The origin of the word "scrimshaw" is somewhat obscure, but many
scholars agree that it probably came from a Dutch word which means "a
waste of time." Today that word is used to identify etching or carving of
ivory or bone and is recognized as an American folk art.
Sailors of the early 1800's set out from the eastern coast of the United
States aboard whaling vessels. These men hunted in the Atlantic Ocean
and, later, in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans for whales. At that time,
whales were hunted for their oil, known to burn cleanly, brightly and
efficiently. The ivory of toothed whales was not, therefore, the main
purpose for these hunts. Much of the ivory from that era was simply
thrown overboard as scrap.
Extended voyages could keep a sailor away from home for three to five
years, with very little to do between whale sightings. Life on board ship
quickly became boring. To keep busy, sailors began to scratch images of
their ship, whales, or even faraway places onto the only material they had
available: the ivory whale's teeth.
Thus, scrimshaw began as a way for sailors to "waste time." The whalers
took their art to many of the places they visited, most notably Alaska and
the Hawaiian Islands.
Scrimshaw reached a peak between 1840 and 1860. The Civil War impacted
the whaling industry as great numbers of the whalers chose to stay in
port, or enlist in the war. Whaling increased again after the war's end, but
not to the degree it had in earlier years. By the beginning of the 1900,
electricity replaced the need for oil. The U.S. whaling industry came to an
end, with scrimshaw nearly vanishing.
As sailors scrimmed on board their ships, mountainmen and explorers made
their way across the vast, unexplored American wilderness. They, too,
etched records of what they saw on the only available materials, often on
blank space of their powderhorns, creating a form of scrimshaw.
In 1974 The United States Congress enacted the "Endangered Marine
Mammal Species Act" to protect whales from extinction. Whale hunting is
now illegal, protecting these endangered animals. We applaud this
environmental effort, as the U.S. government asks other countries to do
the same.
In 1989, Congress again moved to protect elephants with the passage of
the "Protected Species Act" in much the same way as whales are protected.
The world is not the same as it was in 1840 and we are keenly aware that
we must protect ivory-bearing animals. These laws help to insure that such
animals may increase and survive in years to come.
The folk art of scrimshaw can, however, be kept alive by using alternative
materials. Old ivory items can be recycled and reused. Mastadon (fossilized
ivory from prehistoric elephants) offers a beautiful surface for
scrimshaw. Deer, elk and other antlered animals shed their antlers each
year which prove to be a good substitute. Cow bone, likewise, can be
polished and prepared for scrimshaw work. Some manmade materials can
also be used.
scholars agree that it probably came from a Dutch word which means "a
waste of time." Today that word is used to identify etching or carving of
ivory or bone and is recognized as an American folk art.
Sailors of the early 1800's set out from the eastern coast of the United
States aboard whaling vessels. These men hunted in the Atlantic Ocean
and, later, in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans for whales. At that time,
whales were hunted for their oil, known to burn cleanly, brightly and
efficiently. The ivory of toothed whales was not, therefore, the main
purpose for these hunts. Much of the ivory from that era was simply
thrown overboard as scrap.
Extended voyages could keep a sailor away from home for three to five
years, with very little to do between whale sightings. Life on board ship
quickly became boring. To keep busy, sailors began to scratch images of
their ship, whales, or even faraway places onto the only material they had
available: the ivory whale's teeth.
Thus, scrimshaw began as a way for sailors to "waste time." The whalers
took their art to many of the places they visited, most notably Alaska and
the Hawaiian Islands.
Scrimshaw reached a peak between 1840 and 1860. The Civil War impacted
the whaling industry as great numbers of the whalers chose to stay in
port, or enlist in the war. Whaling increased again after the war's end, but
not to the degree it had in earlier years. By the beginning of the 1900,
electricity replaced the need for oil. The U.S. whaling industry came to an
end, with scrimshaw nearly vanishing.
As sailors scrimmed on board their ships, mountainmen and explorers made
their way across the vast, unexplored American wilderness. They, too,
etched records of what they saw on the only available materials, often on
blank space of their powderhorns, creating a form of scrimshaw.
In 1974 The United States Congress enacted the "Endangered Marine
Mammal Species Act" to protect whales from extinction. Whale hunting is
now illegal, protecting these endangered animals. We applaud this
environmental effort, as the U.S. government asks other countries to do
the same.
In 1989, Congress again moved to protect elephants with the passage of
the "Protected Species Act" in much the same way as whales are protected.
The world is not the same as it was in 1840 and we are keenly aware that
we must protect ivory-bearing animals. These laws help to insure that such
animals may increase and survive in years to come.
The folk art of scrimshaw can, however, be kept alive by using alternative
materials. Old ivory items can be recycled and reused. Mastadon (fossilized
ivory from prehistoric elephants) offers a beautiful surface for
scrimshaw. Deer, elk and other antlered animals shed their antlers each
year which prove to be a good substitute. Cow bone, likewise, can be
polished and prepared for scrimshaw work. Some manmade materials can
also be used.
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