Scrimshaw Gallery - Robert Spring       page 2

This portrait of Robert Spring was taken in the early 1970s.  The b&w image (center) is of a tri-color Spring original (page 73 Leslie Linsley's book "Scrimshaw - A Traditional Folk Art, A Contemporary Craft"), while the image (far right) is a color scan of a scribed b&w copy of same, scrimshaw by O. Gatzka (1974?), onto an Artek resin replica of a blank tooth.

This typical tri-color (sepia, green, & black) scrimshaw was just recently acquired.  4.25-inches & 3.9-ounces.

In the early 1970s, novice Nantucket scrimshander Larry Vienneau was admittedly influenced by Robert Spring, as is demonstrated by his rendering of the Whaler Essex as found on page 109 of Leslie Linsley's book "Scrimshaw - A Traditional Folk Art, A Contemporary Craft".  The two recent scrimshaws at right are by scrimshander O. Gatzka, scribed onto Artek resin replicas of whale teeth, most likely based on the book image.

A small whaler dated 1977.  Typical tri-color scrimwork.  Close-up detail to left. In December 2008, this 5.75-inch & 8.7-ounce tooth sold on eBay for $965.55!

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