Newburyport Amongst the Whales - Warm Talks for Cold Winds

James Russell, CHMM Executive Director, talks about the global adventures of Newburyport whalers as they sailed the seven seas in pursuit of the leviathans of the deep. The presentation charts a course from early whaling expeditions in the North Atlantic, through the ESSEX of Moby Dick fame, to the end of Yankee whaling. Russell references Margaret Peckham Motes' 2022 book “Among the Whales,” illustrated by artist Jeffrey Briggs. New collections to the Custom House Maritime Museum, such as an 1867 crew list from the Newburyport whaler “Life Boat" donated by the Institution for Savings, document diversity in the composition of the crew. A recently donated Sperm whale oil bucket from Bill Gynan connects the hunt to the insatiable need to keep lighthouses lit. Examples from the CHMM’s collection demonstrate how this short-burst energy business of the 18th and 19th centuries wove its way into everyday life. The massive and near extinction of some species of whales can provide lessons for us today as we look again to the wind and waves as a source of new energy. The talk concludes with a look at the status of whale populations today with attention to the plight of the endangered North Atlantic Right whale. Given at the Custom House Maritime Museum on January 14 and 21, 2023

[@upyorkstate5541]

Excellent!

[@bigdaddysantos]

Great Talk!

[@marthaholloway430]

"Promo SM" 🌈