Onassis OLYMPIC CHALLENGER souvenir catalogue - Lardex

At least seven whale teeth (or pairs) are known, which are engraved with very characteristic
icebergs, sun rays and bow views of whaling vessels. Several of them are inscribed in German
capital lettering with a distinctively shallow, ~ - shaped “S”. I have thus resorted to the jocular
substitute name “Onassis flat-S scrimshander” (page 11). There is a distant possibility that
he may be Kurt Mahler (see previous page).
Two decorative objects are re-united here for the first time since they were made in
connection with tanker OMIROS (belonging to Onassis’ Central American Steamship Co. and
managed by the Erste Deutsche Walfang Gesellschaft) rendezvousing with OLYMPIC
CHALLENGER in the Ross Sea from 20 February to 16 March 1951. In common they have the
use of wood and bright fin whale baleen, as well as an identical German inscription on the
baleen. Their unidentified maker has thus been termed the “OMIROS baleen scribe”. He may
have been Henry Lüchau (1921-1966), a Hamburg pre-war whaleman, who made that voyage
on OMIROS as a cook’s mate and from whose estate one of the two known pieces came (page
13).
At least two teeth engraved with tropical motifs – a bay with palms and some tiny whaling
vessels in the background – are known by a scrimshander affiliated with the second OLYMPIC
CHALLENGER whaling season 1951/52. The fact that one of them carries a label noting
“Aruba” and “Olympic 1951/52” has led to the substitute name “Onassis Aruba
scrimshander”.
A polychrome tooth by the “Onassis Aruba scrimshander” of 1951/52.
Compare with the piece illustrated on p. 10. From the internet.
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