19. Yachting & Racing

19.82   IMPORTANT YACHT PHOTO.   Late 1800’s albumen photograph of the one and only American side wheel steam yacht, identified as the steam/sail CLERMONT underway in the midst of an America’s Cup race melee. This classic, well documented original photograph depicts the handsome yacht from a port side perspective in the foreground underway on steam amidst a sea of large and small spectator vessels craft intent on viewing the America’ Cup race.  It old fashioned rocking beam engine is clearly visible as it emits a puff of steam.  Another large side wheel excursion vessel is visible just behind CLERMONT, as are numerous details under magnification.  The lovely vessel with raked funnel and masts flying pennants, has a decorative paddle box cover.  She clearly flies the American ensign from the stern.  This original photograph is identified lower left “821 CLERMONT” and is attributed to Henry Peabody.  The image measures 7 by 9 inches and is matted under old wavy glass 9 ½ by 11 ½ inches sight.  It is house in its original ornate oak frame with floral elements measuring 13 12/ by 15 ½ inches overall.  Outstanding original condition.  Ready to hang.  389

A photocopied image of another period photograph of the CLERMONT accompanies this offering.  It depicts the yacht from the starboard beam at anchor.  The accompanying caption reads, “Unmounted albumen photo by Henry Peabody… the image is marked 821 Clermont in the lower left.  The 160’ Clermont was built and launched in Greenport N.Y. in 1892, designed by A. van Santvoord and built by H. Lawrence.”

Our research indicates this scene was photographed during the 9th running of the America’s Cup yacht races held off Sandy Hook, New Jersey in 1893.  America’s defender and ultimate winner, VIGILANT, defeated the English challenger VALKYRIE II in three successive races.  Other period images of the race clearly show the defender with luff sails under cloudless skies amidst a throng of steam-powered vessels.

Henry Greenwood Peabody (1855-1951) was a photographer, lecturer and publisher of educational slides and films.  He worked in virtually every photographic medium, lectured and published books that pictured the landscapes and scenery in which he specialized. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Peabody attended college in New England and graduated in 1876.  While a senior at Dartmouth he became interested in photography, producing views of the campus and scenes along the coast. First employed in Chicago, Peabody relocated to Boston where he opened a studio in 1886.  He specialized in marine, landscape and architectural photography and served as the official photographer for the Boston and Maine Railroad and the Great Northern Railway.  He photographed the America's Cup races and published "Representative American Yachts and The Coast of Maine."  In 1898 he accepted a position with the Detroit Publishing Company, the largest postcard publisher in the United States.  From 1900 to 1908, he served as field photographer on both the east and west coasts.   From 1910 to the end of his career, Peabody produced photographs and slides of American landscapes which focused on national parks in the American West. He also gave illustrated lectures covering the Grand Canyon, California Missions, Yosemite and Mexico.  By the early 1930s, he was making audio recordings synchronized with his slide shows.  He died at his home in Glendora, California, at age 96.  He was a charter member of The Photographers Association of America,  Boston Camera Club,  Atlantic Yacht Club of New York, Corinthian Yacht Club of Marblehead, Massachusetts,  Appalachian Mountain Club, "Sons of the Revolution," Technology Society of Architects, and was awarded six first prize medals for photographic by  Photographers Association of America.
Sources: Huntington Library,  Getty Union List of Artist Names,  Joan Campbell "Finding Aid to the Henry G. Peabody Collection," 1982.

Henry G. Peabody's distinguished career as a professional photographer began in Boston in the 1880s, when he specialized in marine views. Peabody and Nathaniel L. Stebbins photographed the same races in the early 1890s,although Peabody's work is considered to have a somewhat more artistic quality. Only a few institutions are known to possess sizable numbers of Peabody's marine views. These include: the Peabody-Essex Museum of Salem, Massachusetts; the Library of Congress and the Historic New England Society.

19.70  YACHT LOG.  Absolutely pristine speed and distance log identified as “Walker’s  “Excelsior” IV Ship Log” on the inner and outer labels and on the dial.  This handsome, state-of-the-art mechanical instrument is of all brass construction.  The hard-fired white porcelain register dial reads “Walker’s EXCELSIOR IV LOG, MADE IN ENGLAND BY THOS. WALKER & SON. LTD. BIRMINGHAM.”  It features an outer scale marked in “NAUTICAL MILES” from 0 – 100 in 10’s, subdivided by 5’s.  The subsidiary dial is divided from 0 -10 “MILES” subdivided by quarter miles.  Indications are made by 2 blackened brass hands sweeping over the dial which has a glazed, hinged cover secured by a knurled thumbscrew.  The register has a heavy brass flywheel painted red with a center eyelet for attaching the line to the rotor.   To these ends the brass rotor (also known as the “fish”) has four fins, each marked “T.W. EXCELSIOR” with the firm’s anchor trademark.   It is attached to several fathoms of original braided cotton line having a lead weight.  The register is complete with its original pivoting bracket and “shoe” marked “PORT” and “AFT” for mounting to the vessel.  It even retains a hand-held brass-tipped oiler!  The entire unit is contained in its original machine dove-tailed pine box with brass hinges and hook closures.  The lid contains the original signed label reading (in part) “Walker’s “Excelsior” IV Patent Log For Yachts, Motor Launches, and Fishing Craft.”  Also included are 3 tables printed on stiff cardboard.  The first is titled, “Speed Table for use with Walker’s Excelsior IV log.”  The second is titled, “Graph of recommended length of line to be streamed with Excelsior Log.”  The third is entitled, “Time and Knot Table” and “Table of Nautical and Statue Miles.”  The perfect porcelain dial measures 2 ¼ inches in diameter and the register is 6 ¼ inches long.  The box measures 15 by 7 ¼ by 6 inches.  This unit has obviously never been used!  As such it must be rated as being in “factory new” condition.  649