Table of Contents

Biographical Note

Scope and Content Note

Information for Researchers

Separations List

Administrative Information

Description

Subject Headings

Inventory of the Hartson Hartlett Bodfish Papers

In the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library

Biographical Note

Hartson Hartlett Bodfish was born in West Tisbury, Massachusetts, in about 1862. First going to sea in 1880 on the steam whaling bark Belvedere, he made a career of whaling in the Arctic region and eventually became captain of several vessels, notably the steam barks Beluga and Herman. Bodfish also acted as a trader who supplied Arctic whalemen and natives in the area with food, clothing, and other goods, often in return for pelts. He retired from whaling and trading by 1920 and in 1936 published a biographical account of his exploits entitled Chasing the Bowhead. Bodfish died in 1945.

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Scope and Content Note

Papers in this collection chiefly reflect the activities of Hartson Hartlett Bodfish in San Francisco, California, and the Arctic region from 1892-1911. Most notable among these materials are nineteen log books including those of the Beluga, Mary D. Hume, and Newport in which Bodfish describes winters spent in the Arctic, principally at Herschel Island. These volumes, in addition to approximately seventy-five photographs taken in the Arctic between ca. 1890-1914, have been transferred to other sections of the Society's holdings and are described in the separations list which concludes this inventory. Materials described by the inventory itself primarily consist of financial records, including trade accounts, ca. 1894-1911; masters' accounts, 1892-1900; an outfitting book for the steam bark Beluga, ca. 1900; and bills and receipts, mostly for the Herman, 1892-1911. Bodfish's papers also include a deposition and newspaper article concerning his trial for manslaughter in 1906 and a copy of a letter written to his mother in 1891. In addition, this collection contains master's accounts for the Nimrod (Ship), out of New Bedford, Mass., under Capt. Willis Howes; genealogical notes relating to the Bodfish family between 1635-1847, compiled 1893-ca. 1920; and a variety of certificates, invitations, clippings, and miscellaneous documents, 1896-1942. Published works which may supplement or clarify papers in this collection are Bodfish's 1936 biography and Steam Whaling in the Western Arctic by John Bockstoce (1977).

Arrangement of Collection

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Information for Researchers

Access to the Collection

Unrestricted. Consult librarian for an appointment.

Preferred Citation

New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library Mss 17 [sub-group, series, sub-series, folder/volume as appropriate], [item]

Copyright Notice

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 United States Code 552a) governs the use of materials that document private individuals, groups, and corporations.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a reproduction if the document does not infringe the privacy rights of an individual, group, or corporation. These specified conditions of authorized use include:

If the researcher later uses a copy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," the researcher is personally liable for copyright. privacy, or publicity infringement and agrees to indemnify the New Bedford Whaling Museum from any legal action as a result of the error. Permission to obtain a photographic, xerographic, digital, or other copy of a document does not indicate permission to publish, exhibit, perform, reproduce, sell, distribute, or prepare derivative works from the document without permission from the copyright holder and from any private individual, group, or corporation shown or otherwise recorded.

Permission to publish, exhibit, perform, reproduce, prepare derivative works from, sell, or otherwise distribute the item must be obtained separately in writing from the holder of the original copyright (or if the creator is dead, from his/her heirs) as well as from any individual(s), groups, or corporations whose name, image, recorded words, or private information (e.g. employment information) may be reproduced in the source material. The holder of the original copyright is not necessarily the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The New Bedford Whaling Museum is not legally liable for copyright, privacy, or publicity infringement when materials are wrongfully used after being provided to researchers for "fair use."

This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if fulfillment of the order is judged in violation of copyright or federal or state privacy law. This institution also places restrictions on the use of cameras, photocopiers, and scanners in the research room.

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Separations List

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Administrative Information

Provenance

Papers in this collection were donated to the Old Dartmouth Historical Society by George Bodfish on 1 December 1978.

Processing Information

Processed by: Judith Downey, ca. 1982

Encoded by: Kermit Dewey, 1 July 2011; box list appended by Mark Procknik, 03 January 2012

Funds for processing this collection were provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Description

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Subject Headings

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Vessel Names

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