The Art Of Whaling

A whale chase depicted in the log of the ship Washington kept by James G. Coffin (1842–1844) — Source

Prior to the arrival of the pilgrims Nantucket, whose name in Wampanoag means “sandy, sterile soil tempting no one”, was home to a small and sustainable population of Native Americans but was too infertile to support the agriculture necessary for a growing population. So the settlers turned to the sea and the brutal business of whale hunting. During their downtime the whalers created some lovely art. Public Domain Review  brings us researcher Jessica Boyall's exploration of illustrations from the logbooks and journals of Nantucket whaleships.

More drawings of whales in the log of the ship Indian Chief kept by Thomas R. Bloomfield (1842–1844) — Source

Via perfect for roquefort cheese