulders and neck. The bottle was then finished by applying a lip. These moulded bottles were more uniform in shape compared to the free-form bottles originally produced. English glassblowers in the mid-1800s were making some bottles with 2-piece and 3-piece moulds, some with a push-up style base, sometimes with embossing in the base as well. Improvements allowed the moulds to also have embossed and patterned sides, and straight sided shapes such as hexagons. Bottles made in full moulds usually displayed seam seams or lines. These process took skill and time, making the bottles valuable, so they were often recycled. By the early 20th century bottles were increasingly machine made, which greatly reduced the production time and cost. This bottle is historically significant as an example of a handmade, blown inscribed glass bottle manufactured in the mid-to-late 1800s for specific use as a liquor bottle with a set measurement of one-sixth of gallon. It is also historically significant as an example of liquor bottles imported into Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s, giving a snapshot into history and social life that occurred during the early days of Victoria’s development, and the sea trade that visited the ports in those days. The bottle is also significant as one of a group of bottles recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection of shipwreck artefacts by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle, brown glass, Tall slim gallon style. Applied double collar lip; upper is straight, lower is flared. Lip has bumps around the top. Neck has slight taper towards shoulder, which has a shoulder seam from the mould. Body tapers inwards towards base. Push up base has a pontil mark. Base is embossed.Embossed on base "6 TO THE GALLON"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, gallon bottle, 6 to the gallon bottle, handmade, dip mould, mouth blown, pontil mark, blown bottle, liquor bottle, ale bottle, double collar, 19th century bottle, collectable -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Bolt Cutter, 1878
... for the machine that would make clay bricks. This machine made forty... for the machine that would make clay bricks. This machine made forty ...Cyrus Chambers was a self-described mechanic who started out winding bobbins in his father's woollen mill and went on to invent machines that changed their industries. Cyrus Chambers came from Quaker parents the ninth of thirteen siblings, he once said a year before his death. “I believe I have succeeded because, first, I was industrious; second, because I made a study of the subject that was before me.” At age 7, Chambers went to work in his father’s mill. His job was to monitor bobbins—wooden spindles around which thread was wound and to remove and replace them as they became full. "There was no child labour law at that time," he later recalled. Chambers loved machinery and always regarded himself as a mechanic rather than an inventor. At age 16, Chambers was sent to learn dentistry with an older brother, (Edwin) who was already in the field and willing to take him on as an apprentice. Chambers was talented at working with small parts. He used his brother's dental instruments to build a miniature high-pressure steam engine of silver. It ran at 3,000 revolutions per minute and weighed less than a half-ounce. At that time it was the smallest engine that had ever been constructed. The engine was displayed at the 1876 Centennial and is now in a permanent collection at the Franklin Institute USA. Chambers major invention was the paper folding machine and came from reading that school teachers made less than the young girls who were employed to fold book pages as they came off the press. He told friends that his first efforts were to make the machine that would fold newspapers after demonstrating his device he met with Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune who advised Chambers would never invent the machine that would be able to fold his newspaper or books. In less than a year Chambers had built a full-size machine capable of folding large newspapers and books and was installed at J B Lippincott & Co folding pages for the "Comly Speller" this machine ran successfully for twenty-five years until the printing works burnt down. Chambers then went into partnership with a brother and they established the firm "Chambers, Brother & Co" at a plant in Philadelphia. It was also observed in 1910 and a fact that there was not a periodical or newspaper printed or recently published book that had not gone through one of Chambers inventions. Chambers went on to produce many mechanical inventions and improvements to existing tools and machinery most notable was his invention for the machine that would make clay bricks. This machine made forty bricks per hour and by the end of Chambers life after many improvements, it could make more than four hundred. Although there were a large number of bold cutters made of this patent at Cyrus Chamber’s foundry in Philadelphia, the item is associated with a notable American inventor of the nineteenth century. This particular patent for a bolt and rivet cutter won Chambers the prestigious Elliott Cresson Medal. This cutter is just one of the many inventions and mechanical improvements that Cyrus Chambers made during his lifetime, contributing to the ongoing development of mechanical improvements that were occurring in American industry of the time and therefore a notable addition to the Flagstaff collection.Cast iron bolt cutter with removable tempered steel cutter. Chambers New No. 2.Raised embossed lettering on cast body of cutter "New No 2" on one side, "Chambers Bros & Co" on the other sideflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, cyrus chambers, bolt cutter, paper folding machine, brick making machine, elliot cresson, elliot cresson medal, franklin institute, gold medal, rivet cutter -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Container - Bottle, 1840s to 1910
... increasingly machine made, which greatly reduced the production time... increasingly machine made, which greatly reduced the production time ...This handmade ‘gallon’ style of bottle was generally used for storing and transporting wine and ale. Many bottles similar to this one have their bases embossed with “6 TO THE GALLON”. However, this bottle is rare, in that the base has been embossed then over-embossed with the same text, letters overlapping. It is one of many artefacts recovered from unidentified shipwrecks along Victoria’s coast between the late 1960s and the early 1970s. It is now part of the John Chance Collection. The capacity of this is one-sixth of a gallon (imperial measure), which is equal to 758 ml. (American bottles were often inscribed “5 TO THE GALLON”, which is one-fifth of an American gallon, equal to 757 ml.) Contemporary home brewers can purchase new ‘6 to gallon’ bottles that hold 750 ml. and are sold in cases of 36 bottles, which is equal to 6 gallons of wine. Glass was made thousands of years ago by heating together quartz-sand (Silica), lime and potash. Potash was obtained from burnt wood, but these days potash is mined. The natural sand had imperfections such as different forms of iron, resulting in ‘black’ glass, which was really dark green or dark amber colour. The ‘black’ glass was enhanced by residual carbon in the potash. Black glass is rarely used nowadays but most beer, wine, and liquors are still sold in dark coloured glass. Glass vessels were core-formed from around 1500 BC. An inner core with the vessel’s shape was formed around a rod using a porous material such as clay or dung. Molten glass was then modelled around the core and decorated. When the glass had cooled the vessel was immersed in water and the inner core became liquid and was washed out. Much more recently, bottlers were crafted by a glassblower using molten glass and a blow pipe together with other hand tools. Another method was using simple moulds, called dip moulds, that allowed the glass to be blown into the mould to form the base, then the glassblower would continue blowing free-form to shape the shoulders and neck. The bottle was then finished by applying a lip. These moulded bottles were more uniform in shape compared to the free-form bottles originally produced. English glassblowers in the mid-1800s were making some bottles with 2-piece and 3-piece moulds, some with a push-up style base, sometimes with embossing in the base as well. Improvements allowed the moulds to also have embossed and patterned sides, and straight sided shapes such as hexagons. Bottles made in full moulds usually displayed seam seams or lines. These process took skill and time, making the bottles valuable, so they were often recycled. By the early 20th century bottles were increasingly machine made, which greatly reduced the production time and cost. This bottle is a rare find, in that the base has been over-embossed with the same lettering, letters overlapping one another. This bottle is historically significant as an example of a handmade, blown inscribed glass bottle manufactured in the mid-to-late 1800s for specific use as a liquor bottle with a set measurement of one-sixth of gallon. It is also historically significant as an example of liquor bottles imported into Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s, giving a snapshot into history and social life that occurred during the early days of Victoria’s development, and the sea trade that visited the ports in those days. The bottle is also significant as one of a group of bottles recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection of shipwreck artefacts by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle, over embossed, brown glass, handmade, rare. Tall slim Gallon style liquor bottle. Applied double collar lip; square upper and flared lower. Mouth has sealing tape remnants around top. Mould seam around shoulder. Body tapers inwards to push-up base. Top edge of lip has application faults. There is also a rectangular indent in the upper edge of lip. Base is embossed and over embossed, with the letters overlapping each other. Embossed on base "6 TO THE GALLON", then over-embossed with the same "6 TO THE GALLON"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, gallon bottle, 6 to the gallon bottle, handmade, dip mould, mouth blown, pontil mark, blown bottle, liquor bottle, ale bottle, double collar, 19th century bottle, collectable, over embossed, rare -
