New Bedford Scrimshaw

[augusta]

On one of those Antique roadshow type shows last week, they did a segment in the Whaling Museum in New Bedford. They zeroed in on the scrimshaw. They said that the sailors did all the artwork when they were out to sea, and brought it back as a gift to someone waiting at home. I have doubts about that. Were they saying that the sailors, who had plenty to do daily, sat around and made the gorgeous works of art? That's really specialized work. I would think that the boats brought the whalebones and tusks back, and artists on land would do the scrimshaw. Or they bought it from whatever island or country the ship might have sailed to.

One item especially caught my eye. (Well, all of it did - especially those baskets with all the flower designs inside!) But that piece that looked like a skinny ruler that was used to put down a lady's bust, down the cleavage, to keep her sitting up straight. I'd never heard of such a thing. They showed two, and they were both decorated with scrimshaw.

Next trip out, Whaling Museum! Yeah!

[FairhavenGuy]

Scrimshaw was indeed sailors' art. Whaling voyages lasted from three to four years sometimes and there were often weeks of boring sailing around waiting for a whale to appear. Those were also more religious times and many ships had Sundays off. What else do you do on a Sunday afternoon in the middle of the ocean?

[Allen]

Its even more beautiful in person augusta. I really was amazed at how ornate it all was. I would definitely recommend getting a look at it up close. And it was indicated that it was indeed made by the sailors. If you go to the museum, I recommend watching the film they offer on whaling history in New Bedford also.

[Susan]

But that piece that looked like a skinny ruler that was used to put down a lady's bust, down the cleavage, to keep her sitting up straight.

Augusta, I don't know if they mentioned the name of the item on the show, but, its called a busk.



Busk (busc, buske, busque) Piece of wood, whalebone, ivory, horn or steel slotted into front of stays to hold the torso erect. The integral front section of c19th corset shaped to control the abdomen, and also its steel stud and eye fastening. The removable types were often given as gifts of endearment by men to their women, many times adorned with words of poetry.

[Mark A.]

What an interesting piece of woman's adornments. I guess the Wonder Bra has showed how far we have come!
here is a link to a BUSK for sale on E-bay. http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/ws/eBa ... gory=28267

[Allen]

The only word I can come up with for that is UNCOMFORTABLE. I am glad I was not born in a time when I had to lace myself up into those corsets and other contraptions they had in the past, like the busk. The invention of the bra was a necessity waiting to happen.

[augusta]

That's interesting that sailors actually did do scrimshaw. But wouldn't there have been artisans in town who would do it for profit? Like some of the really big, intricate pieces. I have a hard time picturing a sailor working on something like that.

Fairhaven Guy - do they have shops that sell scrimshaw today in New Bedford or in the area (modern day scrimshaw - not the pricey antiques).

Thanks for the tip on the whaling museum, Allen. I will remember to watch the film.

Thank you, Susan, for the picture of the busk! Another torture device for women in another era. I don't think I would have thanked the guy who gave me one of those ...

Good post, Mark! Ugh - that price. It's interesting to know what they are going for, tho. They did say on the show I saw, but I just remember going, "Oh my God!" - it was so high. If this busk Mark posted tells a story, the whaling ship is on the top. I'd say the lady who was given it is on there. But then there's George Washington. It looks like he's in a canning jar??? Any ideas why he would be portrayed like this?

[FairhavenGuy]

Yes, Augusta, there are shops today that sell modern scrimshaw, though it can no longer be produced on whale teeth or whale bone since the Marine Mammals Protection Act went into effect. I think elephant ivory is off limits today, too.

One nice, reputable shop is the Whale’s Tale, on North Water Street in New Bedford, directly behind the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

I say reputable because there is a lot of counterfeit, machine-made stuff that is almost impossible to tell from the real thing, but is sold at very high prices. The Whaling Museum actually have a page on its website about detecting fake scrimshaw.

As far as scrimshaw done by artisans on land during the whaling days, I’ve never heard of it. Whaling was pretty “industrial.” The ships brought home barrels of oil used for lighting and lubrication in a pre-petroleum world. They also brought in baleen, the flexible plates from the mouths on the non-toothed whales. This baleen or whalebone was used to make buggy whips, skirt hoops, umbrella ribs, the “boning” in corsets and other things.

The whale teeth and hard bone were generally not used commercially and had little value. That’s why it was the stuff that the bored sailors fooled around with in their idle time. I think most decorative ivory stuff was imported pre-made from China during the China Trade days.

Scrimshaw didn’t become popular as a collectors item until much later.

One modern scrimshander from Fairhaven was Milton Delano, who was commissioned by Jackie Kennedy to scrimshaw the Presidential Seal on a whale’s tooth for JFK. The tooth was buried with the President.

[doug65oh]

The last week or so, I've thought of starting a collection of small scrimshaw pieces. Somewhere I had seen - on ebay I think - something that surprised me at first. The seller is apparently a dealer, and the pieces they sell are carved on ivory "reclaimed" from old piano keys! No bone, no teeth.

The Kennedy Library museum store has some gorgeous pieces, but they're polymer. Beautiful as they are, I don't think I want to start with plastic!

I'll start with the Whaling Museum site for some pointers... I love the idea tho, of using old piano keys!

[doug65oh]

Neat! The Whale's Tale has a website (whalestale.com). Good God... that man has talent!

Get Thee behind me, Temptation!!