All photos courtesy of New Bedford Whaling Museum

Provincetown’s History Told Through Artifacts

by Steve Desroches

Whales have been a vital part of most every aspect of life since humans settled into what is now the Outer Cape. Every culture that has lived here has in some way relied on whales. In modern day Provincetown, whale watches are an integral part of our economy, and the Provincetown-based Center for Coastal Studies continues to be an important institution with a global reach in the study and preservation of whales. It’s hard to imagine a time when people who did not live on a coast where whales could be observed thought whales didn’t exist and were merely tall tales told by sailors, the same as mermaids and sea monsters. And even those who did live by the sea, but did not go out on a boat to see them up close, only saw the occasional fluke or spout from the beach. That’s why on the sad occasions when whales beach themselves or wash up dead in Provincetown, it’s always been a huge event, as you could see these magnificent creatures in their totality drawing huge crowds to town. 

Back in the late 1800s enterprising folks in Provincetown would take these deceased whales, remove the skeleton, and then go on national speaking tours showcasing the giant bones to the oohs and aahs of folks all over the country. These part-science, part-sideshow events educated a nation about these maritime mammals, as is evident from these Provincetown-specific artifacts in the collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.