1870 Russell / Bufford View of Sperm Whaling Industry

This is Benjamin Russell's stunning 1870 chromolithograph view of the American sperm whaling industry, printed by John Henry Bufford.

A Closer Look

The view provides a comprehensive overview of the whaling process, from spotting, pursuing, killing, and hauling in whales. Captions below the image explain the actions above, as men in crews of six on small boats attempt to pursue, harpoon, hang on to, kill, and eventually tow in whales. As Elton Hall explains in his 1981 article on Russell's whaling views, a harpooned whale could do one of three things - run (most often), dive down into deep water (sound), or attack the ship that had harpooned him (more likely to happen with sperm whales than other species). All three of these possibilities are depicted in the present view. Sometimes, a whale already killed was tagged with a flag (waif), as with the whale in the foreground at left, so the crew could pursue more whales before hauling in the one already killed to the main ship. The large flocks of seabirds hoping to feast on whale carcasses before they could be hauled in reflect Russell's attention to fine detail.

Historical Context

This view was produced at the tail end of the 19th-century whaling boom in the United States, an oft-forgotten but essential industry in the country's early history. Whale oil was primarily used for lighting but had additional applications, including as a machine lubricant. Other parts of the whale could also have particular uses, such as the baleen (whalebone) used for baskets, collar stiffeners, corset stays, and buggy whips. However, by the time this view was produced, the whaling industry was in decline, as rampant overhunting had reduced the global whale population. It became increasingly difficult to find sufficient numbers of whales, sending New England whalers to far distant locations in the Pacific and Arctic regions, such as the Bering Strait, chasing diminishing stocks. At the same time, alternative sources of fuel for lighting, such as kerosene, coal oil, and turpentine, were becoming increasingly common, ultimately leading to the boom in petroleum. The U.S. Civil War also disrupted the already weakened industry, with both crews and ships dedicated to the war effort. By the end of the century, the industry was only a shadow of its former self.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process uses multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Generally, a chromolithograph begins with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors are layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color can be blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda.

Publication History and Census

This view was originally drawn by Benjamin Russell, a New Bedford native with personal experience on board a whaling vessel (see biography below). It was then lithographed by John Henry Bufford in 1870. Examples of the view are scarce, with none cataloged in the OCLC. We have identified examples at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, National Museum of American History (Smithsonian), Huntington Library, MIT Museum, and the Robert Hellman Whaling Collection housed at the Nantucket Historical Association.