Cast Iron Whale
date: label: Date made
content: 19th century
name: label: possible owner of sign
content: Baker, Ansol
notes: label: Description
content: The words “BAKER NEW BEDFORD.” appear on the back of this cast-iron sperm whale, which has two mounting lugs on the bottom for fastening to a flat surface. These features suggest that it was a shop sign for one of the many stores in New Bedford, Massaschusetts that provided items to whalers needed for their dirty and dangerous business. In the 1878 New Bedford city directory, the only person listed with the surname Baker was Ansol Baker, a machinist.
label: Description
content: New Bedford was the largest American whaling port in the industry, which flourished until the Civil War and lasted into the early 20th century.
place: label: location where used
content: United States: Massachusetts
label: location where used
content: United States: Massachusetts, New Bedford
topic: label: Subject
content: Engineering
label: Subject
content: Architecture
label: Subject
content: Fishing
label: related event
content: The Development of the Industrial United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
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content: Cultures & Communities
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content: Advertising
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content: Natural Resources
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content: Transportation
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content: Art
label: Exhibition
content: On the Water
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: National Museum of American History. On the Water exhibition website
label: Related Web Publication
content: http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: CL.25052
label: catalog number
content: 25052
label: accession number
content: 2009.0157
label: catalog number
content: 2009.0157.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: shop sign
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: iron (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paint (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cast (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: approx.: 20 in; x 50.8 cm