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By Baylee Browning Collections & Exhibits Associate  A taxidermy Hawksbill Sea Turtle. Over the summer our education team noticed that the beak was falling off! These things can happen, this taxidermy is at least fifty five years old! Hello, my name is Baylee. I am the Collections and Exhibits Associate here at the Whaling Museum. Museums are stewards of our collective history, and many of our stories are shared through artifacts in exhibits and educational programming. My job is to take care of all of the old stuff in the museum because I want them to last for a very long time. Did you know that only a very small percentage of our collections and archives are on display?! We have a lot of objects in our collection, from whaling tools to works of art. We only have one taxidermy, have you seen it? This is a Hawksbill Turtle. Hawksbill Turtles are a tropical species with a distinctive hooked beak especially designed to help them eat their favorite snack, sea sponges! This species was put on the ESA endangered species list in 1970 because they were hunted for their beautiful shells. By Casey Nyvall PR & Collections Intern Now that the holiday season is underway, it is common practice for many of us to take a moment and reflect on what is most important in our lives. In that spirit, for this Thanksgiving, let's take a look back at what 19th century whalers had to celebrate! The life of a whaler was not easy. The hours were long (sometimes five years long), the work was hard and dangerous, the cabins were cramped, and the social scene was almost non-existent. While the life of a whaler was rather difficult, there were a few things that they could celebrate:
Equal Opportunities for Crewmembers of Color Whaling was America’s first integrated industry at a time when racial discrimination against Americans of color was normalized. It was very difficult for many to find meaningful and well paying employment on land, however, the business of whaling was one in which race was not as relevant. Marginalized groups were still stereotyped into specific roles. Indigenous whalers frequently found themselves taking on “hunting” positions as spotters in the crows nest or as harpooners during the chase. Whalers of color, more often than not, were initially placed in more service oriented positions on board, such as cooks or cabin boys. Even so, many found it a little easier to climb through the ranks and be validated for the passion and effort they put into their work than they would have on land. Whalers of color were generally able to enjoy the same standards of living as their white shipmates of the same rank on board. Americans of all shades and backgrounds found themselves on a whaler, and many foreigners did as well. Because dissertation was so common, captains found themselves replacing large portions of their crew with each call to port. Even with such a diverse crew, with an entire ship sharing the same goal, many whalers saw each other not so much through the lens of race, but by their work ethic and skillsets.  Six whalers on a ship. Close-Knit CommuniyWhaling was often a local undertaking, it was not uncommon for entire families or even communities to see their brothers, fathers, uncles, and neighbors all go out to sea. Whalers came from all corners of the world, but once aboard the crew did not often interact with people who were not fellow whalers, except when the ship stopped for supplies and provisions. As a result, there was a sense of camaraderie and even friendship among whaling crews, which we can see in the records and literature from the time. Personally, I recommend reading Moby Dick to get a sense of the dynamics that occurred between crewmembers. Of course, the book is an excellent depiction of whaling life in general, as Melville himself was a whaler! Special MealsAlthough the food on whaling ships was infamous for its less-than-gourmet status, being provided with steady meals could be an incentive to join a whaling ship. The captain and those in higher-ranking positions, such as the ship’s mates, were able to eat better quality dishes than the lower-ranked crewmembers. The captain and his family ate first, followed by the ship’s officers. They could expect to enjoy the finer things, such as butter and sugar, on china plates! Skilled workers, like the harpooners, coopers, and blacksmiths, ate next. Their food was usually similar to what the officers ate, except they got molasses instead of sugar. The whalers ate last, usually from a wooden tub. They were not given any sugar or molasses to sweeten their food or drink. Holidays were recognized at the Captain’s discretion, but when holidays were celebrated the crew could expect to enjoy food that was a little nicer and more flavorful than the usual fare, such as donuts (fried in whale oil, a special treat after a successful hunt), duff (a steamed pudding with dried fruits), and dandyfunk (sea biscuits baked in molasses).
