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All In the Family: Brotherhood on the Waves National Sibling Day is April 10 In the golden age of American whaling, the industry was often a family affair. Brothers on Long Island found themselves drawn to the same legacy, sharing the hardships, adventures, and camaraderie. THE LEE BROTHERS Shinnecock Reservation | Southampton, NY The five Lee brothers were all whalers: Milton, Ferdinand (who became captain), Notley, James (also known as Robert), and Garrison (also known as William). The oldest and youngest were separated by seventeen years. They collectively sailed at least 25 times on whaling trips. Their participation highlights the significant role that those with Black & Shinnecock heritage played in the maritime industries of that era. Unfortunately, Ferdinand and William both perished on the Amethyst, which was lost in the Arctic. (Photo: 1881 photograph of the vessel Young Phenix, which Ferdinand Lee sailed on, at dock in New Bedford with seaweed and whale oil barrels in foreground.) THE JONES BROTHERS Cold Spring Harbor, NY John and Walter Jones were instrumental in establishing the Cold Spring Whaling Company in the 1830's. Facing challenges in their woolen mills due to foreign competition, the brothers diversified into whaling, capitalizing on the booming markets for whale oil and related products. Their investments led to the creation of a local fleet. (Photos show formal oil paintings of Jonas and Walter in fine clothing, and a "Whaleman Wanted" posting calling for "experienced and Green Hands for the Cold Spring Whaling Company" who should "apply immediately to John H. Jones, agent." THE WINTERS BROTHERS Sag Harbor, NY When 29-year old Captain Philander Winters sailed the Richmond up the Bering Strait and into the arctic, he was searching for one final whale when the ship encountered heavy fog and struck a reef, running aground. The crew evacuated safety and waited for another ship to come along - and the one that did carried none other than Philander’s older brother, Captain Jonas Winters, who rescued them. Philander mentally and physically struggled to recover, becoming ill and dying a month later. This wasn’t the first wasn’t the first time Jonas had to bury a brother at sea: just a few years earlier, Jonas buried his 27-year old brother Parmenas at sea, who was working as a second mate on Jonas’ ship when he tragically fell from the main yard. (Black and white portrait portrait photograph of Jonas Winters, wearing spectacles and a white beard with a serious expression; sketch of the Richmond stranded on rocks in the arctic with three nearby ships.) Although uncommon, there are instances of whaleships carrying people living in slavery. Transporting enslaved people offered astronomical profits. Even though the transatlantic slave trade was outlawed in the US in 1808, illegal kidnapping and transports of enslaved African people continued. As the whaling industry started to wane, some saw an opportunity to refit the ships into a horrific new role. While New York passed an act to gradually abolish slavery starting in 1799, involvement in the slave trade here did not end. Research shows that select whaling ships were refitted locally and used to transport kidnapped African people who were sold into slavery in Central and South America, including Cuba and Brazil. In 1854, a whaleship could bring in about $16,000 in annual income; a slaveship carrying 600-800 captured African people could earn $150,000-$200,000 per trip. A captain could earn a salary of $900 by whaling - or $9,000 transporting enslaved people. There is a reason why Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address spoke of "American slavery," and not of “Southern slavery."
Even when slavery ended in New York in 1827, New Yorkers continued to support, and profit from, slavery.
By Baylee Browning Collections and Exhibits Associate  Log from the Ship "Alice", 1854-1858. In 2023 Long Island University's Palmer School of Library and Information Science digitized a collection of logbooks and ledgers. The aim of this ongoing work is to preserve the history of Long Island communities by making materials accessible digitally, and to help train the next generation of librarians and archivists in digitization technology. While I was looking through some of these logbooks I made a discovery. Between and sometimes over pages of valuable historical and environmental data I discovered that someone had drawn all over the pages! Rather than pointing the finger at a college student of the 21st century, we should be looking for a student from the 19th to 20th century.
