Who Knew?

The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea
By: Philip Hoare

“While I read illicit American comics under my bedclothes, fantasizing about a world of sleek-suited superheroes, new processes – sulphurization, saponification, distillation – extended and rationalized the use of whales in lubricants, paint, varnish, ink, detergent, leather and food: hydrogenation made whale oil palatable, sanitizing its taste. Efficiency ruled, in place of the early whaler’s waste. Whale liver yielded vitamin A, and whale glands were used to make insulin for diabetics and corticotrophin to treat arthritis. Nineteenth-century trains had run on whale oil; now streamlined cars with sleek chrome fins used brake fluid made from the same stuff. Victorian New Englanders had relished doughnuts fried in whale oil; now children with crew-cuts and stripy T-shirts licked ice cream made from it. Their bright shiny faces were washed with whale soap, and having tied their shoelaces of whale skin, they marched off to school, past gardens nurtured on whale fertilizer, to draw with whale crayons while Mum sewed their clothes on a machine lubricated with whale oil, and fed the family cat on whale meat. In her office, big sister transcribed memos on typewriter ribbon charged with whale ink, pausing to apply her whale lipstick. Later that afternoon, she would play a game of tennis while a whale-strung racquet. Back home, daddy lined up the family to take their photograph on film glazed with whale gelatin."

I’m guessing this is set in the early 70’s, since Britain began to ban whale products in 1973. Still, I had no idea so many products were made from the Whale? And the number of whales killed each year is staggering. It's amazing that any managed to survive at all.

I highly recommend this book, although it's not exactly an easy read.