The former whaler pictured here with his Māori (or possibly Moriori) wife in the Chatham Islands is Bill Lennent, who was probably an American. Certainly the hut behind them was built from the wreckage of the Alabama, an American whaling vessel. In the 1830s many of the offshore whalers who visited New Zealand waters came from the United States, often beginning their voyages at east-coast ports such as Nantucket.
Using this item
Nantucket Historical Association
Reference:
P1978
Photograph by W.H. Rau
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.
Add new comment