Did you know oil is used to make life jackets? Santa Barbara Maritime Museum delves deep into oil’s history with new exhibit

SANTA BARBARA — Oil is a fairly controversial subject in California, whether you are anti-drilling or feel the industry has brought a fortune to the state. Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is holding an opening for The History of Oil in the Santa Barbara Channel Exhibit Opening on Sept. 20; the opening will give members of the general public the opportunity to learn all about how oil has affected Santa Barbara’s shores.

Just one of the tidbits of information on the website states: “Few are aware that the quest for oil led to Santa Barbara being recognized worldwide at the birthplace of deep-water commercial diving.”

A few other facts are how offshore oil platforms operate, about naturally occurring oil seepage and why the Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969 is still ranked the third worse spill in the United States. According to the website, only 19.4 gallons of oil from a 42-gallon barrel are used to produce gasoline. Nail polish, life jackets, shampoo, toothbrushes, ballpoint pens and guitar strings are just a sampling of the products the rest of the oil is used to create.

A wine and cheese reception will be offered to the public and he opening reception of this exhibit, held from 5:30-7 p.m., is free. Sponsors of the event include George H. and Olive J. Griffiths Charitable Foundation, June G. Outherwaite Charitable Trust and SOS California, Lad Handelman, Judy Rossiter and Scott Newhall.

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is located at 113 Harbor Way, Suite 190.

For more information about this event, visit the website at https://bit.ly/2wlWqaj or call 805-456-8747 to RSVP.

Photo: Santa Barbara Maritime Museum