Moby-Dick: A Picture Voyage

Moby-Dick: A Picture Voyage is a sweeping pictorial odyssey of the whaling culture wrapped around a very readable and meticulously edited condensation of Melville's classic. Though abridged, the book maintains the drama and continuity of the original novel and is heavily illustrated with more than 200 original photographs and more than 150 paintings, drawings, engravings and artifacts.

    Produced in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the publication of Moby-Dick––often described as the greatest American novel ever written––this pictorial book pairs the original novel with historical photographs and ephemera documenting Melville’s true-life experiences. Included are photographs from Spinner’s own collection, plus images, paintings, and documents from the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Kendall Museum and the New Bedford Public library. These include important paintings from the era, art from log books, scrimshaw, and whaler art. These works richly illustrate the original story as they recreate what Melville may have experienced during his time on the whaling ship Acushnet. The story flows and is a beautiful, enjoyable read. 

    Few people ever get to finish the original book, but this version is short, very readable and visual. As a documentary of the whaling industry and the men that went whaling, this adventure will inform the reader of what whaling was all about.