In 1867, explorer David Livingstone estimated that “44,000 elephants, large and small, must be killed to supply the ivory which comes to England alone” for the sole purpose of the manufacturer of billiard balls.

From the very fascinating Flotsametrics and the Floating World: How One Man’s Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science by Curtis Ebbesmeyer and Eric Scigliano

Artwork © Carson Ellis courtesy of our parents collection