Thanksgiving didn’t become a national holiday until 1863! If you would like to read about why whalers celebrated Thanksgiving, you can check out our post from Thanksgiving 2020! From everyone at the Whaling Museum, have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!  An illustration of the ship Maria, of New Bedford. According to the original caption, when this print was published in 1854, the Maria was the oldest ship in the United States. by Casey Nyvall PR & Collections Intern July is the month of beaches and long hot days. And, sea glass! In case you are unfamiliar with it, this is sea glass:  Sea glass! These vibrant ocean rocks are gorgeous—but how are they made? When it comes to the creation of sea glass, the process seems straightforward. But underneath, there is an enigmatic transformation. Let me take you on the journey. Close your eyes, imagine you are at the beach, with a glass bottle of juice. Imagine you finish your juice, and place it next to you on the sand while you look at the ocean. Then, when the tide comes again, it takes your empty bottle. Open your eyes. What do you think happens next? You're right if you guessed a chemical process called oxidation. During oxidation, salt water shifts the chemical makeup of the bottle's glass. If the bottle you lost were to roll against your flip-flop on the same beach, years later, it would likely look something like the bottle on the right:  Before and after; two once-identical bottles, but the right bottle has been oxidized and the left has not. These Cold Spring Harbor Company bottles were initially the same. However, the left bottle has only been affected by the passage of time on land, while the right bottle spent years in the tumultuous ocean waves. This resulted in the glass's drastic modification, from clear with a tinge of green-blue to something nearly unrecognizable, cloudy and pale. This is generally what occurs when sea glass forms; instead of whole bottles, it often sands down the edges of broken glass or bottle shards, making pieces appear more like stones when they wash up on shore. After glass undergoes oxidation, it can become discolored and opaque; this is how the colorful tones develop in sea glass pieces found on the beach. Additionally, salt water can alter the texture of glass. Who can say what these pieces from the museum collections might look like if they underwent oxidation, like the bottle in the image above!  An amber flask that has found a home in the museum collections.  An olive green bottle, also from the museum collections. (You can find more images of items held in the museum by looking on our collections page.) There are other names for sea glass, such as beach glass, mermaid tears, and pirate glass. Pirate glass is a specific type of sea glass. Pieces of it are especially dark in color, but under bright light, a lighter hue becomes visible. Along with multiple names for the pieces themselves, the sea glass collecting community has their own terminology for the many different aspects of finding sea glass. My favorite is “seaglunking.” It is the colloquial term meaning to go searching for sea glass. To me, the phrase really captures the playful nature of hunting for sea glass on the shore. Today, sea glass is commonly seen in the form of jewelry! Now that we have the environmental awareness of the 21st century, sea glass is either found on the shore, made from bottles and glassware that accidentally enter the ocean, or is crafted artificially by inundating glass with salt water and sand, and even acidic chemicals.  Sea glass jewelry! Part of what is so beautiful and entrancing about sea glass is that each piece, each bottle or fragment of a bottle, is a fragment of someone’s story we will never really know. This gives sea glass an air of mystery that, when coupled with legends of creatures in the sea, contributes to public perception of the sea as an unknown in human history. The lost stories behind sea glass are a manifestation of how much we still don’t know about the world—and each other. Further reading:
Bibliography
by Baylee Browning Collections and Exhibits Associate In 1974 the Whaling Museum gift shop was selling bottle bound models of the Cold Spring Whaling Company fleet. Once a part of the collection of the Kappel family, the Bark Alice recently made its way back to port, this time without its usual load of whale oil and bone!  ​​A ship-in-a-bottle model of the Alice. The Alice was built in 1830 and by 1844 she had been purchased by the Cold Spring Whaling Company and sent out on her first whaling voyage under Captain Freeman Smith. The Alice was sailing during the golden age of American whaling. She could hold two hundred and eighty one tons and required a crew of at least twelve men. By 1862 the Alice and her various crews had traveled the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans between six voyages and returned with a total of 298 barrels of Sperm oil, 11,276 barrels of whale oil, and 131,711 pounds of whale bone. After her final voyage in 1862 the Alice was retired and sold to Brown and Wilde of Boston. The following year she was sold again in Liverpool and lost to history. The Whaling Museum’s archives are full of accounts detailing the day to day on the Alice. These include bills, memos, crews lists, payments, letters, and even the details of a suit from a sailor who felt shorted on his pay in 1846! Perhaps the most interesting story is the account of how a harpoon from the Alice also found its way home.
 Full image of the damaged harpoon. During one of her voyages a harpoon was successfully struck fast to a whale, but before the whalers could finish the job the whale managed to escape. This fragment is from the very same harpoon. The whale was pulling the boat with such force and ferocity that the shaft broke and the harpoon, and the whale, were lost to the crew. The whale had escaped… for now!  This harpoon broke off as the whale escaped the crew of the Alice. It was not recovered until the whale was caught once again, decades later! During one of the voyages of the Andrew Hicks of New Bedford (1884 and 1908) a severed harpoon head was discovered, buried in the blubber of a whale they had caught. The harpoon finally made it back to Cold Spring Harbor by 1932. The Whaling Museum Society had this to say about the find: This harpoon is still in good condition, and it must have been imbedded deep in the tissues of the whale, because its many years… in salt water did not destroy this piece of fine old wrought iron; it must have been thrust into some part of the whale which moved just a little, for witness that the groove of the moveable harpoon head has worn much against the shank and frayed the edge of the groove.
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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  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. 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.  |
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