NMIT (Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE)
Photographs - Collingwood Technical School, Allan Studios, Mounted photographs of Trade School CTS, circa 1940, Early 1940s
... castings 2. Examples of other machine parts, etc., being made.... Examples of other machine parts, etc., being made in Youth ...Collingwood Technical School trained apprentices in many trades. These photographs depict some of the machines and machine parts built in class. Captions : 1. Marking off and checking castings 2. Examples of other machine parts, etc., being made in Youth Employment classes in engineering machine shop. 3. Cutting the traversing screw for a 5 ¼ inch lathe. 4. Grinding lathe spindle. 5. Cutting helical flutes in a shell end mill. 6. Arbor Press. Another valuable machine produced by Youth Employment and senior technical evening students. 7. Milling angular slides of lathe saddle. 8. 5 ¼ inch lathe product of Collingwood Technical School. These are high quality professional photographs taken circa 1940. 8 black and white photographs mounted on brown card. Photographs depict various aspects of lathe work.Each photograph has a hand written caption on the front. Also handwritten in black pen "Allan Studios".collingwood technical school, cts, apprentices, students, lathes, machinery, machine parts, nmit, -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Clothing - Clothing, lady's stockings "Holeproof', mid 20thC
... of its 230 machines. The hose were made of a synthetic yarn... of its 230 machines. The hose were made of a synthetic yarn ...Holeproof Hosiery was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin textile firm that was founded in 1901.With extensive advertising the brand name became recognized worldwide. The business produced men's and women's hosiery, underwear, lingerie, and men's pyjamas. Holeproof Hosiery began making nylon hosiery in January 1940, starting production on 8 of its 230 machines. The hose were made of a synthetic yarn composed of derivatives of coal and iron manufactured by Du Pont. In the late 1920s, a successful hosiery manufacturer, Staley & Staley Ltd, started making ladies hosiery under licence from the Holeproof Hosiery Company in Milwaukee, USA. The company went public in 1929 and opened the first Holeproof mill at Brunswick, Victoria in 1930, becoming the first manufacturer to produce and market Australian-made self-supporting socks. During the 1930s, Holeproof revolutionised the Australian market by promoting their products as a sought-after fashion accessory. The Australian company is still in business today, owned by Pacific Brands. A unused pair of lady's silk stockings in original box. 'Holeproof' 'Truly Yours' Candlelight, size 10Box Cover: Truly Yours / by / Holeproof Side Holeproof 'Candlelight' Size 10clothing, stockings, nylons, holeproof hosiery pty ltd, lingerie, melbourne, bentleigh, cheltenham moorabbin, brunswick milwaukee usa, wisconsin -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Clothing - Clothing, lady's stockings 'Holeproof', c1950
... of its 230 machines. The hose were made of a synthetic yarn... of its 230 machines. The hose were made of a synthetic yarn ...Holeproof Hosiery was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin textile firm that was founded in 1901.With extensive advertising the brand name became recognized worldwide. The business produced men's and women's hosiery, underwear, lingerie, and men's pyjamas. Holeproof Hosiery began making nylon hosiery in January 1940, starting production on 8 of its 230 machines. The hose were made of a synthetic yarn composed of derivatives of coal and iron manufactured by Du Pont. In the late 1920s, a successful hosiery manufacturer, Staley & Staley Ltd, started making ladies hosiery under licence from the Holeproof Hosiery Company in Milwaukee, USA. The company went public in 1929 and opened the first Holeproof mill at Brunswick, Victoria in 1930, becoming the first manufacturer to produce and market Australian-made self-supporting socks. During the 1930s, Holeproof revolutionised the Australian market by promoting their products as a sought-after fashion accessory. The Australian company is still in business today, owned by Pacific Brands. An unused pair of lady's nylon stockings in original box. 'Holeproof' 'For you', 'Precious' size 91/2Box Cover : For You / HOLEPROOF/ SUPERFINE EXQUISITE SHEERS Side : Precious 9 1/2 Package : 60 GUAGE / SHEER NYLON / BY / HOLEPROOF / 9 1/2 Card : Especially / For You / fromclothing, stockings, nylons, holeproof pty ltd, milwaukee usa, hosiery, fashion, melbourne, bentleigh, cheltenham moorabbin, brunswick, lingerie -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Clothing - Clothing, lady's stockings 'Holeproof', c1950
... of its 230 machines. The hose were made of a synthetic yarn... of its 230 machines. The hose were made of a synthetic yarn ...Holeproof Hosiery was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin textile firm that was founded in 1901.With extensive advertising the brand name became recognized worldwide. The business produced men's and women's hosiery, underwear, lingerie, and men's pyjamas. Holeproof Hosiery began making nylon hosiery in January 1940, starting production on 8 of its 230 machines. The hose were made of a synthetic yarn composed of derivatives of coal and iron manufactured by Du Pont. In the late 1920s, a successful hosiery manufacturer, Staley & Staley Ltd, started making ladies hosiery under licence from the Holeproof Hosiery Company in Milwaukee, USA. The company went public in 1929 and opened the first Holeproof mill at Brunswick, Victoria in 1930, becoming the first manufacturer to produce and market Australian-made self-supporting socks. During the 1930s, Holeproof revolutionised the Australian market by promoting their products as a sought-after fashion accessory. The Australian company is still in business today, owned by Pacific BrandsAn unused pair of lady's stockings, in original box, 'Holeproof', 'Beauty Fit', ' Nocturn' Size 81/2 - 9 Box Cover : HOLEPROOF / Beauty Fit / LADDERPROOF MESH SHEERS STRETCH Inside Wrapper ; HOLEPROOF / Beauty Fit / LADDERPROOF STRETCH NYLONS 8 1/2 - 9clothing, stockings, nylons, hosiery, melbourne, bentleigh, cheltenham moorabbin, brunswick, holeproof pty ltd, lingerie, fashion -
NMIT (Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE)
Photographs - CTS 1940-1943, Collingwood Technical School. Defence Training Scheme, 1940-1943
... vises made in technical schools. 4.View of engineering machine... / rectifying machines, and two types of milling / machine vises made ...Collingwood Technical School trained apprentices in many trades. CTS was also invlved in Training Schemes during the late 1930s and during World War II. These photographs depict some of the machines and machine parts built in class. These are high quality professional photographs taken circa 1940-1943. At this time , CTS was part of the Defence Training scheme. These photographs are a visual record of this scheme.6 black and white photographs mounted on brown card. Photographs depict various aspects of lathe work undertaken during the Defence Training Scheme, 1940-43. Also a smaller photograph of a Moultar Thread Milling Machine 1941.Each photograph has a hand written caption on the back. Captions: 1. Finished surface plates for R.A.A.F. / standing on trestle after scraping. Stack of / others in background waiting for scraping. 2. Lathe bodies in foreground, with machined / parts of lathes in middle distance, and milling / cutters, gauges and bearings in background. 3. Frames of glass splitting machines, thread / rectifying machines, and two types of milling / machine vises made in technical schools. 4.View of engineering machine shop. Carbon dioxide / freezing box in foreground, and stack of / surface plates for RAAF in middle / distance. 5.Fan geared lathes, 6 inch centres, with / self-contained motor drives, made for / cartridge factory. To be used for making / this 6.Freezing of cast iron surface plates / in layers of solid carbon dioxide / blocks. Smaller photograph has a handwritten note on the reverse: 'this photograph shows how, with the aid of a 3ft. extension mounted in front of the tool box, on which Mr. Grubb sen. is seated, these large milling machine bases ... machinists at Collingwood Technical School. A Strang, Principal 21.4.1941'. collingwood technical school, cts, apprentices, students, defence training scheme, lathes, machinery, machine parts, nmit, -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Sewing Machine, Early 20th century
