214. Monstrous: The Business of Whaling

 

Whaling was big business. Connecticut and her sister New England states built ships, forged cast iron tools, produced wooden storage casks and outfitted sailors. Stonington, Mystic, New London, and New Haven were part of New England’s predominance in successful whaling. We’re going to get into the nitty gritty of the trade in this episode and hear about some of the striking artifacts from Mystic Seaport’s whaling collection - tools, ship logs, harpoons, blubber hooks and scrimshaw - that are on view. They speak to the staggering risks and rewards of the whaling industry that lit America’s lamps and greased its machines for over a century. We’re also going to talk about the largest whaling artifact of all - the Charles W. Morgan, the last American whaling ship in existence. It was considered “ancient” in the 1920s but has been faithfully restored.

 

This summer we are featuring two episodes on whaling. To get the big picture on whaling, we talked to one of our favorite guests, Eric Jay Dolin, in episode 211, about his book Leviathan, the History of Whaling in America. And in today’s episode, we’ll visit Mystic Seaport Museum’s new exhibition “Monstrous: Whaling and Its Colossal Impact” with curator Mike Dyer. The exhibit explores the sheer scale-physical, economic, and human-of the nation’s whaling industry and its legacy. Dyer is the Curator of Maritime History and an Instructor in the Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime History at Mystic Seaport Museum. Visitors can tour the new exhibit and visit the Charles W. Morgan  for an unforgettable immersive experience.

 

*Warning: Listeners may find the content of  this episode disturbing. Whaling was a brutal trade. We are describing the industry in its historic context.*

 

Listen to the whaling episode with Eric J. Dolan at  gratingthenutmeg.libsyn.com/211-leviathan-new-englanders-and-the-history-of-whaling

Contact Michael P. Dyer at [e-mail]

Find out more about the new exhibit here: mysticseaport.org/exhibit/monstrous/

Find out more about the Charles W. Morgan here: mysticseaport.org/explore/morgan/

Find out more about American whaling here: whalinghistory.org/

You’ll find the link to the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park here:

www.nps.gov/nebe/index.htm

 

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This episode of Grating the Nutmeg was produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan at www.highwattagemedia.com/   Follow GTN on our socials - Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky.

 

Follow executive producer Mary Donohue on Facebook and Instagram at West Hartford Town Historian. Join us in two weeks for our next episode of Grating the Nutmeg, the podcast of Connecticut history. Thank you for listening!