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Claire Murray designs new rug celebrating the history of whaling in Nantucket sound. Now donated and on display at the Nantucket Whaling Museum.
At the heart of Nantucket’s history is the tradition of Whalers braving the waters in search of oil-rich Sperm Whales. During its whaling days, there were 88 Nantucket whaling ships sailing around the world. Nantucket Island was considered the Whaling Capital of the World from 1800 to 1840.
The Great Fire of 1846 destroyed the wharves and much of the business district. This fire, the dwindling demand for whale oil, the silting-up of the harbor, and the discovery of gold in California in 1849, all marked the end of the whaling-era prosperity and the beginning of an economic depression that lasted until tourism replaced whaling as Nantucket's economic base.
One cold New Year’s Day in 1998 a 46-foot bull Sperm Whale washed up on Nantucket’s shore. Hundreds of people lined up to witness the event. In a rich irony, the Sperm Whale whose kind had put Nantucket on the map, had come home to die.
With the help of whale expert Dan DenDanto, of Bar Harbor, Maine, preparation for the skeleton’s articulation was set.
Today in the newly remodeled Nantucket Whaling Museum the skeleton of this full-sized whale is an overwhelming presence in Gosnell Hall, the museum’s great entry room.
To honor this rich history and magnificent creature, Claire Murray designed her new Whale rug collection and donated this beautiful 7x9 Whale area rug to the museum. Children gather round for story time and sit on the whale rug. | 