... Sewing Machines Limited. The switch was made with the government... front of machine body has large, decorated gold lettering “A. N... to a tariff of two pounds per head for every machine head made ...Ward Brothers (George and Samuel) registered a company (Australian Sewing Machines Limited Pty Ltd) with the head office address in Errol St, North Melbourne, and Prahan. The earliest newspaper advertisement for this company was in 1897. Around this time the Ward Brothers first imported sewing machines from England and Wertheim placed their decal on them and mounted them in their own Australian made cabinets. David Ward later imported machines from Beisolt & Locke in Germany and registered name A.N.A. (All Native Australian), his shop was in Collingwood Melbourne. Some of these machines had Ward Brothers decals on them as well. The three brothers sold under the same name as Ward Brothers. The early Ward Brothers logo had a map of Australia with a picture of all three brothers on it. In 1911 all three of the Ward Brothers decided to share a stall in the yearly Melbourne exhibition. The A.N.A was the machine that got rave reviews. It was at this time that the Australian Sewing Machine Company Pty Ltd decided to add the A.N.A logo to their logo to cash in on the new found celebrity status that the A.N.A has gained. To cut a long story short. David Ward took his brothers to court to prevent this from happening. This was a long drawn out affair that took quite a few years. The settlement was decided out of court and nothing was disclosed of the deal that was made. David seemed to have left the scene, then the remaining Ward Brothers and A.N.A. combined and then became “Wardana”. There are many Ward Brothers sewing machines in displays, they originated from Japan, England, America, and Germany. It seems that where ever they got the best deal for sewing machines or parts is the direction they went. This is where the Bendigo sewing machine company came into the picture. All imported sewing machines into Australia drew a government tax. Bendigo Cording's Traction Company was given proposed two-pound tariff protection that gave the company a significant price advantage for its machines. As a result, the Ward Brothers purchased a huge number of Bendigo shares to get cheaper machines for their sewing machine cabinets. Ward Brothers then placed one of their company officials on the Board of “Bendigo Sewing Machines Limited” and the rest is history. Ward Brothers had shops Australian wide and in most of the major country towns. History for “Bendigo Sewing Machines Limited” Cordings Traction Company owners (H. Keck MLC, W. Wallace, and W. Ewing) operated their business out of the former W. Webb & Co. building in Queen St. Bendigo. Around 1923-1924 they decided to switch from traction engines to manufacturing sewing machines. The actual date is not known but that year's financial report made note of both Cordings and Bendigo Sewing Machines Limited. The switch was made with the government of the day agreeing to a tariff of two pounds per head for every machine head made completely in Australia. The change from traction engines to sewing machines went well. Government representatives visited the factory in Bendigo to inspect and ensure that the sewing machines were Australian made as a result they agreed on granting the two-pound tariff to the company. After the first 12 months, they built 30, the following 12 months the company had produced 1500 machines probably due to the involvement of the Ward brothers. However, the government proposed a new condition to the tariff agreement which was that the company must produce 20% of Australia's requirements for sewing machines. In 1924 after having had produced 1500 machines resulting in reaching their financial limit for tariff support. According to the government, the requirement was 15,000 machines for the next year had to be produced to qualify for the tariff. The company had already reached its production limit and unfortunately folded. There were several attempts to regain government assistance to save this new industry but it was to no avail. Even a promise to open another factory in Sydney was offered but unfortunately wasn't accepted. An item fabricated in Australia from a majority of imported parts from either Germany, America or England giving a snapshot into the early manufacturing industries that were operating at the time of Federation. Sewing machine, treadle, in timber cabinet. Branded Ward Bros, A.N.A., Australian Sewing Machine Coy. Decorative carved timber cabinet, hinged, fold-out laminated timber top and five drawers; two small on each side with handles and one long, shallow, between side drawers without handle. Thread is on bobbin in a rocket shuttle (both in good condition) plus spare empty shuttle (rusty). Brass ‘Half Yard’ ruler inlaid across front, measuring scale in inches and centimetres. Two metal shuttle cover plates (or throat plate / slide plate); front one is impressed with a gauge for needle and thread. Gold trim and decals on flatbed and machine front and back, serial number under shuttle cover, brand on decals and on round metal plate on back of machine. Front right of machine has a bobbin winder. Treadle belt shows signs of wear and laminate on timber machine cover is peeling slightly.Decal coat of arms on right front of machine: kangaroo on left, man with broad-brim hat, holding pick-axe on right, in centre, top “SEWING MACHINE / THE / A. N. A.” then below it, the rising sun, then below that is state of Victoria shield with the Southern Cross constellation. Wheat sheaves around edge on left and flowering plant on right. Gold ribbon banner at bottom with script “WARD BROS.“ Decal of map of Australia on flatbed of machine. States and capital cities are marked and named (no northern territory), portrait of two men. In centre of map are interwoven letters “A. N. A.” and written in script “WARD BROS.” Decal across front of machine body has large, decorated gold lettering “A. N. A.” Decal across the top of machine “THE AUSTRALIAN SEWING MACHINE COY. PTY. Ltd.” Steel shuttle cover at front has an impressed gage listing cotton and needle sizes and number of stitches. Brass disc on back of machine “A. N. A.” in centre. Brass ruler across front of machine has carved or pressed words in the timber. In centre “INCHES” above ruler and “CENTIMETRES” below ruler, and on right above ruler is “HALF YARD” Decal across back of machine’s body “A.N. A. / MADE IN U.S.A.” Stamped into metal under shuttle cover is “219415” (2 and 5 are partially there, first 1 could instead be a 7) flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, ward bros., australian sewing machine co., a.n.a., treadle sewing machine, rocket shuttle sewing machine, home industry, clothing, wardana, australian sewing machine company, all native australian, dressmaking, clothing manufacturer -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Hinge, 1800s to early 1900s
... and manufacturing boomed. Hinges could be made by machines quickly... and manufacturing boomed. Hinges could be made by machines quickly ...This flat hinge was recovered from an unknown shipwreck in the coastal waters of Victoria in the late 1960s to early 1970s. It is part of the John Chance Collection. The size of the hinge indicates that it was used for a large item such as an entry door, gate or perhaps a ship fitting. The blue-green patina on the metal is caused by a reaction from its exposure to external elements such as the sea water. The hinge is likely to have been in the water for over 100 years, as the more widely known shipwrecks along Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast date from 1837 to 1940. Before the Middle Ages metal was expensive and took a lot of effort to work with As time went on, methods were discovered for working more easily with metals, and ways were found for combining different metals to make alloys that made the metals stronger and more durable. Hinges forged by blacksmiths began to be common in homes. In the Victorian Era steam power was introduced and manufacturing boomed. Hinges could be made by machines quickly and in great number. All sorts of applications were found to take advantage of the features of hinges. They continue to be developed and used in a huge variety of ways. Although the hinge is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of hardware either as part of the ship’s fittings or imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the 19th to early 20th century. The hinge is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Hinge; heavy bronze flat hinge, hand forged. Flat with narrow, arrow shaped end that lares outward to wider straight end. Attached to the wide end is a rectangular, upward curved knuckle. There are five formed holes along the hinge, two are oval shaped and three are round. The hinge has a blue-green patina.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, john chance, hinge, hardware, flat hinge, door fitting, ship’s fitting, 19th century metalwork, forged hinge -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Clothing - Nightgown, Eliza Towns, circa 1890's
... ". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made...". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made ...This nightgown is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. This nightgown is machine sewn by Eliza Towns and she has added a detailed design of pintucks and broderie anglaise lace to the front yoke and cuffs as a decorative element. The 1800's bought a shift in attitude towards modesty as the Victorian era progressed and by the mid to late 1800's it had become more acceptable ladies to wear simple, modest nightgowns. They tended to have a very loose fit and were usually made of linen, cotton or flannel, which had the advantage of providing warmth and also being easy to wash - a necessity for a garment worn next to the skin. Although the basic design of the nightgown was fairly simple, the wearer was free to add various types of trim e.g. lace, crochet, pintucks, embroidery etc.This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the late 19th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery to personalise and embellish a practical item of clothing. It is also significant as an example of a practical solution to the difficulties that women of this era faced with regard to the washing of clothes and household linens.Lady's long, white, cotton nightgown with a V shaped bodice decorated with bands of nine pintucks alternating with strips of broderie anglaise lined with pink ribbon. The opening front placket and neckline are bordered with a simpler broderie anglaise lace. The long sleeves are gathered into cuffs with a matching V shape, pintuck and broderie anglaise design. The front placket fastens with three cream buttons although one is missing. The back of the nightgown has gathered fabric on a plain, narrow V shape yoke. A narrow gusset has been added to the both sides at the bottom of the nightgown.Noneflagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, victorian era clothing, victorian era nightgown, nightgown, nightdress, eliza towns, nhill, wimmera, textiles, clothing, machine sewing, hand sewing, pintucks, broderie anglaise, sewing -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Clothing - Corset cover, Eliza Towns, Mid to late 19th century
... machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well... machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well ...This corset cover is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. This corset cover is an excellent example of an everyday clothing item with the decorative trim favoured by women in the late Victorian era. Eliza Towns has added pintucks, embroidered feather stitch and a highly decorative hand crocheted lace trim to the neckline, sleeves and front of the bodice. Corset covers (sometimes called camisoles) began to appear in women's fashion around 1840 and continued through the late Victorian decades into the Edwardian era. The long chemise was considered too bulky to cover the corset and so the corset cover was developed to be short and light and was worn over the corset and under the bodice of the outer garment. A woman would dress into her chemise and drawers first, followed by her corset and finally her corset cover as a final layer under her dress. Corset covers served several purposes. They provided protection against sweat (and the need to regularly wash the corset), helped smooth the lines of the corset and increased a woman's modesty.This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the late 19th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery and crochet to embellish an item of personal underclothing. It is also significant as an example of a practical solution to the difficulty of hand washing a corset in the Victorian era.A short (waist length) corset cover of fine cotton. Short sleeves fall from a square neckline and are gathered into a wide crocheted lace trim with a band of embroidered feather stitch. The same crocheted lace design and feather stitching are also on the square neckline which is finished with a drawstring ribbon. The bodice has a front opening with five buttons and is bordered on each side with four pintucks. It has a drawstring ribbon at the waist and an extra layer of fine cotton lining has been added to strengthen the corset cover under the arms. The back has two bands of three pintucks running vertically from the neckline to the waist.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, nhill, wimmera, eliza towns, underclothing, corset cover, camisole, machine sewing, hand sewing, crocheted lace, pintucks, feather stitch, embroidery, underwear, victorian era underclothing, victorian era corset cover -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Clothing - Combination Undergarment, Eliza Towns, Late 19th century
... had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her... had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her ...This item of underclothing, called a "combination" is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. Combination undergarments combined the chemise and drawers into one garment. The combination is divided, or bifurcated, from the waist to the crutch for easier urinating. This one-piece type of underwear was worn by females from the 1860s and into the early 1900s. The 19th Century garments had front button closures like this one, and those made in the 1900s more often had back closures. Combination underwear was popular because the all-in-one design had far fewer gathers and bulk, making the other clothing look much smoother. Their primary use was to protect clothing from perspiration and because they were made with cotton or linen, were easy to wash. Although they were worn under the corset, next to the skin (and therefore not meant to be seen), they were often decorated with lace and embroidery. Although these combinations are made with a plain cotton fabric, Eliza Towns has incorporated pin tucks, hand embroidery and crocheted lace to embellish her garment. The collection of women’s late-19th-century undergarments is an example of clothing that women would include in their wardrobes. The garments add to the study of the evolution of women's fashions and practicality for the early Australian settlers. The careful needlework in these handmade garments and hand-worked lace trims reflect the maker’s dedication to making even serviceable garments beautiful to look at and wear.Women’s white cotton and lace all-In-one combination undergarment. The handmade underwear is a combined chemise and bloomers. It has three buttons in the front and a handmade drawstring cord around the square neckline. It is trimmed with crocheted lace (with a floral design) on the neckline, sleeves and pants. It had pintucks and feather stitching on the bodice and the left and right sides are divided from the waist to the crutch. The back of the garment is plain with a gathered section at the lower back.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, victorian era, combination undergarment, all-in-one underwear, combination, ‘combinations’, one-piece underwear, one-piece undergarment, chemise and bloomers, combination chemise and bloomers, divided, bifurcated, split, chemise and drawers, women’s underwear, ladies’ underwear, undergarment, women’s clothing, women’s fashion, lingerie, 19th-century undergarment, handmade clothing, handmade lace, crocheted lace, towns family, nhill, eliza towns -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Clothing - Child's dress, Eliza Towns, Late 19th century
... machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well... had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her ...This child's dress is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. A photograph of their youngest child, Alice, taken in circa 1903 depicts her wearing the dress. The dress would have been only worn on special occasions (such as a formal family photographic portrait) as most young girls in that era would have smocks or pinafores for everyday wear. The age of the dress is in question as it may have been made by Eliza for her eldest daughter, Dorcus, who was born in 1884. This dress has some machine sewing at the neck, waistband and pintucks but much of the dress is handsewn and richly embroidered with Broderie anglaise. Broderie anglaise (also known as eyelet lace) is a form of cutwork embroidery. The foundation fabric is cut to make decorative holes which are sewn with overcast or buttonhole stitches to create a lace like effect. Designs often involve floral motives that are enhanced with simple embroidery stitches such as stem stitch and satin stitch and scalloped edges finished with buttonhole stitches. It was commonly used to trim baby clothes, dresses, nightclothes, underclothes and household linens - particularly in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the late 19th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery to personalise and embellish a child's special dress.Child's white dress made of cotton and lawn, with a skirt of hand embroidered circular cutwork (broderie anglaise), a scalloped hem edged in buttonhole stitch and a gathered waist. The lined bodice has three panels of hand embroidered broderie anglaise (eyelet lace) inserted in a V shape with pintucks and bordered with a broderie anglaise lace frill. The short sleeves also have an inserted broderie anglaise lace strip, three pintucks and a broderie anglaise lace frill. The skirt is semi lined with fine lawn. The dress has a back opening with one button and two ties. The neckline is decorated with two rows of hand embroidered broderie anglaise lace.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, nhill, wimmera, eliza towns, dorcus towns, child's dress, machine sewing, hand sewing, broderie anglaise, cutwork, embroidery, eyelet lace, clothing, handmade, charles towns, alice towns -
