Skip to main content
Collections Menu
Image courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA.
Image courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA.
Model of an American Steam/Sail Whaler
Image courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA.
Copyright and other proprietary rights in material on this site may be held by individuals or entities other than or in addition to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The John F. Kennedy Library does not warrant that the use of materials displayed on this site will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to these works. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum respects the intellectual property rights of others. The John F. Kennedy Library may, in appropriate circumstances and at its discretion, remove, disable and/or terminate access to any material on or linked to or from this site that it suspects to be infringing upon a third party's intellectual property rights or other rights.

Model of an American Steam/Sail Whaler

Artifact IDMO 63.1943
Object Type Ship Model
Date 20th century
Date Presented6/4/1961
Gifter
Medium Walrus ivory, whale baleen, whale sinew, wood
DimensionsOverall H 19 in x W 28 in x D 7 1/2 in (48.3 cm x 71.1 cm x 19.1 cm)
Physical DescriptionModel of a three-masted American Whaling ship with 3 jibs at stern. Sails, deck and hull are carved from whale baleen. Six lifeboats hang from davits. The hull has a black wooden deck with a smoke stack. The rigging for the masts is made of sinew.
Historical NoteThis model was carved from memory by a self-taught Chukchi craftsman. Such sail-steam vessels were in use in the end of the 19th century in the Chukchi Sea for whale-fishing and they would visit Russian harbors. The model was presented to President Kennedy by Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the USSR after their meeting in Vienna, Austria on June 3-4, 1961. President Kennedy displayed in it in the Oval Office of the White House.
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteItem was a gift from a foreign official to the President and First Lady received through the Executive office during the Kennedy Administration and transferred to the General Service Administration where it was held until donated to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum by the Estate of President John F. Kennedy in 1965.
Credit LineJohn F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA; Gift of the Estate of President John F. Kennedy
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesGifts from Heads of State (National Archives Identifier 1677008)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedUse Restriction NoteReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Not on view
Related Links