By Baylee Browning Collections and Exhibits Associate  Stummel end of a clay pipe found beneath the kitchen of an old family home. Donated to the Museum by Nan R. in 2024. The museum recently received a clay pipe with a special connection to the Cold Spring Harbor community. Nan R, who donated the pipe, shared her story about how it was discovered: "In 1965 my parents purchased the house at Turkey Lane in Cold Spring Harbor. Lovers of rescuing old houses, they intended to restore it to a functional abode for our family of six. They had been told it once had belonged to a whaling captain, which is most likely a stretch, as the house is not of the size nor quality typically associated with a sea captain. Be that as it may, we set out to make the dilapidated house habitable again. First on the list was to make sure there were no varmints hiding anywhere. To this effort I, being the smallest and most gullible 9-year-old, was sent into the crawl space under the kitchen to see if there was anything under there. While crawling around on my belly with a dim flashlight my beam hit a white object amid the dirt and rubble. I pocketed the object and retreated as quickly as I could wiggle out of the creepy space, thoroughly spooked even though I hadn’t encountered a single varmint. Once I felt secure in the knowledge that my parents would let me keep the object (it did have a naked lady on it after all!), my mom told me it was the bowl end of an old clay pipe. It has stayed with me, neatly boxed, tucked away, and forgotten for nearly 60 years. I recently came across this quirky little piece of Cold Spring Harbor’s history gone astray at the bottom of a long-ignored box and felt it should go back to whence it came." What Nan found under her kitchen floor was the stummel part of a pipe, the largest part of a pipe where the tobacco was lit.  Diagram of a clay pipe. With the help of Robert Hughes, the Huntington Town Historian, museum staff are able to share details about the house under which this remarkable find was recovered. According to a Building-Structure Inventory form from 1979, this house was once the Henry Roger’s Farm House, built somewhere around or before 1839. It has been the home for families like Nan’s for quite some time. From what we can tell, the main structure of the house is a wonderful time capsule in itself. It is “a fine example of its period and almost entirely unaltered” according to the report, with shingles and hewn beams. “The house as it now stands is important for its multiple association with the Roger’s family, the earliest and largest owners in the valley through which Turkey Lane runs.” Though this was likely a farmhouse originally, given the maritime nature of our community, I would not be surprised if there was a sailor living here at some point in the past. He probably spent some time wondering where his beautiful pipe went! Nan is not the only local to have brought our museum clay pipes as donations to our collection. The following two examples were donated to the museum by Guy Cozza in 1997; they had been found on the nearby property of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
 Nan's beautiful pipe has found a new home in the Whaling Museum. The next time you visit, see if you can find our newest piece, now on display in our Cold Spring Harbor Through the Years case! For more information on historic clay pipes, start with these two posts:
“Clay Trade Pipes” published by the Peach State Archaeological Society: https://peachstatearchaeologicalsociety.org/index.php/12-pipes/157-kaolin-clay-trade-pipes “White Ball Clay Pipes” published by the University of Virginia: https://explore.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/show/layersofthepast/multiplenarratives/imported_pipes  As we prepare for our event on Sunday, February 4 from 11-4pm, we welcome you to our enchanting annual event -- in rhyme. The event title "Narwhal Ball" was first conceived by Anthony Sarchiapone, the museum's Board President. The idea grew from an original event idea for an adult crowd, and shaped over time into a wintry celebration for children, complete with crafts, ice cream and an appearance by Elsa -- and, hopefully, learning a thing or two about arctic whale species! We took inspiration from a previous frosty event the museum held at the height of the "Frozen" film craze. In 2023, our museum team was delighted to welcome 400 visitors at our new event and see such positive interest from the community. This week, we have been spending our time suspending snowflakes with fishing line around the exhibits, moving tables, plugging in tinkly lights, hanging up streamers in the workshop, and getting ready for you to visit. In the meantime, Anthony thought he would share a poem he wrote that imagines a magical place where narwhals really do celebrate! Let’s all go to the narwhal ball, Where narwhals dance In the narwhal hall. Where snowy friends come together And no one minds the frosty weather.
By Anthony Sarchiapone  The Whaling Museum Receives Significant Collection of 19 Ships in a Bottle From Kappel Family8/22/2023  Lester Kappel with his collection When Jeff Kappel’s father passed away this May just a few months shy of his 100th birthday, he was faced with the decision of rehoming his father’s extensive collection of Ships in a Bottle. Jeff chose 19 items to donate to The Whaling Museum’s collection, saying “I want it seen. My father collected for years and loved sharing his collection with people, and I want to continue that.” The craft of ship in a bottle is a finely crafted and challenging folk art. The earliest surviving models date to the late 1700’s. Popularized by both American and European mariners who needed to pass long hours at sea, the creator would use a discarded bottle, bits of wood and other materials to create a tiny yet accurate model of a sailing ship. With great patience for handiwork, the model was created with complete but collapsible rigging, which was inserted folded into the neck of a bottle, set into a painted diorama, and had the sails raised. Each ship in a bottle is unique, and was often created as a gift or souvenir. Retired seamen also maintained their skills by engaging in the hobby. Lester Kappel spent a lifetime collecting ships in a bottle, some of which were loaned years ago to the Whaling Museum for a special exhibition about the craft.
