Whale Ships and Whaling by George Francis Dow

Whale Ships and Whaling by George Francis Dow

The mystery, excitement, and romance of whaling have fired the human imagination since ancient times. And although many books have been written about whales and whaling, few have presented as comprehensive a pictorial survey of the whale ships of all periods as the present -- and now rare -- volume. Over 200 vintage engravings, drawings, and photographs depict a magnificent fleet of barks, brigs, cutters, and other whaling vessels, including interior views and interesting details.
You'll also find photographs and prints of actual whaling implements (blubber forks, harpoons, lances, cutting spades, etc.), whaling guns, boating implements, and other tools and equipment of the whalers of yesteryear. Additional pictorial highlights include a 1621 engraving of Mass being celebrated on the back of a whale; a wood engraving of the ship Maria of New Bedford built in 1782 (oldest whaler in the U.S. in 1853); a Currier and Ives lithograph of a sperm whale, In A Flurry; and a revealing series of prints documenting the whaler Charles W. Morgan of New Bedford.
Most of the prints have been culled from private sources, especially the celebrated Macpherson and Forbes collections, and are generally inaccessible. They have been painstakingly reproduced here, making them widely available to anyone interested in this fascinating chapter of maritime history. George Francis Dow, one of this century's foremost authorities on sailing vessels, selected the illustrations and contributed an expert, well-researched text outlining the history of whaling over three centuries, with special attention to the whaling industry of colonial New England.

George Francis Dow was an American antiquarian for the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. He completed several works on ships, arts and crafts, and daily living in New England.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780486248080
ISBN 10	0486248089
Title	Whale Ships and Whaling
Author	George Francis Dow
Series	Dover Maritime
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Dover Publications Inc.
Year published	2012-02-29
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.