Editorial

Modern Uses For Historical Records

A rather unusual use of old whaling logbooks has resulted in the proposal emanating from an International Workshop on Historical Whaling Records, which was held at the Kendall Whaling Museum, in Sharon, Mass., September 12 through 16, 1977. Sponsored by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, the International Whaling Commission, and the Kendall Whaling Museum, the Workshop was attended by some thirty specialists in a wide range of marine study. Participants came from Australia, South Africa, Canada, England, Japan and the United States. The Nantucket Historical Association was represented by Edouard A. Stackpole and Miss Helen Winslow.

The objective of the Workshop was to determine if historical whaling records could provide the data required to adequately assess the status of whalestocks which were subjected to early whaling. As a result of the week's deliberation it was announced that the Workshop had determined such a study was feasible and should proceed.

Thus, the old logbooks and journals, which are a veritable treasure trove of whaling history, are now to be called upon to fill a scientific role. The study intends to reveal where whales were found and taken in the 19th century, what species are represented, and how many were killed. Marine biologists hope to obtain viable evidence of the abundance of whale stocks in particular oceans of the world, as well as determining the effect of exploitation upon them.

While the largest collections of whaling logbooks and journals are located in New Bedford, there are sizable collections at the Providence Public Library (the Nicholson Collection), at Mystic Seaport's G. W. Blunt White Library, and at the Kendall Whaling Museum. The Nantucket Historical Association has a collection of more than 300 logs and journals, most of which are of Nantucket ships. There is also a collection held by the Atheneum which has some of the early 18th century logs. The largest microfilm collection is that of the International Marine Archives, at 21 Orange Street which has been the work of Douglass C. Fonda, its President.

Much of value will result from this study. Perhaps, the effort will reveal that the difficulty of imposing a modern blueprint on century-old records demonstrates that we must provide a longer period of study than that presently estimated. But the ultimate accomplishment will have an enduring value to all scholars.

Edouard A. Stackpole