Vernacular in Curves: The Mythologizing of the Great Lakes Whaleback

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.

Department dc:contributor.department

History

Grantor dc:publisher

East Carolina University

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Lengieza, Joseph Thaddeus

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Rodgers, Bradley A

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10342/5333

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:thescholarship.ecu.edu:10342/5333