Showing 41 items
matching whaling tools
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Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Card - Cigarette Card - 'Whaling Tools' #19, 1927
... Cigarette Card - 'Whaling Tools' #19... depiction of a rnage of whaling tools on blue background; inclludes... depiction of a rnage of whaling tools on blue background; inclludes ...No. 19 in a series of 25 cigarette cards from Ogdens Tobacco Company series on whaling production. Full colour depiction of a rnage of whaling tools on blue background; inclludes harpoon, lance, whaling spade, blubber fork and mincing knife. White border around card. Reverse has information relating to illustration on front. -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Weapon - Harpoon, Unkonwn
... Harpoon, whaling tool. Metal rod with harrow head... Warrnambool great-ocean-road Harpoon Weapon Harpoon, whaling tool ...The harpoon was picked up on Warrnambool's Lady Bay beach in about 1950's. The harpoon is significant for its connection to the early history of Warrnambool and district, when whaling was a form of food gathering for indigenous people and for the very early settlers.Harpoon, whaling tool. Metal rod with harrow head and flared out handle.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whaling harpoon, harpoon -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Tool - Whaling Spade, n.d
... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road Whaling Spade Tool ...Part of the collection purchased from Brendan Kurtze by the City of Portland. From the Kurtze Museum. Spades were used primarily for cutting up a whale. They were flat-bladed implements (except the gouge spade) with a chisel cutting edge and were mounted on wood poles by means of a socket at the aft end of the spade. The blades of later spades, after the 1850's, were usually made of cast steel, while the sockets and shanks were wrought iron. Cast steel held a cutting edge far better than the earlier wrought iron, and was necessary for repeated cutting. The sockets of spades were forge welded closed, without an open seam, for added strength. They were secured to the pole with a nail, screw or pinWhaling implement, iron, painted gloss black. Flat blade and handle sleeve on either end of shaft, no handle. Spades were used primarily for cutting up a whale. They were flat-bladed implements (except the gouge spade) with a chisel cutting edge and were mounted on wood poles by means of a socket at the aft end of the spade. The blades of later spades, after the 1850's, were usually made of cast steel, while the sockets and shanks were wrought iron. Cast steel held a cutting edge far better than the earlier wrought iron, and was necessary for repeated cutting. The sockets of spades were forge welded closed, without an open seam, for added strength. They were secured to the pole with a nail, screw or pinkurtze museum, whaling, tools, industry, maritime -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Tool - Whaling Tool, Nil, n.d
... Whaling Tool... whaling tools... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road Whaling Tool Tool Nil ...City of Portland Collection|Kurtze MuseumThree pronged shape-shaped iron tool, painted with high gloss black paint.whaling, whaling tools, maritime industry -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Tool - Cutting Spade - whaling, n.d
... whaling tools... Tool Iron whaling cutting spade. Short handle, flat head ...Iron whaling cutting spade. Short handle, flat head with rounded edges.whaling, whaling tools, portland industry, maritime -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Tool - Whaler's blubber fork, n.d
... whaling tools... from Smithsonian Museum) Whaling whaling whaling tools ...City of Portland Collection|Kurtze Museum|19/4/2000. Once a whale was killed and its blubber was cut up and hauled aboard the ship for processing, the chunks of flesh were moved around the slippery vessel with long-handled, two-tined blubber forks. These forks were used to pitch the pieces of minced blubber into the hot try-pots to boil it down into oil. The long handles prevented sore backs from too much bending over and protected the men from getting too close to the boiling oil. (taken from Smithsonian Museum)WhalingTwo pronged utensil, painted with glossy black paint. An attempt to repair handle, short stem of handle rivetted onto handle sleeve.whaling, whaling tools -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Bone, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Small piece of whale bone. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Bone, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Whale's rib bone. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Weapon - Harpoon, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry..... It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Iron whaling harpoon, arrow-shaped head. 'LONDON' stamped on one side, '?OORRAR' on reverse -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Baleen, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.not givenFront: Hand-written 'Hudson Beauvaise, whaling out of Portland Victoria 1859' -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Tool - Whaling Blubber Fork, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road Whaling Blubber Fork Tool ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Iron whaling blubber fork. Two prongs one end, curved hook the other. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Bone, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Whale's vertebra. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Bone, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Whale's vertebra. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Bone, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Whale's vertebra -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Bone, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Small piece of whale bone. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Bone, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Small piece of whale bone. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Bone, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Small piece of whale bone -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Weapon - Whaling Harpoon, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Iron whaling harpoon. Arrow-shaped head, 'LONDON' stamped on wone side, '?OORKAR' (Orca?) on reverse -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Bone, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Whale's vertebra -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Tool - Whaling - Cutting Spade, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... Tool Iron whaling cutting spade. Long handle, small spoon ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Iron whaling cutting spade. Long handle, small spoon shaped head. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Bone, n.d
