31st Annual Scrimshaw Weekend at the New Bedford Whaling Museum
Friday, May 10 through Sunday, May 12, 2019
18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-0046
The annual Scrimshaw Weekend is the world's only forum devoted to the indigenous shipboard art of whalers. Defined as the making of utilitarian and decorative objects from the hard byproducts of whaling—sperm whale ivory, walrus ivory, baleen, and skeletal bone—scrimshandering had its heyday on American and foreign whaleships in the Age of Sail, and scrimshaw-making carried over to the modern shore-whaling stations and factory-ships of the 20th century. Enthusiasts from across the country and abroad will gather to share the enjoyment of this distinctive and beautiful art form.
Weekend presentations will include:
- Scrimshaw collected "by the fishermen themselves"
- Important fragments: newly discovered features of classic masterworks
- Collector focus: inside a private collection (shown for the first time)
- Collectors' choice: favorite pieces of scrimshaw
- Collectors' choice: favorite pieces of scrimshaw in museums
- Collectors' spotlight: highlights of a private collection
- Foster at last!
- New books and new online resources
- Annual market report
- Antique Scrimshaw Collectors Association (ASCA) report
- Field trip to Nantucket (optional)
The New Bedford Whaling Museum holds the world’s largest and most comprehensive scrimshaw collection and has been hard at work examining and cataloguing scrimshaw from its own collection and from all over the world, disseminating the results. Scrimshaw Weekend is characterized by a wide spectrum of world-class scrimshaw, fine food, new ideas, and high camaraderie. Scrimshaw Weekend attracts seasoned collectors and distinguished experts as well as antiques dealers, neophyte collectors, whaling history devotees, and interested bystanders from around the world.
The 31st Annual Scrimshaw Weekend: Friday, May 10 — Sunday, May 12, 2019
The 10th Annual Nautical Antiques Show: Friday, May 10, 2019 — Noon to 5:00pm, with 11:00am Early Bird special admission, providing opportunities to browse hundreds of high-quality antiques from some of New England’s most respected dealers.
Visit www.whalingmuseum.org/programs/scrimshaw-weekend for complete details and registration information.