New This Week:

1.82  PAINTING EARLY AMERICAN WARSHIP.  Genuine third quarter 19th century watercolor portrait of the famous steam/sail U.S. Navy ship the "UNITED STATES CORVETTE TRENTON" by listed artist James S. Maxwell 1878" as signed lower left.  This detailed broadside rendering is surprisingly bright, colorful and crisp for a painting in this medium over 145 years old!  It depicts the large fighting ship at anchor off a mountainous coast in calm seas with sails furled.  At the peak she flies the Union Jack, while streaming the long commissioning pennant from the main and the American ensign from the spanker.  This post-Civil War era gunship displays at least 9 gun ports along her port side. Close inspection reveals many charming details including standing and running rigging, numerous crewmen on deck, lifeboats, gun ports, accommodation ladder, davits, and her prominent single stack, among others.  The scene is titled by the artist along the bottom legend, "United States Corvette "Trenton," 13 Guns, 3400 tons, 3180 H.P. 253L, 49B, 20.D. Bt  1876."   Water color and gouache on heavy rag paper.  10 by 6 1/4 inches sight.  Unmounted.  Perfect original condition.  WAS $975 NOW! 495

The first USS TRENTON was a wooden-hulled screw steam/sail frigate named for Trenton, New Jersey.
She was laid down by the New York Navy Yard in 1875, launched on January 1, 1876 and commissioned on February 14, 1877.  TRENTON was the first U.S. Naval vessel to use electric lights, installed in 1883.
TRENTON departed New York on March 8, 1877 for Villefranche, France.  On March 19 RADM John Worden was embarked and she became flagship of the European Station.  A week after reaching the Mediterranean, Russia declared war on Turkey.  TRENTON and the other ships of the squadron  protected U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals in Turkey and its possessions.

In July 1878 she departed the Mediterranean to visit Portugal, France, and England before returning to the Mediterranean.   After a visit to Marseilles June 7th, the flagship departed the Mediterranean for a third time cruising to English, Belgian, and Dutch ports.  Four of TRETNON's crew rescued fellow sailors from drowning during that period, earning them the Medal of Honor.  Subsequently TRENTON sailed for the U.S. arriving at Hampton Roads on October 12, 1881.   She was decommissioned at the New York Navy Yard on November 9, 1881.

Reactivated on September 18, 1883, TRENTON departed New York in November for duty on the Asiatic Station.  Steaming via the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, Ceylon, and Singapore, she arrived at Hong Kong on May 1st 1884 to begin two years of cruising in the Far East.  She visited ports in China, Korea, and Japan, carrying out various diplomatic missions.  On several occasions, TRENTON sent landing parties ashore in China and Korea to protect American interests during those times of unrest in China.  Completing her duties in the spring of 1886, she departed Yokohama and retraced her voyage across the Indian Ocean, via the Suez Canal and Mediterranean, then across the Atlantic reaching Hampton Roads on September 2nd.  She entered the Norfolk Navy Yard on September 9, 1886 for repairs.

On January 30, 1888, TRENTON sailed for the Pacific.  The voyage took her more than a year to complete, steaming around Cape Horn.  After stops at Panama and Tahiti, TRENTON reached Apia, Samoa, on March 10, 1889.  Six days later a typhoon struck Apia severely impacting 13 U.S. Navy ships anchored there.
TRENTON lost steam power and its rudder, rendering it in danger of foundering on the reef.  A unique maneuver suggested by TRENTON's navigator is credited with saving the ship from total destruction.   On his advice, the Captain ordered every man into the port rigging.  As the wind blew, the thick mass of bodies acted like a sail, steering the ship away from the reef and into the bay.  Even so, the TRENTON collided with the SMS OLGA and then floated toward the sinking USS VANDALIA (See our item 14.32).  With her crew still in the rigging, TRENTON's approach was slowed, avoiding yet another collision.  VANDALIA's crew abandoned their ship onto TRENTON’s deck.  However both ships later sank.

Out of 450 crewmen, TRENTON lost only one life.  She was declared a total loss, and her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on April 13, 1891.

James Scott Maxwell (1845-1922)
“19th century British painter, James Maxwell's work covered a narrow subject range of warships and British scenery. His paintings carried signs of immense brilliance such as in "Villefranche 1888," a drawing of a fleet of ships.  Most of his paintings were watercolors or the modest sketches of steamers, like "Clyde," "Duchess of York," and "Ben Lomond," all carried out in small, 7 by 9 inch formats or slightly larger.
 His repertoire concentrated on seascapes, pre-World War I British seagoing steamers and men-o-war.  The works embody a form of art known popularly as "British or Continental watercolors."  The type was more or less a technical 'photo realistic' drawing, aimed at factual representation, rather than artistic creativity.  Maxwell's drawings of American steamships, such as "St. Paul" and "Haverford" are such technical sketches, which are powerful attempts at photographic realism.