Puffing Billy Railway
V. R. Krupp 1888. IV. Rail, 1888
... . Krupp's main products are machinery and machine components made.... Krupp's main products are machinery and machine components made ...60lbs rail that was used throughout the Victorian rail network. In 1887 Gibbs, Bright and Co. had a contract with Victorian Railways for railway and canal construction and supply of Krupp Rails. Gibbs, Bright and Co were merchant bankers and shipping agents and merchants who where also Directors of the GWR ( Great Western Railway ) and the Ship The "Great Britain" in England Gibbs, Bright and Company had principally been involved in shipping and trading, mainly in the West Indies, but following the discovery of gold in Victoria they established an office in Melbourne and soon became one of the leading shipping agents and merchants in the Colony. They expanded into passenger shipping and soon established offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide and Perth as well as launching passenger services between England, Mauritius and New Zealand. Gibbs, Bright also held a number of financial agencies from British mortgage, finance and investment companies as well as representing several British insurance companies in Australia. In addition they conducted a growing import business as well as an export business that included livestock, dairy produce, wool and flour. Also the company played a substantial part in the development of Australia's mineral resources, starting with lead in 1895, and later venturing into tin, gold, copper, cement and super phosphates. In Australia, after WWI, many of the larger companies were managing their own import and export so Gibbs, Bright and Company tended to focus its Agency business on smaller companies while expanding their interest into other markets such as timber, wire netting, zinc, stevedoring, road transport, marine salvage, gold mining as well as mechanical, structural, electrical and marine engineering. The Company's shipping interests continued to grow as well and still formed a major part of its business. In 1948 the parent company in England took the major step from tradition when they changed the business from a partnership into a private limited company. The name was the same, Antony Gibbs and Sons Limited, and in practice the effect of the change was very little. Some of the firm's branches and departments had already become limited companies and the formation of a parent company simplified the structure. The Australian operation was in time changed to Gibbs Bright & Co Pty Ltd in 1963. In 1848 Alfred Krupp becomes the sole proprietor of the company which from 1850 experiences its first major growth surge. In 1849 his equally talented brother Hermann (1814 - 1879) takes over the hardware factory Metallwarenfabrik in Berndorf near Vienna, which Krupp had established together with Alexander Schöller six years earlier. The factory manufactures cutlery in a rolling process developed by the brothers. Krupp's main products are machinery and machine components made of high-quality cast steel, especially equipment for the railroads, most notably the seamless wheel tire, and from 1859 to an increased extent artillery. To secure raw materials and feedstock for his production, Krupp acquires ore deposits, coal mines and iron works. On Alfred Krupp's death in 1887 the company employs 20,200 people. His great business success is based on the quality of the products, systematic measures to secure sales, the use of new cost-effective steel-making techniques, good organization within the company, and the cultivation of a loyal and highly qualified workforce among other things through an extensive company welfare system. From 1878 August Thyssen starts to get involved in processing the products manufactured by Thyssen & Co., including the fabrication of pipes for gas lines. In 1882 he starts rolling sheet at Styrum, for which two years later he sets up a galvanizing shop. The foundation stone for Maschinenfabrik Thyssen & Co. is laid in 1883 with the purchase of a neighboring mechanical engineering company. In 1891 August Thyssen takes the first step toward creating a vertical company at the Gewerkschaft Deutscher Kaiser coal mine in [Duisburg-]Hamborn, which he expands to an integrated iron and steelmaking plant on the River Rhine. Just before the First World War he starts to expand his group internationally (Netherlands, UK, France, Russia, Mediterranean region, Argentina). info from The company thyssenkrupp - History https://www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/company/history/the-founding-families/alfred-krupp.htmlHistoric - Victorian Railways - Track Rail - made by Krupp in 1888Section of VR Krupp 1888 Rail mounted on a piece of varnished wood. Rail made of ironpuffing billy, krupp, rail, victorian railways -
Bendigo Military Museum
Photograph - Personnel and Equipment, Army Survey Regiment, Fortuna, Bendigo. c1979, c1979
... machine, ‘Editwriter’ Model 7500, SGT Jim McDonald. .2) - Photo... machine, ‘Editwriter’ Model 7500, SGT Jim McDonald. .2) - Photo ...This is a set of 23 photographs of cartographic, aero-triangulation and lithographic equipment, and personnel at the Army Survey Regiment, Fortuna, Bendigo circa 1979. Photos .8P to .23P were taken in Lithographic Squadron’s printing, Camera, proofing rooms and external buildings. Cartographic Squadron’s SGT Jim McDonald operated the Editwriter type setting machine, as shown in photo .2P for a couple years in a room on the top floor of Fortuna Villa. This is a set of 23 photographs of cartographic, aero-triangulation and lithographic equipment, and personnel at the Army Survey Regiment, Fortuna, Bendigo, c1979. Black and white photos are on photographic paper and mounted on manilla card. They were scanned at 300 dpi. .1) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Typesetting machine, ‘Editwriter’ Model 7500, SGT Jim McDonald. .2) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Processor Model ACP101 & dual disk module (attached to Editwriter). .3) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Duplicating machine, stencil process electric ‘Gestetner’. .4) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Comparator photogrammetric stecometer, modified ‘Carl Zeiss’, CPL Jack Elverd. .5) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Point transfer device ‘Wild PUG IV. .6) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Zoom transfer scope, stereo ‘Bausch & Lomb’ .7) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Stereoplotter analytical automatic, ‘APC/3-1’. .8) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Prophylaxis unit, ‘Densply/Cavtron’ .9) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Machine punch register (made by Bendigo Ordnance Factory). .10) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Plan printer 122cm (48”) wide. ‘Admel Bruning’ Model - 5003A. .11) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Metal halide printing lamp. ‘Violight 5000 HV’ .12) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Densitometer transmission or reflection, ‘Macbeth’ Model – TR 524 MD. .13) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Machine whirling vertical type ‘Payne VLW’. .14) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Densitometer reflection, ‘Macbeth’ Model – RD917. .15) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Densitometer reflection, 240V ‘Cosar’ .16) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Printer contact ‘Hohlux’ Model RP-II, LCPL Martin Van der Maele. .17) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Frame printing vacuum vertical. .18) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Frame printing vacuum flip top 91cm x 117cm. .19) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Printer reduction stereo plotter diapositive ‘Wild’ Model – U3A modified and U4A modified to U4A plus. .20) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Printing press offset rotary lithographic 3 colour ‘Ultra-MAN-III’ .21) to. 23) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Camera cartographic consolidated super 100 32” x 32”The three personnel appearing in this set are identified. Most items have a full description, NSN, serial number, and the Repairer’s name, address and phone details and contact name. Just the full description is documented.royal australian survey corps, rasvy, army survey regiment, army svy regt, fortuna, asr -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Scale, 1920
