Whalers spent many long hours preparing intricate carvings known as scrimshaw. The material they used consisted of the large ivory teeth of the whales they killed. Follow one curator’s exploration of this form of maritime art by clicking the link below.

Photograph:Harpoon gun manned by William Heater on the whaler William Grant, 1937. Photo courtesy of Kendall Whaling Museum

For a printer friendly version of this article, please click here