Whaling Museum blog » culture

Whaling Museum named one of Massachusetts’ Great Places

Arthur Motta — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:56:23 +0000

In March, many members & friends nominated the Whaling Museum for inclusion on the Official List of 1,000 Great Places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Their advocacy paid off. Today, the Governor’s Commission to Designate 1,000 Great Places of Massachusetts released its list, and the Whaling Museum is included! The Commission received some 12,000 nominations. Great Places will be used to promote tourism and cultural development by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and other state and locate agencies. Thanks to all who voted!

Press Release

Animal Panegyrics

rosehorton — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:04:37 +0000

Civilizations divided by both time and location are united with the mutual connection of the natural world. Animals were praised in folkloric panegyrics that told of both practical and religious significance. Tools fashioned from the bone of an animal will often bear carvings that depict a tale of culture or perhaps the crest of a family name. Such craftsmanship becomes passed down from generation to generation, with origins that become obscured or aggrandized with the passing of time. History is hidden under the recondite veil that is this mythology, yet it is a passageway that can be followed by the attentive eye.

I am pointing to a Finnish "puukko" knife, a versatile tool used by hunters and craftsman alike. The handle is often carved to tell a story.

Our new exhibit, now on display in the east balcony of the Bourne Building’s upper floor, exemplifies such hidden history. The Lapps of Scandinavia, the Chukchi of Siberia, and the Inuit of North America are various cultures indeed, yet they meet at the mutual point of mythology. Although their cultures may seem distanced and different in appearance, in essence they each celebrate the animals that are beloved in their societies.

New Online Exhibition, “Fans: A Link Between Cultures”

rosehorton — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:54:49 +0000

The whaling industry brought together cultures from around the globe, and New Bedford as the whaling capital was no exception to such diverse international influences. The most unsuspected of objects tell the story of these travels – the handheld fan.

Advertising Fan featuring Bissell's Carpet Sweeper

“Fans: A Link Between Cultures” is the latest online exhibition of the New Bedford Whaling Museum that features the museum’s highlighted collection of these interesting objects. With a unique assortment of fans, dolls, a nineteenth century Valentine and more, this exhibit conveys the symbol of the fan’s importance to the history of trading influence from the Pacific Islands to Western Europe.

Ranging from public advertisement to a secret language of love and involving scores of materials and textiles, this exhibit appeals to historians and textile aficionados alike. These artifacts relay the small but captivating story of 19^th and early 20^th century American culture.

ECHO interns Rose Horton (history) and Jodi Stevens (MA-fibers) researched the fascinating history of fans and compiled this exhibit to portray this small yet significant aspect of New Bedford’s economic, cultural, and trading history.

Fans were used to "speak" a secret language of flirtation.

To view this exhibition, please visit
http://www.whalingmuseum.org/online_exhibits/online_index.html