12. Other Nautical

12.54  RARE 18th C. MARINER’s CHART.  Original, high quality early heavy laid paper chart depicting the region around the Bahama Islands off the southeast coast of the United States.  The maker’s cartouche (in Spanish) reads:

CARTA ESFERICA
de una parte del
CANAL VIEGJO BAHAM
y placereres adyacentes
DESDE PUNTA DE MATERRNILOS
HASTEA LA DE YCACOS
CONSTRUIDA DE OREN DEL DEL REY
Ano de 1799

This incredibly early and detailed navigational chart depicts the islands of the Bahamas and surrounds in amazingly fine detail given its time.  There is much additional information contained in insets.   Adding greatly to its rarity and value is the fact that it measures Longitude from Cadiz, rather than acknowledging the English version of Greenwich at the zero meridian.   It measures 25 by 37 inches.  Excellent condition considering its age.  There is one small loss on the lower right and a couple of short tears that have been mended using acid free artist’s tape.  Otherwise it is in excellent original condition.  It has 3 folds which could be ironed out flat, if desired.   18th century mariner’s charts are extremely rare.  This is a great example at a super low discounted price.  SOLD

12.67 EARLY SHIP COMMEMORATIVE. Genuine, early 1900's framed photograph of the American steamer identified as the S.S. STEEL WORKER.  This handsome presentation consists of a period black and white photograph of the vessel that has been hand tinted.  It is mounted under glass within a turned redwood frame in the form of a ship's wheel.  The frame is decoratively hand-painted in a distinctive style, "S.S. STEEL WORKER" with a fouled anchor. The image measures 5 1/2 inches in diameter with the entire presentation being 12 inches across. Excellent original condition. WAS 179 NOW! 89

The S.S. STEEL WORKER, call sign KDBJ, was built by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. (a division of United States Steel) Kearney, New Jersey in 1920. She was of 5,860 gross tons, 3,450 net tons, had a length of 424 feet, a breadth of 56 feet and a draft of 26 1/2 feet. With a crew of 34, S.S. STEEL WORKER operated under the ownership of the Isthmian Steamship Company, home ported in New York.

The distinctive style and format of this presentation is quite recognizable and has come to our attention several times before. (See West Sea Co. items 5.13, 5.14, 5.74, 5.77 and 15.68). Although the authorship of these commemoratives is unknown, they apparently were produced by a cottage industry in the San Francisco Bay Area in the first quarter of the 20th century. They are quite collectible and are still very inexpensive for what they are -- decorative, real time ship mementoes made for the crew!

12.52  CANAL ZONE MATCHES.  Here is one of the strangest offerings we have ever had the pleasure of presenting.  It consists of a match box with original contents.  Simple enough.  But it is extraordinary in its construction, condition, timing and place in history.  The lid of the box is marked “Damp Proof CANAL ZONE MATCHES Made In Sweden Expressly For the Panama Canal Company” with two seals dating 1872, 1873, 1876, 1880 and 1881.  Incredibly, the housing of this matchbox is wood, not cardboard.  The complete contents are wooden matches housed in a sliding cardboard tray with striker panels on both sides.  Mint original condition.   A very historical relic of which few if any survived.  This may well be one-of-a-kind.  2 ¼ inches long by 1 ½ inches wide and ¾ inches thick. 39

France was the first country to begin work in earnest on an Atlantic/Pacific link across the Isthmus of Panama in 1881.  But engineering difficulties and high worker mortality forced abandonment of the project in 1884.  After a revolution, Panama became a U.S. protectorate in 1903.  In 1904, spurred by then President Teddy Roosevelt, the U.S. purchased the remaining French equipment and right to the existing excavation.  The canal was finally completed 10 years later, and officially opened on August 3, 1914.

12.52  LIGHTHOUSE BOOKENDS.  Matched pair of copper plated iron bookends in the form of a classic lighthouse set atop a rocky crag with waves awash at the base.  Each has green felt attached to the bottom.  7 ¼ inches high by 4 ½ inches wide and 2 ½ inches thick.  Perfect original condition.  A highly desirable subject matter in this form.  Circa 1930.  89/pair  

12.49  VERY EARLY LIFERING COMMEMORATIVE.  Late 19^th century ship memento commemorating the full-rigged sailing ship “TIMANDRA (of) GLASGOW” as beautifully painted at the top and bottom of the presentation.  It consists of an original old albumen photograph of a painting of the lovely ship underway at sea with full sail.  The house flag and the British ensign have been hand-touched in red.   The nicely executed painting shows great detail including the ship’s call flags flown below the “old duster,” her trailboard and billethead on the bow and her nameboard abaft the anchor on the foc’sl.   The image, measuring 6 inches in diameter, is protected under its original wavy glass.  It is encircled by a carved wooden frame in the form of an old fashioned lifering.  The British ensign is painted on the left and TIMANDRA’s house flag “R” is painted on the right.  The periphery of the ring is fitted with a grab rope held by 4 sections of blue denim.  Quite interestingly the reverse bears the framer’s advertisement, “From THE ADELAIDE PHOTO CO.  … Portrait and marine Art. 256 Pitt Street, Sydney.”  Obviously indicating this ship’s souvenir was made in Australia.  The lifering itself measures 9 ¾ inches across.  Excellent original condition showing good age on the front.  The backing is toned with some losses, but is in tact.  Overall it displays very well.  It is a rare, early relic of its genre.  Guaranteed to be over 120 years old!   SOLD