... if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.... at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated ...Originated from a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Whale's vertebra. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Vertebra, n.d
... . It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's... at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated ...Bequeathed to Lou Florax from the estate of Nancy Leeson, who died in 2013. Nancy had a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Whale's vertebrawhaling, whale, natural history -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Animal specimen - Whale Bone, n.d
... . It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's... museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools ...Bequeathed to Lou Florax from the estate of Nancy Leeson, who died in 2013. Nancy had a private museum at Bolwarra. It is unknown if the whaling tools are associated with Portland's whaling industry.Small piece of whale bone -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Weapon - Harpoon
... -village harpoon double flute whaling flluke fishing tool ...The harpoon would have been attached to a long harpoon pole. A rope would be attached to the harpoon and used like a fishing line to draw the whale, or other large catch, alongside the whaleboat. Harpoons have been used for thousands of years in the fishing industry to catch and secure large fish and other sea creatures such as whales. Harpoon, Double Flute 2'9" metal end with 5'9" wooden shank with rope spliced around metal section and whipped to wooden shank.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, harpoon, double flute, whaling, flluke, fishing, tool -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone 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
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 -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Functional object - Spirit Level
This item was given to the Historical Society in 1972, with the donor indicating that the spirit level belonged to the Henty family. The Hentys of Portland are regarded as the first permanent settlers in the State of Victoria (1834). Stephen Henty, with his brother Edward, was involved in the whaling industry in Portland. He also had shipping interests, operating a regular Western District shipping service (‘Champion’, ‘Lady Bird’, ‘Western’, ‘Edina’ etc) and a property ‘Cadnook’, near Harrow. Stephen Henty had close connections with Warrnambool not only because of his shipping interests but also because he was the brother-in-law of an early Warrnambool Harbour Master, Captain Frank Helpman. A spirit level was an essential tool for early settlers as they often built their own homes and constructed the roads nearby, needing to ascertain if what was being constructed was on level ground.It does not seem possible to establish whether this item belonged to the Henty family or to a Henty property. But in the Historical Society collection we have a piece of sheet music which includes the handwriting ‘Mrs Smalpaige, Cadnook’, ‘S. J. Henty’ and the date ‘8th August 1859’. Also the Warrnambool Art Gallery has an authentic Henty piano dating from 1837 and Stephen Henty’s wife died in Hamilton in 1906 so it is possible that the spirit level came to us from a Henty family descendant living nearby via Mr N. Kelly. If the Henty provenance can be proved then this item is of high significance.This is an unvarnished wooden spirit level, apparently home made, with a bubble in the centre. The top has been attached with eight screws, now much rusted. There appears to be some letters in the bubble area but they have not been deciphered “Hentys spirit level, oldest in Australia” is written in ink on the back of the objectspirit level, henty brothers portland, warrnambool, henty family -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Tool - Whaling spade, n.d
... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road Whaling spade Tool Flat ...A whaling spade was used for slicing through a whale.Flat blade iron spade, unpainted, with long handle.whaling, whales, maritime history, industry, 1800s, 1900s -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Tool - Fork, Blubber Fork, n.d
... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road Fork Tool Blubber Fork ...Part of collection purchased from Brendan Kurtze by the City of Portland. Whaling industryWhaling implement, iron, painted gloss black, 2 prongs, short section of handle riveted into handle sleeve. The blubber fork was used to transfer sliced pieces of blubber, called "bible leaves", into the try pots for rendering or boiling it into oil. Bible leaves were thrown into the trypots with a blubber fork or blubber pike and heated until the whale oil tried out from them, much like the grease coming from bacon as it cooks. Care had to be taken not to burn the oil, but to be certain that all oil was extracted from the bible leaves.kurtze museum, whaling, blubber fork, maritime -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Tool - Whaling Hook, n.d
... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road Whaling Hook Tool Whaling ...Whaling implement, iron hook painted black gloss, short section of replicated handle painted white. Cast / forged