A selection of ships in a bottle from this collection will be exhibited in the Museum’s craft workshop by September 2023 and will be on display thereafter. Summer hours at the museum are Tue-Sun, 11-4pm. Beginning September 3rd, fall hours start and the Museum gallery hours change to Thu-Sun, 11-4pm.  by Claire Spina |
| New York artist Hulbert Waldroup captures Concer’s heroism in a two-sided portrait painted on salvaged ship wood. One side shows Concer at work, bravely aiming his harpoon at a whale. On the opposite, he stands along a shore, grinning as he extends a hand towards us. Waldroup’s piece allows viewers to interact with Concer in two different environments, one that demonstrates his remarkable courage and professional success, and one that emphasizes the valuable spirit of Concer as an individual, beyond his achievements at sea. In employing this duality, Waldroup communicates the importance of Concer’s contributions, without reducing him to a token or statistic. “I give the viewer the opportunity to find and reshape the spaces where they find themselves,” says Waldroup in his artist statement. His rendition of the story acknowledges the unlikely circumstances of Concer’s success while maintaining a sense of optimism and endurance that bears relevance today. This balance is a persistent aspect of “Whalers of the African Diaspora.” Despite the heavy subject matter, an inspiring narrative runs through the exhibition, highlighting the unique contributions of every whaler, innovator, and artist involved. The show extends beyond those at sea, honoring the impact of African Americans on spirituality, culture, labor laws and innovation. Each artifact on display – from ship parts to scrimshaw carvings– are powerful symbols of Black whalers’ presence in the industry, both on and offboard. As Grier-Key puts it, “My hope is that the viewer comes away with new knowledge that is a deeper understanding of not just remarkable achievements but the ordinary spirit of service and justice that is within all of us to bring about change.” Given the show’s inspiring subjects and stories, Grier-Key’s statement rings true. By celebrating those who changed the course of the whaling industry, “Whalers of the African Diaspora” offers everyone the opportunity to learn, grow, and make a difference. |  Archeological findings from Concer's home. |
What's cookin'? How about Joe Frogger cookies?
While developing content for our new special exhibit, "From Sea To Shining Sea: Whalers of the African Diaspora," museum staff came across a recipe for for an oversized ginger cookie dating back to colonial times -- the Joe Frogger Cookie.
The cookie's creation is attributed to Lucretia Young, who was born in 1772 to two formerly enslaved people in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a seaport. She married Joseph Brown, the son of an African American mother and Wampanoag Nation father, and who had been born into slavery to Rhode Island sheriff slaveowner Beriah Brown II. Little is known of Joe's early years, but he enlisted as a soldier in the Revolutionary war to take the place of his enslaver's son, who Joe said "left the company to go privateering." Beriah promised his liberty if he would serve out his son's time. Joe completed his enlistment in 10 months and 20 days, serving with 60 other men, and left the war a free man.
During a time when unemployed freed Black people had to leave Marblehead, Lucretia and Joe operated a successful and busy tavern serving sailors. The building still stands today.
There, Lucretia mixed sea water, rum, molasses, and spices to create a large, gingerbread-like cookie which sailors bought by the barrel - The Joe Frogger. While the exact origin of the name is unclear, as legend has it, she named the cookie after her husband and the nearby pond's wide, flat lily pads. Because the cookies lacked milk or eggs, the rum-preserved cookies had a long shelf life suitable for sea voyages, and were popular with fishermen and sailors.
Joe and Lucretia were free people and property owners in a time when most African Americans were enslaved, yet its star ingredients— rum and molasses—are inextricably tied to the brutality of slavery.
While developing content for our new special exhibit, "From Sea To Shining Sea: Whalers of the African Diaspora," museum staff came across a recipe for for an oversized ginger cookie dating back to colonial times -- the Joe Frogger Cookie.
