American whale oil lit the world. It was used in the production of soap, textiles, leather, paints, and varnishes, and it lubricated the tools and machines that drove the Industrial Revolution. The baleen cut from the mouths of whales shaped the course of feminine fashion by putting the hoop in hooped skirts and giving form to stomachtighteningand chest-crushing corsets. Spermaceti, the waxy substance from the heads of sperm whales, produced the brightest- and cleanest-burning candles the world has ever known, while ambergris, a byproduct of irritation in a sperm whale’s bowel, gave perfumes great staying power and was worth its weight in gold. .Eric Jay Dolin
About This Quote
The use of American whale oil in the 19th century was a major step in the development of modern society. Oils produced from whales were used to produce light, heat, and energy for industry, plus soap, textiles, leather, paints, and varnishes. Whale oils also lubricated machines and tools that drove the Industrial Revolution. Whale oils were especially useful for making candles.
Spermaceti oil produced the brightest-burning natural-oil candles known to man. They burned cleaner than their petroleum counterparts. Ambergris was used in perfumes to increase their staying power while helping prevent them from becoming stale or wet.
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