Scrimshander Dorothy Grant O'Hara engraves her own heritage into her ivory as she captures the Island 's life, wildlife and haunting moods. Behind her stand three persons prominent in Nantucket 's whaling heritage.

Great, great grandfather Charles Grant, a Scotsman, as a boy was shipwrecked off Nantucket's shores in 1801, brought home in the course of fifty-six years more barrels of sperm oil than any other Nantucket whaling master. His wife and sailing companion, Nancy Wyer Grant who, on her own demand became the first lady to ship out on an Island whaler, spent the rest of her life aboard ship with Captain Grant.

Their son, Captain George Grant, served as whaling master on Nantucket ships until he retired to become custodian of the island's whaling museum when it opened in 1930.

In a wildflower, a moon over the beachgrass, the Old Mill, a gull hawking after a fish, somewhere among her engravings lies a piece of scrimshaw to echo the Island mood or memory which each visitor wishes to take home.

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