The cookie's creation is attributed to Lucretia Young, who was born in 1772 to two formerly enslaved people in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a seaport. She married Joseph Brown, the son of an African American mother and Wampanoag Nation father, and who had been born into slavery to Rhode Island sheriff slaveowner Beriah Brown II. Little is known of Joe's early years, but he enlisted as a soldier in the Revolutionary war to take the place of his enslaver's son, who Joe said "left the company to go privateering." Beriah promised his liberty if he would serve out his son's time. Joe completed his enlistment in 10 months and 20 days, serving with 60 other men, and left the war a free man.
During a time when unemployed freed Black people had to leave Marblehead, Lucretia and Joe operated a successful and busy tavern serving sailors. The building still stands today.
There, Lucretia mixed sea water, rum, molasses, and spices to create a large, gingerbread-like cookie which sailors bought by the barrel - The Joe Frogger. While the exact origin of the name is unclear, as legend has it, she named the cookie after her husband and the nearby pond's wide, flat lily pads. Because the cookies lacked milk or eggs, the rum-preserved cookies had a long shelf life suitable for sea voyages, and were popular with fishermen and sailors.
Joe and Lucretia were free people and property owners in a time when most African Americans were enslaved, yet its star ingredients— rum and molasses—are inextricably tied to the brutality of slavery.
| Recipe: Joe Frogger Cookies 3½ c flour | 1½ tsp sea salt 1½ tsp ground ginger | ½ tsp ground cloves ½ tsp grated nutmeg ¼ tsp allspice | 1 tsp baking soda 1 c molasses | 1 packed cup brown sugar 2 tbsp white sugar ½ c room temp butter, margarine, or shortening 2 tbsp dark rum 1/3 c hot water Mix dry ingredients; set aside. Beat together the molasses, brown sugar, and your chosen fat until fluffy. In separate bowl, combine hot water and rum. Stirring continuously, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the water-and-rum mixture to the sugar-and-molasses mixture. Continue stirring as the mixture coheres into a dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to a day. Preheat oven to 375. Roll out the dough on parchment paper sprinkled with sugar until it’s about ¼ of an inch. Use an empty coffee can or a wide jar to cut out circles in the dough (traditional Joe Froggers are large, like lily pads). Bake on greased or parchment paper–lined baking trays for 10 to 12 minutes until beginning to brown on the edges, and are still slightly soft in the center. Share your pics @ cshwhalingmuseum! |  |
Find out more about Joe and Lucretia's life, including archival materials, from a post by the Marblehead Museum.
"Joe's Tavern," still standing today, and under private ownership.
One past Valentine's Day, our museum shared several whale heart facts in an infographic. Surprisingly, that post was one of the highest seen images the museum ever shared!
This year, we are resharing several amazing facts about these leviathans' hardest-working organ.
This year, we are resharing several amazing facts about these leviathans' hardest-working organ.
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Between American Hearth Month and Valentine's Day, you probably have hearts of the mind this February. Check out these 5 amazing heart facts of a Blue Whale.
Between American Hearth Month and Valentine's Day, you probably have hearts of the mind this February. Check out these 5 amazing heart facts of a Blue Whale.
- 400 lb in weight! Yours weighs less than a pound!
- 2 miles .... that's how far away you can detect its heartbeat underwater.
- During dives, their heartbeat is the slowest in the world. At the surface, a whale's heart pumps 25-37 times a minute. When diving, the heart slows to 4-8 beats a minute, with an an extreme low of only 2 beats. This drastic measure saves oxygen.
We are so fortunate to have welcomed special guest & Huntington resident Robert Archer to our museum this summer.
Bob's great-great grandfather, Benjamin Archer (1825-1868), sailed as a greenhand, or an inexperienced crew member on Cold Spring Harbor's whaleship, the Monmouth.
According to FindAGrave, Benjamin was an immigrant from England, and he married Phebe Wall (1827-1898) from Ireland. At the young age of 17, he signed on as a greenhand on the bark Monmouth, as shown in the Museum's archives.
Bob's great-great grandfather, Benjamin Archer (1825-1868), sailed as a greenhand, or an inexperienced crew member on Cold Spring Harbor's whaleship, the Monmouth.
According to FindAGrave, Benjamin was an immigrant from England, and he married Phebe Wall (1827-1898) from Ireland. At the young age of 17, he signed on as a greenhand on the bark Monmouth, as shown in the Museum's archives.
