"Rising with the Tide of History": The Age of Sail as Industrial Alibi

Through visual analysis of promotional imagery for the province of Nova Scotia, this paper explores the uses of tall ships and sailing as an alibi for extractive resource industries.This article traces the creation of an environmental alibi: an icon of renewable energy (the sailing ship) licensing an extractive industrial economy. It compiles, contextualizes, and analyzes seventeen images to explore the historical development of this alibi; the relationship between the Bluenose and “Ships Start Here” with the reality of a multigovernmental commitment to fossil fuels; and how the tall ships alibi remains at work especially in justifying offshore exploration, urban architecture, and the naval procurement strategy.