Vernacular in Curves: The Mythologizing of the Great Lakes Whaleback
type: CreativeWork
description: The "whaleback" type of bulk commodity freighter, indigenous to the Great Lakes of North America at the end of the nineteenth century, has engendered much notice for its novel appearance; however, this appearance masks the essential vernacularity of the vessel. Comparative disposition analysis reveals that whalebacks experienced longevity comparable to contemporary Great Lakes freighter of similar construction material and size, implying that popular narrative overstates whaleback abnormality. Market and social forces which contributed to the rise and fall of the whaleback type are explored.
abstract: The "whaleback" type of bulk commodity freighter, indigenous to the Great Lakes of North America at the end of the nineteenth century, has engendered much notice for its novel appearance; however, this appearance masks the essential vernacularity of the vessel. Comparative disposition analysis reveals that whalebacks experienced longevity comparable to contemporary Great Lakes freighter of similar construction material and size, implying that popular narrative overstates whaleback abnormality. Market and social forces which contributed to the rise and fall of the whaleback type are explored.
author: Lengieza, Joseph Thaddeus
language: en
date published: 2016-05-03
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:13:37Z
provider: East Carolina University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: East Carolina University

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/10342/5333