Step back in time to 19th-century maritime life

'Tales & Treasure: From the Attic & Archive' opens





	Corsets and parasols were made using whale bone, as were hair pins. Whale oil fueled the 19th century lamps. Also on display are journals and diaries from seafarers. Courtesy the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum (click for larger version)

October 15, 2009 | 10:13 AM
Museums, traditionally, curate a lot more than they can possibly exhibit. It was with that thought in mind that curator Elizabeth Fleming went into the storage areas of the Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor

"I looked to see what had already been on display. I looked for things that were never on display." With that idea guiding her, Fleming began to pull together the new temporary exhibit, "Tales & Treasure: From the Attic & Archive," which will be on display through Labor Day of next year.

Whaling was at its height in the 1800s as was the call for items made from whale. Cold Spring Harbor was an important whaling center. Ships from the area sailed the proverbial seven seas in quest of the giant marine mammals.

One group of items now on display are antique oil lamps. The grouping of approximately 20 lamps, all different, had never been displayed together before, noted Fleming. "They are esthetically pleasing … Some are hand blown glass, some are pewter. They have a nice look to them." Glass lamps were used by the wealthier class, but "everyone used whale oil in the 19th century."

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Items made from whalebone were also used extensively by people at the time. "I thought it would be interesting to talk about whalebone and whalebone in women's fashion." As a result, two antique corsets, both with whalebone stays, are part of the exhibit, as will be a parasol, also made with whalebone.

But Fleming "wanted to focus on some of the stories of the ships from Cold Spring Harbor," as well. One was the Monmouth which rescued a group of stranded travelers in the South Indian Ocean." They were on their way to Australia and were spotted because they were wearing red shirts. "We thought it was an interesting story. The captain wrote to the whaling company to tell them he had to stop to rescue people. We have the letter, one of the medals (he received) and the newspaper clipping."

Another story the exhibit tells is of a ship which brought former slaves from the U.S. back to Africa to the newly formed country of Liberia. "We have a dugout canoe — 18 feet" from the time as well. The museum also has the journal of Charles Jones Steward who was about 19 at the time, traveling on the ship. "It was sort of a sabbatical" for him, taking the voyage before settling down. He went to Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. As a result "the exhibit talks about the American Colonization Society, the organization formed to send freed slaves back to Africa."

Whaling in the 1800s was a dangerous occupation. The exhibit talks about ships from Cold Spring Harbor which were lost at sea. The resulting rescue of the crew of one of them actually led to an 1856 Supreme Court case (Post v. Jones) and an addition to maritime law.

Added Fleming, "We thought these were interesting stories that hadn't been told and objects that hadn't been displayed before. We thought they would be engaging for people." The exhibit will be on display at the museum through Labor Day.

The Whaling Museum, Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm and holiday Mondays. Admission to the museum is $6 adults, $5 students and seniors, $19 families; military, museum members and children under five are free; Sunday from 11 am to noon is by donation. For further information call 367-3418 or go to website www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.

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