Snapshots of the Past

Sperm whaling with its varieties – Antique Wall Art

Sperm whaling with its varieties, ? — historic image
Sperm whaling with its varieties, ?. Historic image from the Sailing & Yachts collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

Sperm whaling with its varieties comes to life in this historic image, reproduced from the original with every detail intact. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

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Sperm whaling with its varieties

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The title promises several scenes of the sperm whale hunt rather than a single moment, and the print was made by Bufford, a Boston lithographer whose firm issued many views of maritime and everyday American life in the nineteenth century. Sperm whaling was a major American industry from the late eighteenth century through the 1800s, centered on ports such as New Bedford and Nantucket. Its prize was spermaceti, a waxy oil from the whale's head that made a clean, bright lamp fuel and high-quality candles, while the rest of the whale yielded oil that was rendered on board. Prints like this one helped the public picture a dangerous trade that supplied household light across the country.

Created / published?
SubjectsBufford
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan10,053 × 6,006 px · prints to 34 × 20 in at 300 dpi
Reference7

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