The architect, photographer and visual programmer, Joel Pacheco, will launch his new book, “A Canoa Baleeira da Ilha dos Açores e da Ilha de Santa Catarina” (The Whaling Boat of the Azores and the Island of Santa Catarina) at the Whaling Museum on August 18 at 9:30 PM.
After four years of research, this work was developed with the purpose of raising awareness for this type of vessel that is declining in the South of Brazil – and tends to disappear rapidly due to the lack of builders and the difficulty of disseminating its production technique.
In 2007, the project was approved under the Law for the Promotion of Culture of the Ministry of Culture (MinC), having reached the Azorean archipelago with the support of the Regional Directorate for Communities of the Government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. During 45 days of field work, the author interviewed about 20 people on the islands of Faial, São Jorge and Pico, where there the largest concentration of whaling boats is located. This year, the book was awarded the Elisabete Anderie Price, promoted by the Secretary for Tourism, Culture and Sport.
The work, which is fascinating by the extensive information on the subject and visual details, is of great interest to students, environmentalists, fishers, tourists, historians, geographers, engineers as well as to children. Moreover, the book also teaches how to make a little origami whale in the final pages.
During the presentation session, a tin boat and an origami whale made by the author will be displayed as well as a miniature whaling boat built by craftsman Leandro Mello Menghini from São José, Santa Catarina, Brazil and the respective information banner.