The Monmouth was Cold Spring Harbor's first and smallest vessel, built in Massachusetts at 100 feet long. John H. Jones, agent for the Cold Spring Whaling Company, purchased the Monmouth in 1836. The bark had a relatively long career with multiple whaling voyages for the Long Island village.
Benjamin sailed on the Monmouth from 1842-1843, which journeyed to the Indian, North Atlantic, and South Atlantic oceans. The captain of the voyage was the well-liked Hiram B. Hedges of East Hampton (1820-ca.1861), who himself started as a greenhand and worked his way up to captain. Although just a few years older than Benjamin, Hiram was known as "always kind to his men, and highly respected by them." He was also "the handsomest captain who made port in the Sandwich Islands in his time.” Benjamin would have had to follow Hiram's no-liquor regulation on the voyage.
Like all greenhands, Benjamin's earnings were small - a cut of 1/150. As a whole, the voyage was comparatively short and profitable, yielding 75 barrels of sperm oil, 1,550 barrels of whale oil, and 12,400 pounds of baleen & whalebone. One voyage seems to have been enough for Benjamin, because we do not see record of him returning on a future voyage. However, he kept his connection to working on the waters, sailing as a local captain of several schooners and sloops in the 1850's-60s in Cold Spring Harbor (you can check out his licenses in our digital collection).
Benjamin sailed on the Monmouth from 1842-1843, which journeyed to the Indian, North Atlantic, and South Atlantic oceans. The captain of the voyage was the well-liked Hiram B. Hedges of East Hampton (1820-ca.1861), who himself started as a greenhand and worked his way up to captain. Although just a few years older than Benjamin, Hiram was known as "always kind to his men, and highly respected by them." He was also "the handsomest captain who made port in the Sandwich Islands in his time.” Benjamin would have had to follow Hiram's no-liquor regulation on the voyage.
Like all greenhands, Benjamin's earnings were small - a cut of 1/150. As a whole, the voyage was comparatively short and profitable, yielding 75 barrels of sperm oil, 1,550 barrels of whale oil, and 12,400 pounds of baleen & whalebone. One voyage seems to have been enough for Benjamin, because we do not see record of him returning on a future voyage. However, he kept his connection to working on the waters, sailing as a local captain of several schooners and sloops in the 1850's-60s in Cold Spring Harbor (you can check out his licenses in our digital collection).
1855 License for the sloop Dispatch
Benjamin had four children; all but one lived past childhood. Our last record of Benjamin's maritime career was an 1865 license; he passed away just a few years later in 1868. Benjamin was only in his early 40s.
Interestingly, Capt. Hiram B. Hedges - like Benjamin - also retired from whaling. Although Benjamin and many of his descendants remained local to our area, 37-year old Hiram called it quits and moved to Oregon with his wife and son where he became a farmer before vanishing around 1861, possibly in a boating accident - or by committing suicide while facing onsetting Huntington's disease, which ran in the Hedges family. He left behind three young children. (See "The Woman Who Walked Into the Sea.")
Bob Archer noticed some of the museum's recent Facebook posts, and he came to see the collection for himself in person. As an added connection to the museum, Robert's wife, Kathleen, was a descendant of Captain James Wright, whose home is used today for our museum offices and collection storage.
Interestingly, Bob shared that years ago, Cold Spring Harbor was not loally regarded as the "well-off" location it is thought as today - Cold Spring Harbor residents were nicknamed humble "clammies"!
Interestingly, Capt. Hiram B. Hedges - like Benjamin - also retired from whaling. Although Benjamin and many of his descendants remained local to our area, 37-year old Hiram called it quits and moved to Oregon with his wife and son where he became a farmer before vanishing around 1861, possibly in a boating accident - or by committing suicide while facing onsetting Huntington's disease, which ran in the Hedges family. He left behind three young children. (See "The Woman Who Walked Into the Sea.")
Bob Archer noticed some of the museum's recent Facebook posts, and he came to see the collection for himself in person. As an added connection to the museum, Robert's wife, Kathleen, was a descendant of Captain James Wright, whose home is used today for our museum offices and collection storage.
Interestingly, Bob shared that years ago, Cold Spring Harbor was not loally regarded as the "well-off" location it is thought as today - Cold Spring Harbor residents were nicknamed humble "clammies"!
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