Natural Resources

Whale Oil Lamp

Description

From a simple hanging lantern suitable for use in a barn to an elegant blown glass table lamp, whale oil illuminated the homes and businesses of America from the 18th century well past the time of the discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania in 1859.

Kerosene and other petroleum products largely replaced whale oil for illumination by the end of the century. However, the use of other whale products for various purposes lasted well into the 20th century.

date made

mid 1800s

ID Number

DL.377184

catalog number

377184

accession number

136485

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Whale Oil Lamp

Description

From a simple hanging lantern suitable for use in a barn to an elegant blown glass table lamp, whale oil illuminated the homes and businesses of America from the 18th century well past the time of the discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania in 1859.

Kerosene and other petroleum products largely replaced whale oil for illumination by the end of the century. However, the use of other whale products for various purposes lasted well into the 20th century.

date made

mid 1800s

whale oil lamps used

18th cenutry

discovery of petroleum

1859

ID Number

DL.316030

catalog number

316030

accession number

66046

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Sperm Whale Tooth Watch Stand

Description

Scrimshaw known to have been made specifically for men is comparatively rare. This unfinished tooth was hollowed out at the back to carry a gentleman’s pocket watch inside, perhaps set on a wardrobe, a bureau or a dressing table overnight.

Patriotic imagery was very popular on American scrimshaw. At the top is a large eagle in flight clutching arrows and an olive branch; the hole for the watch is framed by a simple scalloped line. The space at the bottom was probably reserved for the owner’s initials or possibly a date, and the two holes were likely drilled for ivory buttons. The piece was unfinished when it was donated in 1875 by J. H. Clark of Newport, R.I.

date made

19th century

Associated Date

collected

ID Number

DL.024905

catalog number

024905

accession number

4331

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Ship's Surgical Kit

Description (Brief)

This wooden surgical case with brass fittings has three main compartments, one of which is a tray that lifts out from the lower case. The interior of the case is molded so that each instrument has its own compartment. The entire interior is lined with purple velvet. The exterior of the lid has an oval escutcheon which is marked, "U.S.A./ Hosp. Dept." The set includes 45 instruments, three of which are not original to the set. At least six instruments are missing, including four knives and a bandage scissors.

During the Civil War the United States Army contracted with several surgical instrument makers, including Herman Hernstein to provide surgical sets for the Union troops.

As a young boy in Germany Hermann Hernstein was apprenticed to a surgical instrument maker. He came to the United States in 1841 and settled in New York City. Within a few years, he had established his own shop.

According to Edmonson much of Hernstein’s inventory was imported from Europe.

Description

Surgical kits were not required on merchant vessels, but the larger and better-equipped ships often carried them. These were used for everything from pulling teeth to the amputation of limbs, and everything in between. Like the medicine chests, these kits too were often sold with simple pamphlets, with instructions and diagrams on how to use them in emergencies. The captain or first mate most commonly carried out any needed procedures.

date made

1862-1865

maker

Hermann Hernstein & Son

ID Number

1977.1103.01

accession number

1977.1103

catalog number

1977.1103.01

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Bone Dice

Description

Gambling usually was banned aboard whaling ships, on the grounds that it could cause too much strife among the crew. But “bones” or dice were easily concealed from a ship’s officers, and crews found out-of-the way places to spend their free time wagering their earnings, tobacco or other assets.

date made

19th Century

ID Number

AG.024849.3

catalog number

24849.3

accession number

1875.4423

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Polychrome Scrimshaw Whale Tooth

Description

Even whalemen with little or no artistic talent could carve highly detailed scenes, through use of the pinprick technique. In this method, a picture was cut from a contemporary magazine and then pasted or dampened to stick to the polished surface of a sperm whale's tooth. A sharp pin was then pushed through the lines of the image, which was then removed. This left lines of dots; when these were connected with engraved lines, they formed a copy of the original picture. Most commonly, lamp black (soot) was then rubbed into the engraved lines to make them stand out from the background of the tooth, although colored pigments like those on this tooth also could be applied for variety. The high fashion of this lady's garments bracket a date just a few years after the end of the Civil War.

Date made

1865 - 1869

ID Number

DL.374502

catalog number

374502

accession number

136263

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Scrimshaw Whale Bone Food Chopper

Description

Simply carved and without any engraving, this food chopper, or mincer, was made in two pieces from a sperm whale’s jawbone. Its blunted, curved blade was used to chop soft foods such as bread dough, fruits, sausage, and animal fats. This example was donated by former Secretary of the Institution Spencer F. Baird (1823–1887) to the Smithsonian, where it became one of the earliest objects in the maritime collections.

date made

1800s

purchased

1876-11-30

ID Number

AG.024909

catalog number

24909

accession number

2009.0157

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Scrimshaw Panbone Port Scene

Description

The absence of much pinpricking in this elaborate panbone picture indicates a highly skilled scrimshaw artist who was able to sketch the fantastic port scene freehand. The presence of palm trees indicates a warm climate, dominated by naval warships in a fortified harbor with its own lighthouse. Military camps dominate the land, and a smaller factory or mill town on the bottom of the scene is defended by a partial stockade.

The artist has left no clues for the specific location of this beautifully detailed landscape, although the palm trees suggest somewhere in the vicinity of the equator.

date made

19th century

1800s

ID Number

DL.374479

catalog number

374479

accession number

136263

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Scrimshaw Ivory Whale Stamp

Description

Carved from the teeth of captured sperm whales, whale stamps were used to record the type of whale and number of barrels of oil they yielded.

The stamps were inked onto the page of whaleship logbooks or sailors’ journals, with an empty space in the whale’s body for writing in the number of barrels. This example in the form of a sperm whale is decorated with steel pin heads and a turned handle.

date made

1800s

ID Number

1978.0052.06

accession number

1978.0052

catalog number

1978.52.6

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Whalebone Thimble Eye

Description

This rope-strapped thimble carved from whalebone would have had a light rope through the eye for rigging, perhaps on a whaleboat.

These miniature items also served as children’s toys or curiosities back home. Toys in the form of miniature working ship parts were easy and quick for sailors to carve, and they did not require much skill to make. They also served as potent reminders of where and what the men were doing during their long absences from their friends and families.

date made

1800s

ID Number

AG.025801

catalog number

025801

accession number

2009.0182

Data Source

National Museum of American History