“Whaling in Maine” by Charles H. Lagerbom. Submitted photo
CAMDEN— Author and historian Charles H. Lagerbom will give an online presentation on “Whaling in Maine” at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at the Camden Public Library. Lagerbom will reveal why Maine should rightly take its place alongside its more well known New England whaling neighbors.
The program is part of the Camden Public Library’s year-long series exploring Maine’s multi-faceted history. Email jpierce@librarycamden.org to request a Zoom link to attend the talk.
Scrimshaw on whale teeth, from the book, “Whaling in Maine” by Charles H. Lagerbom. Submitted photo
The history of American whaling is most frequently associated with Nantucket, New Bedford and Mystic. However, Maine also played an integral part in the development and success of the industry. The sons of Maine became whaling captains, whaling crews, inventors, investors and businessmen. Towns along the coast created community-wide whaling and sealing ventures, outfitted their own ships and crewed them with their own people.
The state also supplied the growing industry with Maine-built ships, whale boats, oars and other maritime supplies. For more than 200 years, the state forged a strong and lasting connection with the American whaling industry. Lagerbom’s new book, “Whaling in Maine,” dives into the history of Maine’s influential role in the whaling industry.
Lagerbom received his MA in history and archaeology at the University of Maine with the research and excavation of a Revolutionary War Truckhouse on the Penobscot River. An avid scuba diver, he has organized underwater surveys of ship remains in Maine lakes as well as the 1779 Penobscot Expedition and the 17th century English galleon Angel Gabriel off Pemaquid. He worked in Antarctica with glacial geology research teams from UM Quaternary Institute, now Climate Change Institute.
A published author, Lagerbom has written, lectured and given presentations on cruise ships, sailing vessels and ashore. He covers topics related to history, life, politics and science of Antarctica, Cape Horn, Maine whaling and colonial Maine and New England maritime history. Lagerbom teaches AP U.S. History at Belfast Area High School and makes his home on the coast of Maine.
For more information on this and other programs, visit librarycamden.org.
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