This post was written by Meredith Farmer, 2014 Resident Scholar, Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology. The Dibner Resident Scholar Program is supported by the Dibner family.
I’m originally from Galveston, TX, a place I frequently describe as home of a less-than-stellar beach and lots of hurricanes. However, growing up on the water made an impression on me, as I now spend quite a bit of time reading and writing about sea narratives and storms.
This post was written by Julia Blakely, special collections cataloger. It previously appeared on the Smithsonian Collections Blog.
The trailer for the big Hollywood movie of Nathaniel Philbrick’s book In the Heart of the Sea: the Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex (G530.E76 2000X NMAH) is out and it is terrifying. The true saga of the Essex inspired aspects of Moby Dick, or the title as it originally was published, The Whale, thirty years after the ship was sunk by a furious sperm whale in the southern Pacific Ocean. Herman Melville himself is part of the movie story, interviewing one of the survivors.
With all of our talk about our new Whales exhibit, have we piqued your interest in whale research at the Smithsonian? We certainly hope so! Below, we’ve collected a few handy resources related to our marine mammal friends.
We’re excited about our new exhibit, “Whales: From Bone to Book”! If you’re in the DC area this summer (perhaps for a free, open to the public, whale symposium?), stop by the National Museum of Natural History and take a look. The exhibit is located on the Ground Floor in the Evans Gallery and will be on display until April of 2014.