... weighing machine, No.387, made in England by George Salter and Co... weighing machine, No.387, made in England by George Salter and Co ...Inventor Biography: Percival Everitt was a Norfolk-born engineer and regarded as the father of the coin-op industry. in 1884 he patented one of his many inventions the coin-operated scales. For many people, it was their first exposure to coin-operated machines. As a young man in 1877, Everitt invented a hay and corn pitcher, a turnip thinner in 1878 and an “Automatic Travelling Anchor” in 1880. But he hit his stride in 1883 with the first postcard-vending machine over a hundred of which he distributed around London. Everitt went on to invent the one penny scale which prompted the formation of the Weighing Machine Company in 1885. Further inventions followed a blow tester in 1887 also the machine for testing a person grip in 1888 and the dispensing machine that opera glasses could be hired from in 1889 also the fortune-telling machine in 1890. He also invented a mechanism to shut coin slots when vending machines were empty, but then as now vandals posed a problem by jamming paper into the slot. Everitt sadly did not make his fortune he died suddenly in February 1893, in his late forties with £71 to his name. Penny Slot Weighing Machine: When the Australian colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901 their post and telegraph departments were merged to form the national Postmaster General's (PMG) Department. The subject scale is an automatic public weighing machine, No.387, made in England by George Salter and Co. of West Bromwich. The Australasian Automatic Weighing Machine Co. Ltd in 1923 tendered for the right to place Automatic Weighing Machines on railway and tram premises throughout New South Wales subsequently for five-year terms in return for a fixed payment per machine and a portion of the revenue to the NSW Government. The company also made arrangements with the Postmaster General's Department to place machines outside post offices across the country. Weights were measured in stones and pound's up to 20 stone (127 kg) and average weights were shown separately for men, women, boys and girls by various heights in feet and inches. The subject item has had its scale change by the Eastern Scale Company to metric and it is believed to have occurred shortly after April 2000 as the company was first registered and began trading on this date. This weighing machine was originally installed by the Australasian Automatic Weighing Machine Co. Ltd at Warrnambool Post Office and was made by the firm, George Salter and Company, in West Bromwich, England to the Percival Everitt patent. Salter advertised that these machines were suitable for hotels, pleasure gardens, theaters, exhibition halls, clubs, baths and places of public resort. The company had been established in 1760 by the brothers, Richard and William Salter, manufacturing springs and pocket steelyards (spring balances). After several generations, the company was taken over by a nephew, George, and in 1884 the Salter trademark was registered to show a Staffordshire knot pierced by an arrow. The company's expanded range of products included the first coin-operated public weighing machines in the 1880s and in 1895 the first English made typewriter. When the last George Salter died in 1917, the company passed into the hands of other relatives but continued to grow before being bought out by Staveley Industries in 1973. Despite several subsequent mergers, the Salter name continues today on home ware products such as digital scales.A very rare example of a penny in the slot weighing machine imported into Australia and used in public places the item is significant as it gives a snapshot into community life at the time where the public could go and get weighed given there were no personal weighing machines or equipment that people could use at home. So if they needed to post a letter or go on a train journey they could use a machine to check their weight. Whats interesting is that this patent by Percival Everitt was the worlds first slot machine and the start of casino, arcade and other types of slot machines. Personal weighing scale metal large silver painted penny coin operated. Weight measurements are in stones and pounds. Australian Automatic Weighing Machine 60 lb Everitt Patent. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Clothing - Wedding Dress, Mary Box (nee Closter), circa 1918
... A cream two piece wedding dress made from a bolt of hand... merchant. The machine sewn dress was made by a dressmaker ...Alonzo Box, of Oakleigh ,a nephew of William and Elizabeth Box who resided in 'Box Cottage' 1865 - 1914, married Mary Closter (Kloster), of Oakleigh, on June 12th 1918. Alozo's elder sister, Rebecca, sent a bolt of Chinese hand-embroidered silk from which this wedding dress was made. Rebecca Viloudakia, nee Box, was a missionary in China, and married to a Greek Silk Merchant. Alonzo Box, the 9th child of John and Martha Sheldrake Box , enlisted in the Army and landed at Gallipoli 25/4/1918. He was evacuated to Egypt and then sent to the battlefields of France and Flanders before returning home to Melbourne in February 1918. Rebecca Box, the eldest child of John and Martha Sheldrake Box, was in the first party of Methodist Missionaries to leave Australia for the China Inland Mission in 1890. During the Boxer Uprising 1900-1901 her Mission outpost was attacked but she escaped and was taken to Shanghai. She later married one of the rescue party Nicholas Viloudakia a Greek silk merchant .Australian Dress Register ID 573 12/5/2015 Following Henry Dendy's Special Survey 1841 pioneer settlers bought allotments of land in the area of Moorabbin Parish. Alonzo Box was the nephew of William and Elizabeth Box who bought the cottage on the 30acre allotment from an unknown pioneer settler in 1868 and resided there until Elizabeth's death in 1914. Alonzo Box served in the Army World War 1 1914- 1918 at Gallipoli, France and Flanders. Rebecca Box -Viloudakia was in the first party of Methodist Missionaries to leave Australia for the China Inland Mission in 1890 and was rescued during the Boxer Rebellion 1900-1901 and taken to Shanghai by her future husband.A cream two piece wedding dress made from a bolt of hand embroidered Chinese silk for the marriage of Mary Closter and Alonzo Box on June 12th, 1918. The bolt of Chinese silk was sent by Alonzo’s older sister, Mrs Rebecca Viloudakia, a missionary in China, who was married to a Greek silk merchant. The machine sewn dress was made by a dressmaker in Dandenong, Victoria. The jacket is blouson, with a front opening and is gathered at the waist by a band enclosing a drawstring. The collar is a sailor style that forms a slight / high V-shape front neckline. Four vertical roses are separated by three bands of lacework. The back of the jacket is plain silk. The right front of the jacket has a panel of embroidered roses, band of lacework and a facing fold that encloses 4 fastening presses. There are crocheted bobbles on the front representing buttons. The left jacket front also has the panel of embroidered roses, lacework and matching fold for the 4 fastening studs. The full length inset sleeves are gathered to a cuff that fastens with silk covered buttons. The sleeves have floral embroidery down the outside centre line. The left sleeve has an extra detachable cuff with embroidery on the flounce that matches the bottom panel of the skirt. It is held in position around the wrist by 4 white metal press studs. The skirt sits above the ankle. It consists of 5 panels slightly gathered at the back waistline with a left side placket 21cm with hooks and eyes and press studs. The waistband is lined with petersham and has 6 whalebone inserts. The front of the skirt has small pleats to fit the 3 decorated panels to the waistline. The front has 3 bands of lacework around the lower part. 3 panels form the centre front each embroidered with a different floral pattern. The back of the skirt is plain with 3 bands of lacework rising from the hem, which is sewn with spoke work stitch. The long waist sash/belt is plain silk with embroidered ends and 3 silk balls with crocheted caps suspended on 3 crocheted silk chains. It has a rose knot with 2 metal press stud fasteners. There are a variety of floral designs embroidered on the material including ‘corner motifs’ on the 2nd inner front panel of skirt. brighton, moorabbin, silk, box william, box elizabeth, box alonzo, box mary, kloster mary, closter mary, oakleigh, dandenong, chinese silk merchant, boxer rebellion 1900-1901, box rebecca, methodist china inland mission, viloudakia nichols, anzac landings, world war 1, gallipoli -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Clothing - Traveller's Apron, Eliza Towns, Circa 1915
... ". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made... machine and would have made many of her own clothes - adding her ...This apron is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. In March 1915 Eliza travelled to San Francisco to visit her son, James. She went by train to Melbourne ("a pleasant journey on the up express') and the next day caught the express train to Sydney. She noted in her letters home that a " number of young men were going to Sydney to enlist but they had to stop in the corridors most of the way as there was no room for them to sit down". She spent the night on the train and arrived in Sydney the next morning and on the following day she boarded the R.M.S. "Moana" (a steamer which took about twenty-four days to reach San Francisco). She returned from Vancouver about five months later on board the "Manuka". It is very likely Eliza took this "Travelling Apron" with her on her travels. Eliza was travelling by herself and had no one to help her with her dress or her hair. "Travelling Aprons" (also known as Toilet Aprons or Tourist Aprons) were designed with different sized pockets for holding a lady's toiletries - hairbrush, hair pins, comb and sometimes even soap and a powder puff. This allowed the owner, when travelling and getting dressed in small places such as an overnight train compartment or a ship's cabin, to have all her requirements at hand without needing to search for them or have them roll onto the floor. Some of the pockets are finished with buttoned flaps to keep the items in place and when not in use, the apron could be hung up or rolled up and put away. Articles about the "Traveller's Apron" appeared in numerous Women's columns in Australian newspapers in the early 20th century - often with instructions and sometimes a pattern. In the "Age" on Sat 5th October 1907 in a column titled "Feminine Facts and Fancies" the author wrote "No man can appreciate the difficulties of dressing in a "wobbly" train or trying to do one's hair while a ship is weathering a storm". A year earlier (Saturday 24th March 1906) in the same column, the author wrote "... you have to spend nights in a train... forever struggling to dress yourself in a wretched little lavatory. You know how your hairpins and combs jump all over the place ... a train is always at its liveliest when you're trying to do your hair. My travelling apron saved me many a rage."This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the early 20th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery to personalise and embellish a practical domestic object. It is also an excellent (and rare) example of an early 20th century innovation that helped solve the difficulties of privacy and convenience that many women experienced at a time when travel was becoming more accessible to them. A half apron, made of ivory linen with two waist ties and seven pockets. Along the top are two smaller pockets with triangular, buttoned flaps labelled "Hairpins" and "Nailbrush" and one larger unlabelled pocket. Underneath are two larger pockets labelled "Brush & Comb" and "Work" and two unlabelled narrow pockets. The seams are machine stitched and the pockets are outlined with hand embroidered feather stitch. The labels on the pockets are embroidered in stem stitch."Hairpins" / "Nailbrush" / "Brush and Comb" / "Work"flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, nhill, eliza towns, apron, travelling apron, tourist apron, textiles, toilet apron, sewing, embroidery, travel, warrnambool, great ocean road, trains, ships, moana, manuka, feather stitch, stem stitch, fashion, handmade, clothing, charles towns, needlework -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Bottle, Singer Sewing Machine Company, ca 1878
... This Singer Sewing Machine oil bottle was made by hand... Warrnambool great-ocean-road This Singer Sewing Machine oil bottle ...This Singer Sewing Machine oil bottle was made by hand, with the glass blown into a mould. Isaac M. Singer established his sewing machine company, I.M. Singer & Co. in America in 1851. A brief history of the Loch Ard (1873-1878): - The sailing ship Loch Ard was one of the famous Loch Line ships that sailed from England to Australia. Barclay, Curdle and Co. built the three-masted iron vessel in Glasgow in 1873. It had sailed three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of recently married, 29-year-old Captain Gibbs. It was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, and a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. Other cargo included items intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The Loch Ard had been sailing for three months and was close to its destination on June 1, 1878. Captain Gibbs had expected to see land at about 3 am but the Loch Ard ran into a fog that greatly reduced visibility and there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. The fog lifted at 4 am and the sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast were much closer to them than Captain Gibbs expected. He tried to manage the vessel but failed and the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. The top deck loosened from the hull, and the masts and rigging crashed down, knocking passengers and crew overboard. The lifeboat was launched by Tom Pearce but crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. He clung onto its overturned hull and sheltered under it. He drifted out to sea and the tide brought him back to what is now called Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore and found a cave for shelter. A passenger, Eva Carmichael, had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening and was confronted by towering cliffs above the ship. She was soon swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He swam out and dragged her to the shelter of the cave. He revived her with a bottle of brandy from a case that had washed up on the beach. Tom scaled a cliff in search of help and followed some horse hoof prints. He came from two men from Glenample Station, three and a half miles away. He told the men of the tragedy and then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. They reached Loch Ard Gorge and took the two shipwreck survivors to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome and was presented with a medal and some money. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy.The bottle is significant for representing an early innovation in domestic sewing, the treadle sewing machine. It is also significant for its connection with the Loch Ard shipwreck. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so we are able to interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. The collection's historical significance is that it is associated unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. Clear glass bottle, straight neck, broad shoulders tapering to slightly narrower indented base. Bottle once contained Singer Sewing Machine oil. Inscription embossed in the glass. Bottle was recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard.Embossed in the glass "The Singer Manufacturing Company" on one side on the reverse "Extra Quality Machine Oil." flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, singer sewing machine, sewing machine oil, singer sewing machine oil, oil bottle, isaac m. singer, loch ard artifacts, loch ard -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Equipment - Pump, circa 1930's - 1940's
... , manufacturing Macson lathes and made machine tools that previously had... Macson lathes and made machine tools that previously had ...This pump is an Ajax Type L2 Series A model, made and sold by McPherson’s Pty Ltd of Melbourne circa 1930’s to 1940’s, is a mechanical, hand operated, constant flow pressure pump. It would have been used to pump fluids from one area to another, for example from a dam to a tank or used as a bilge pump on a small vessel, mounted on the vessel’s bulkhead, floor or deck. This type of hand pump is sometimes called a ‘Reciprocating Suction Pump’. It has a mechanical pumping action of the lever moves the piston inside the pump up and down. The water is lifted from below the pump through the inlet pipe and into the pump’s cylinder. This action causes the lower valve to close and the piston’s valve opens and the pressure within the pump forces the water out of the pump through the exit pipe. The limitation of this type of pump is that it can only raise the water a maximum of about 7 metres from beneath the ground and yields 24-26 Litres per minute. This type of pump could be used for many purposes such as pumping water or fuel. McPherson’s 1940’s advertisement proclaims “For all jobs on the land – irrigation, spraying, tank, plumbing, fire-fighting – there’s a suitable “Ajax” pump. Send us the details of you pumping problem. Our Expert’s advice will help you choose the right pump – the one that will give you most years of PROFITABLE PUMPING.” (The Australasian (Melbourne) Sat. 26th October 1940.) McPherson’s Pty Ltd, the manufacturer, advertised a similar pump to this one in The Australasian (Melbourne) in 1936, calling it the Ajax Double Acting Hand Pump. In 1942 another advertisement advised that a representative for a fire-fighting equipment supplier was visiting the western district of Victoria. The company could now supply double-action two-spray Ajax pumps at lower prices than similar pumps the district had recently purchased from Adelaide. McPHERSON’S FOUNDER and COMPANY TIMELINE 1860 – Thomas McPherson, a Scottish immigrant (c. 1853 ), founded McPherson’s in Melbourne, supplying pig iron (lead ingots imported as ballast in ships) to local manufacturers. 1882 – Thomas McPherson established a warehouse in Collins St Melbourne and included tools, steam fittings and machinery in his wares. The business expanded to include steam saw mills and became known as Thomas McPherson and Sons (William Murray and Edward). 