19. Yachting & Racing

13.19/19.94  YACHT CLOCK.   Especially nice 19th century yacht salon clock with the silvered brass dial engraved “BENZIE COWES” underneath the winding arbor.   The lovely dial has bold Roman numerals and a minute chapter ring swept by blued steel spade hands.  Around the center arbor the dial is decorated with hand-engraved floral motifs.  The Fast/Slow adjustment it made within the XII.  The all brass clock mechanism is most unusual.  It consists of a plain balance wheel with coiled hairspring with a lever escapement.  But what is remarkable different from most such escapements is that the escape pallet is mounted on a long rod passing through the back plate and is in line with the motion work wheels below.  The Fast/Slow adjustment is also very unusual, being another long rod passing from the dials to a lever on the balance cock above the  jeweled top pivot.  It is marked F / S.”  The back plate is marked within an oval “V.A.P. BREVETÉ S.C.D.G.”  Complete with period winding key. This is a splendid example of traditional Victorian melding of form and function in that era, prone to extravagance.  This clock was not only a handsome addition to the elaborate décor of the yacht’s salon, it provided a valuable real time reference.  649

Simpson Benzie was listed as a clockmaker working in West Cowes, Isle of Wight, England form 1867-1878.  (Brian Loomes, “Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World, Volume 2,” 1978, N.A.G. Press, London).

Cowes has been seen as the home for international yacht racing since the founding of the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1815.  It is perhaps best known for the running of the first “All Nations Cup” held on August 22, 1851 around the Isle of Wight off Southampton and Portsmouth in a fleet race between the New York Yacht Club’s AMERICA and 15 yachts of the Royal Yacht Squadron.  The race, witnessed by Queen Victoria, was won handily by the schooner yacht AMERICA.  It is now considered to be the first “America's Cup” race, the most prestigious perpetual international yacht race in the world..

19.38  YACHT WEATHER STATION.  Absolutely charming turn-of-the-century weather station of pre-War German manufacture.  This diminutive set is of the highest quality.  It features  3 instruments:  barometer, thermometer and hygrometer.  The barometer has a multi-color hard-fired porcelain dial calibrated in inches of atmospheric pressure from 27.5 to 31.5 in 2/100th increments marked by 10ths.  Whole inches, 28 through 31, are identified.  The dial bears the standard weather indications “Stormy RAIN Change Fair and Very Dry.”  The bottom of the dial is marked “Germany.”  A fine blued steel indicator needle points to the reading.  It is overlaid by the brass set needle rove through the beveled glass crystal to a knurled brass knob.  The brass barometer body is attached to the mount with 3 screws.  At the center is the delicate mercury thermometer mounted to its milkglass scale reading in degrees Centigrade and Fahrenheit.  The centigrade scale runs from - 8 to 46 and the Fahrenheit scale from 26 to 114.  The hair hygrometer reads from “0 Dry” to “100% Moist.”  The brass body is protected by the beveled glass crystal.  All three instruments are mounted to the rich mahogany oval backboard.  It has 2 brass hanging brackets for mounting and measures 8 by 4 ¾ inches.  Outstanding original condition in all respects.  All functions are guaranteed to be working and accurate.  This is the first such instrument of this quality we have had the pleasure of offering in our 40+ years. 485

19.93  YACHT RACE TROPHY.   Unique American racing trophy in the form of a hand-engraved pewter stein dated 1901.  The front is beautifully engraved with the inscription reading “WARWICK YACHT CLUB, DORY CLASS, September 7, 1901 Won By Fred Mason.”  This substantial trophy is solid pewter with a classic glass bottom.  It is of traditional form with serpentine handle, sloping sides and decorative bands top and bottom.   The base is marked “BANNING BOWMAN & CO. 176.”  It measures 5 ¼ inches high by 6 1/4 inches wide inclusive of the handle and 4 5/8  inches in diameter at the base.  Excellent original condition throughout with a nice age patina, noting some wear to the handle.  A rare yacht racing trophy over 120 years old at the ridiculously low price.  169

19.92  REGATTA YACHT TROPHY.  Unusual early 1900's American yacht racing trophy in the form of an ashtray with a compass in the middle.  The bowl of the ashtray is professionally hand-engraved "BOSTON INTERCOLLEGIATE REGATTA FALL 1940 R. P. KNAPP."  Colleges in the Boston area at the time included Harvard, Boston College, Northwestern University and M.I.T. – certainly the most revered schools in the country.  This trophy is concave solid brass with an exceptional detailed  knurled rim.  The center piece is a very high quality magnetic compass card indicating the cardinal and intercardinal point of the compass, with the periphery calibrated in 5 degree increments marked by 10's. The center is embellished with a star and  is marked "PATENT SWISS."  The tray measures just under 7 inches in diameter and the compass is 1 1/8th.  Outstanding original condition.  The compass is very lively and accurate.  A most unusual functional yachting trophy with a prestigious origin.  189

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.

8.68/19.89 YACHT WHEEL WITH IDENTIFIED MAKER. Very handsome turn-of-the-last century steering wheel from a major yacht. This classic 6 spoke helm bears the inlaid brass maker's plate reading "American Engineering Company, Phila. PA." It is beautifully constructed with a hefty laminated rim consisting of teak inlaid with two concentric rings of a lighter blonde wood, either birch or maple, interrupted at the each spoke with inlays of mahogany. The spokes and spindles are of nicely turned oak. The hub is of heavy solid brass with a key way corresponding to the king spoke identified by the maker's label. This substantial ship's wheel measures 41 inches from spoke to spoke, 31 inches across the outer rim and weighs a hefty 24 pounds. Excellent condition with the original old finish, showing goods signs of use at sea, but no abuse. Price Request 

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.  Price Request

19.41 YACHT BOOK. Bill Robinson, "Legendary Yachts, The Great American yachts from Cleopatra's Barge to Courageous," 1978, David McKay Co., New York, 306 pages, hard cover with dust jacket. The title tells it all. This book, written by the former editor of "Yachting Magazine," is a comprehensive treatment of yachts in America begining with the Salem-built CLEOPATRA'S BARGE in 1816 through such names as AMERICA and CORSAIR, ending with Ted Turner's America's Cup winnerCOURAGEOUS in 1977. Copiously illustrated. Mint condition. 69

19.85  YACHTING TROPHY.  Extremely nice early 1900’s yachting trophy in the form a classic fluted cup with decorated lip.  Applied to the front is the cloisonné burgee of the San Diego Yacht Club encircled by a rope border.  The bottom of the cup is marked “(W STERLING NH1-1.”  3 inches high by 2 ½ inches wide.  No presentation.  Perfect original condition.  SOLD

19.84  YACHT RACE TROPHY.   Lovely hand-made sterling silver loving cup.  The outer bowl of the cup is beautifully engraved with the inscription:

“SAN DIEGO
YACHT CLUB
TROPHY
Schooner Yawles & Ketches
Under 45 Ft. O.A.
Won By
“MINERAVA “
Capt. L. M. Charles
Sept. 12, 1924”

The bottom of the cup is signed “JESSOP Sterling.”
The reverse features a boldly-engraved “SAN DIEGO. CALIFORNIA.” inscription above a medallion of the “Pacific Coast Yachting Association * Championship Regatta* 1924.”  This handsome presentation stands 8 ½ inches tall, 3 3/8 inches in diameter at the base and 4 ¼ inches wide at the lip.  It contains a full 11 ounces of pure silver.  Perfect original condition and 94 years old! 495