The Sippican Historical Society will present a PowerPoint lecture on scrimshaw by its president, Frank McNamee, on June 21 at the Marion Music Hall at 7 p.m.

The lecture will discuss the scrimshaw collection that was recently donated to the SHS by William Claflin. This remarkable collection of 19th century sailor-made scrimshaw consists of over 100 pieces and was assembled in the 1930s and 1940s before there was any scholarship on the art of scrimshaw.

The Claflin collection is one of the most significant and valuable scrimshaw collections to surface in this century.  The collection consists of engraved whales’ teeth, pie crimpers, baleen corset stays, whalebone finds, whale ivory ditty boxes and much more.

In one fell swoop the maritime collection at the Sippican Historical Society has been elevated to world-class status. The lecture is free and open to the public.