12.45 EARLY FLINTLOCK BLUNDERBUSS. Genuine 18th century French flintlock pistol with the side plate signed “John Ulm, Lyon.” This extraordinary relic is beautifully preserved. It has a flared brass barrel which is decoratively engraved. The lock mechanism is steel in equally fine condition. The Fizzen spring is strong and the mechanism functions properly in the half cock and full cock positions. When the trigger is pulled the flint and steel produce a bright spark which would have ignited the muzzle-loaded black powder charge within. The stock is finely cross-hatched walnut showing its age which is also in excellent condition. Complete with brass ramrod. Inasmuch as the major components of this early weapon are brass, and it has a flared, not rifled bore, it was obviously intended for close quarters fighting as encountered on the deck of a ship. 10 ½ inches long overall. The barrel is 5 3/8 inches long and the flared muzzle is 1 3/8 inches in diameter. Totally functional. A beauty! 1895

12.44 CANNONBALL. Genuine 17th or very early 18th century cannon ball as fired from swivel rail guns popular with pirates and armed merchantmen of the era. This one pound ball is made of solid lead and measures exactly 2 inches in diameter, indicating it may be of English origins. This cannonball was discovered on the site of an unidentified wreck off the coast of Key West, Florida in the early 1980’s. As such this cannonball evidences many, many years of submersion in the sea with encrustations of sea life and the effects of sea water -- its variegated surface looking much like the moon’s crust! One small portion of this orb has been flattened, presumably so it would not roll off its position while displayed. Certainly this is a museum relic. We don’t have any idea of a realistic price, so we are now asking the same we paid the diver in 1988. 80

12.38  LIGHTHOUSE.  Impressive early 1900's lighthouse made of solid bronze!  This unusually large example stands 17 1/2 inches tall by 8 1/2 inches wide at the base and weighs a hefty 17 pounds.  The "lantern" at the top is removable and contains its original clear glass lens. The sides of the lighthouse are cast in the form of bricks, beautifully finished and retaining their original statuary bronze surface.  There are three windows and a door in the lighthouse, all hand-painted for further realism. The massive base is cast in the form of craggy rocks with a stairway leading to the door.  The base is in its original deep green verdigris finish which simulates sea rocks perfectly!  Without a doubt this is one of the biggest and most detailed such lighthouse statues in existence   Bargain priced at that!  695

12.25  CARVED CHINA TRADE FRAME.  Lavishly-carved wooden picture frame produced for the Chinese export market during the mid-1800’s.  It is carved from a single solid piece of valuable dealwood and was made for displaying the recently-invented prized photographic portrait.  The intricate carving with floral motifs features a bird at the top flanked by two bushy-tailed squirrels on either side. Then midway down the frame are more birds on either side.  The center consists of a rectangular “rope” border housing an oval opening decorated with delicate leafy branches and an even finer beaded boarder.  The back of the frame has a 4 ¼ by 6 5/8 inch cut-out for mounting a photograph.  To these ends it retains 4 small pivoting wooden clips on all four edges to secure the mount.  The frame itself measures 11 ¼ inches tall overall by 7 ½ inches wide.  Remarkably it remains preserved in almost perfect original condition with a beautiful original age patina!  WAS 395  NOW! 195

12.41   COMMEMORATIVE SPOON.   Genuine turn-of-the-last century sterling silver spoon representing “CATALINA ISLD.”  as hand-engraved in the bowl.  Under the inscription is also a hand-engraved scene of Avalon Harbor with a large yacht, sailboats and the pier in the bay.  Surrounding the shoreline is the town of Avalon, hills and the historic Wrigley House on the right of the scene.  The stem of the spoon is ornately decorated with floral designs, as is the back.  At the junction of the bowl and stem is embossed “STERLING” and “PAT. 1901.”  Further, there are 3  fine raised maker’s hallmarks including an anchor.  The spoon measures 5 3/8 inches long overall and the bowl is 1 1/8 inches wide.  Flawless, absolutely perfect original condition.  All surfaces are bright, clean and as crisp as the day they were made over 110 years ago!  149

12.40  BATTLESHIP MAINE COMMEMORATIVE.  Late 19th century sterling silver spoon with the bowl hand-engraved with a beautiful image of the famous “BATTLESHIP MAINE, Destroyed Feb. 15, 1898.”  The stem of the spoon is decorated with floral bouquets and is signed with lion hallmarks flanking a “W” marked “STERLING.”  5 inches long.  Perfect original condition.   195

The explosion and sinking of the Battleship MAINE in Havana Harbor, Cuba with the loss of 252 American sailors’ lives eventually led to the Spanish-American War.  The incident engendered great American patriotism and a wealth of period souvenirs from a generation of buttons to dishes.  This period example is one of the more elegant and costly, having been produced in very limited numbers by skilled artistans on a precious metal medium.