Author: unknown
Date: unspecified
Materials: glass, cork and paper
Origin: acquired through a protocol of concession began in 2008, between Reis & Martins, Lda. warehouses and Porto Pim Whale Factory Museum
Reference: MFB.08.0260
Previous owner: Reis & Martins, Lda.
Collection: Porto Pim Whale Factory Museum
Notes: “Sperm whale oil was the main product of Azorean whale industry. This consisted of a liquid substance that was extracted from the animals’ fat tissue and bones. Among these, blubber was the most important on manufacturing and economic levels, providing on its own about two thirds of the total amount of oil supplied by each animal. The other third came from spermaceti, distinct from body oil by a greater thickness, lesser fluidity and transparency, as well as better quality. In the Azores, the initial sperm whale exploitation aimed at extracting oil to meet lighting demands. Whale oil was the best fuel for wick lamps and the prime resource for domestic and public lighting. In the 19th century, sperm whale oil was replaced by oil. The demand for spermaceti oil lost value with the emergence of paraffin. Nevertheless, chemical prospection research enabled the discovery of new uses for those products, such as for the pharmaceutical, perfume and cosmetics industries, as well as for paint manufacture and as a softener in leather production. After being rectified, spermaceti was still highly competitive as a lubricant for delicate and scientific machinery. In Portugal, sperm whale oil was used just as a lubricant. Export was, nevertheless, the main goal of this industry”.
Márcia Pinto and Filipe Porteiro, A Baleação no Faial – Fase Industrial, 1940-1984 [Whaling in Faial – Industrial Period, 1940-1984], 2010, p. 55.
Photo by Rodrigo Sá da Bandeira.