1888 – Thomas passed away and his sons inherited the business. In 1896 William Murray became the sole proprietor after his brother Edward’s death. 1900 – The firm expanded, establishing Acme Bolt Company to manufacture nuts and bolts. 1912 – McPhersons Pty Ltd established a machinery warehouse and showroom in 554-556 Collins St Melbourne. McPherson’s went on to establish branches in Sydney (1911), Adelaide (1921) and Perth (1930) 1917 - McPherson’s supplied ‘dog spikes’ for the transcontinental railway, running from Eastern to Western Australia. 1918 – A tool works set up in Kensington, Melbourne, manufacturing Macson lathes and made machine tools that previously had to be imported. 1924 – The Bolt Works was transferred to a new building in Melbourne. McPhersons began making pumps. 1929 – McPherson retired. His son (Sir) William Edward McPherson (known as ‘WE’), was born in Hawthorne, Melbourne, in 1898. After his education he began work in his father’s Melbourne hardware and machinery business He took over as governing director when his father retired. 1929-1932 – McPherson’s supplied thousands of tons of rivets from its Richmond (Melbourne) Bolt Works for the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. 1936 – McPherson’s Pty Ltd is advertising Ajax Pumps in newspapers 1934 – McPhersons purchased the property adjoining the warehouse in Collins Street, and during 1935-1936 built a new office and showrooms on the site of 546-445 Collins St. 1939 - McPherson’s acquired the Tool Equipment Co. Pty. Ltd and Associated Machine Tools Australia Pty Ltd was formed to separate McPherson’s machine-tool manufacturing and merchandising interests. 1939 – Ajax Pump Works, a foundry and pump manufacturing plant, was established in Tottenham, Melbourne, and the Ajax Bolt and Rivet Co Pty Ltd began manufacturing in New Zealand. 1944 - McPherson’s became a public company, McPherson’s Ltd. 1948 - The Ajax Pump Foundry opened at Kyneton, Victoria and in the post war years it grew to became a large manufacturer. 1980’s – Ajax Pumps brochure lists the address as 6 Buckhurst St, South Melbourne, Vic 3205 with the Telephone number 03 669 3588 1988 - Ajax Pumps acquired the Forrers Company, which was established in 1921. Manufacturing in Ipswich, Queensland, specialising in submersible sewage pumps. 1991 – KSB Ajax was formed, bringing together the companies KSB and Ajax Pumps 1993 – Manufacturing was moved to state-of-the-art premises in Tottenham, Victoria 2001 - The Forrers facility was moved to Tottenham. 2007 - Company name KSB Ajax Pumps was changed to KSB Australia Pty Ltd. 2009 - KSB Australia opened a branch in Townsville, Queensland. 2011 - KSB Australia moved to its dedicated Water and Waste Water Competence Centre in Bundamba, Queensland. DISPLAY OF THIS AJAX PUMP This pump was installed at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village as part of a working display in the village by the Friends of Flagstaff Hill, in acknowledgement of the dedicated involvement of one of its long serving members, Bob Crossman. The display was officially opened 31st March 2018 and incorporates a restored Furphy Tank and Water Pipe Stand. The pump is used to draw water from the lake, through the water stand pipe and into the reconditioned Furphy Tank. This Ajax pump made by McPherson’s Pty Ltd is significant for its association with McPherson’s, a prominent manufacturer of hardware in Victoria. McPherson’s is famous for supplying ‘dog-spikes’ for the transcontinental railway (eastern to western Australia, 1917) and rivets for the Sydney Harbour Bridge (1929-1932). The Ajax pump is also of significance because of its association with McPherson’s Governing Director (Sir) William McPherson, former premier and treasurer in Victoria 1928-1929. The former McPherson’s Pty Ltd building in Collins Street Melbourne is now on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR H0942 This pump is representative of mechanical pumps popular in the early to mid-1900’s and still used today. Hand operated pressure pump, double acting. Cast metal case, painted red, with steel hose attachments and long metal lever. Pump is bolted to wooden plank. Model of pump is AJAX, Type L2, Series A pump. Embossed on lower section of pump "L2 - 10", "L2 - -1", "AJAX" “(?) –2-1” Embossed on lower handle “3-7” “L – 4” Embossed on attached plate “FOR SPARE PARTS / TYPE L2 / SERIES A / PUMP ASSEMBLED BY T R” Manufactured by McPherson’s Pty Ltd of Melbourne circa 1930’s - 1940’s.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, ajax pump works tottenham melbourne, ajax pump factory kyneton, william edward mcpherson, thomas mcpherson of melbourne, mcpherson’s pty ltd melbourne, acme bolt company, tool equipment co. pty. ltd, associated machine tools australia pty ltd, ajax bolt and rivet co. pty ltd new zealand, forrers company ipswich queensland, ksb ajax pumps, ksb australia pty ltd, macson lathes, tool manufacturer early to mid- 20th century, ajax double acting hand pump, ajax type l2 series a pump, qisjax pumps, water pump 1940’s, fuel pump 1940’s, hand operated constant flow pressure pump, reciprocating suction pump, agricultural hand pump, plumber’s hand pump, portable hand pump -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
... . The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible... Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal ...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 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
... . The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible... Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal ...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 piece. 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, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
... . The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible... Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal ...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 vertebrae. 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, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
... . The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible... Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal ...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 piece. 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, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
... . The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible... Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal ...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 piece. 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, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
... . The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible.... The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible ...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 vertebrae. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whalebone -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale Vertebrae, Undetermined
... . The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible.... The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible ...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. 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 during the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries was an important industry providing an important commodity. Whales from these times provided everything from lighting & machine oils to using the animal's bones for use in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and many other everyday items then in use.Whale bone Vertebrae with advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whaleling industry, maritime fishing, whalebone -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale Jaw Bone, Undetermined
... . The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible.... The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible ...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 during the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries was an important industry providing an important commodity. Whales from these times provided everything from lighting & machine oils to using the animal's bones for use in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and many other everyday items then in use.Whale jaw bone one side, long & curved with advanced stage of calcification off white to grey.None.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whaleling industry, maritime fishing, whalebone -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale Rib Bone, Undetermined
... . The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible.... The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible ...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 during the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries was an important industry providing an important commodity. Whales from these times provided everything from lighting & machine oils to using the animal's bones for use in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and many other everyday items then in use.Whale rib bone with advanced stage of calcification as indicated by brittleness. None.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whaleling industry, maritime fishing, whalebone