This book was inspired by the extraordinary Ed Smidt Collection, which graphically portrays the period leading up to the closure, in 1978, of the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company’s operation at the Frenchman Bay station. End of an Era tells a captivating story about the man and his collection of world-class photographs.
The sepia images capture the people and the harsh conditions, both at sea and in the gruesome and dangerous processing factory. They also tell a pictorial story about a changing culture and an important chapter in the nation’s maritime history.
End of an Era has been researched and written by Anne Simpson.