Shoe laces

These shoe laces are an unusual example of the many products made from whales in the 19th century. They are marketed as 'Genuine WHITE WHALE Shoe Laces'.

Product advertising, such as the packaging of this object, often proudly proclaimed that only real or genuine whale products were used. However, it is unknown which part of the white whale was used to make these laces.

White whales
The white whale or beluga is an Arctic and sub-Arctic species. Beluga whales are easily distinguished by their pure white skin, small size, and lack of dorsal fin. They are toothed whales and therefore do not have baleen, which was in great demand in the 1800s for products that required flexibility.