 James Scott was prolific from 1875 into the early 1900s, when most of his dated sketches were produced.  The majority of his works appear to be commissions from steamship companies or the ships' crew members themselves.  Though more than 200 works are known to survive, there seems to be no variation of theme, indicating that he painted only seascapes and ships.  His geographical reach was limited to port towns of the British Isles.”  Artnet

3.56  EARLY WATCH GLASS.  Very rare, late 17th or very early 18th century sailing ship’s sand timer used to determine duration of the deck watch.  This timer runs for 15 minutes (one quarter hour).  As such it defined the 4 hour watch interval with 16 turnovers -- one every 15 minutes.  This ancient, yet very reliable form of timekeeping is embodied in its 2 hand-blown glass vials protected within a frame of 2 decoratively-turned oak end pieces and 5 pine support columns.  Tellingly, one of the columns is flat, not round, indicating the timer’s function as a watch glass, rather than timer for domestic use.  The early greenish glass vials are hand-blown as evidenced by bubbles and inclusions in the glass and the pontils on each end.  They contain fine brownish-orange sand which flows freely through the “throat” of the timer bound with sealing wax, leather and thread.  8 ½ inches tall by 4 ½ inches in diameter.  Outstanding original condition showing good age. SOLD

The exact origins of sand timers are unclear, although they are generally attributed to the Arab world.  From ancient times the passage of water was used as a measurement of time in "water clocks."  As a follow-on, the "fluid dynamics" of flowing sand was seen to be similar. "By the Middle Ages the sand-glass came into its own, fragile though it was, this was the first clock which the men who made the great voyages of discovery took with them." (Jean Randier, "Nautical Antiques for the Collector, 1977, Doubleday & Co., New York, page 96).  "Dating old sand glasses can be difficult, but the color or tint of the bulbs is a help.  The glass was greenish up to about 1700. During the 18th century it was darker; then in the 19th century it gradually acquired the transparency of crystal.  There were also variations in the actual sand which, prior to about 1720, was reddish or orange-red in color.  After about 1720, white or green sand was increasingly used." (Alan Major, "Marine Antiques," 1981, A.S. Barnes & Co., New York, pages 178-179.)

16.88  IMPORTANT CANDLEABRAS.   Exquisite matched set of early 1800’s French ormolu and gilt bronze candelabras mounted atop heavy alabaster pedestals.  Each candleholder set is comprised of 5 radiating cups with another cup mounted higher in the center.  Each cup is ornately decorated with floral motifs and sprays.  The multifunctional center cup is designed to hold a sixth candle or serve as a crowning finial in the form of an ornate floral bouquet.  Each candelabrum is supported by a seated puti holding these large torches.  The gilded bronze pedestals on which they are seated are mounted atop solid alabaster columns bound in bronze set on heavy tripod floral bases with acanthus leaf embellishments.  The underside of each base contains a wooden insert secured with a square nut.  Evidencing their age the wood exhibits some old telltale worm holes – a good sign of that early19th century European phenomenon.  Each presentation stands 22 inches tall overall and 10 ½ wide at the widest.   The bases measure 6 ½ inches wide.  Outstanding original condition with untouched surfaces.  A remarkable set worthy of the finest home or institution. WAS $4900 NOW! 1900

22.67  “STORMGUIDE.”   Very interesting early 1900’s American aneroid barometer reading from 26 to 32 inches of atmospheric pressure in 2/100th increments marked by tenths.  Two scales, “RISING” and “FALLING” predict varying weather conditions ranging from “Tornadoes and Hurricanes” to “Clear Continuing Cool.”  A red indicator needle points to the reading and a gold set needle shows the previous reading.  The dial is boldly signed “Taylor” above the instrument name “STORMGUIDE.”  The very bottom of the dial reads “INTERNATIONAL AND UNITED STATES COPYRIGHTS 1927, TAYLOR INSTRUMENT COMPANIES, ROCHESTER, N.Y., U.S.A.”  The dial is protected by a convex glass crystal, through which the set needle is rove.  This precise instrument is mounted in its lovely solid hardwood body with brass suspension loop at the top for hanging.  What is remarkable about this multi-functional instrument is that it can also be used for altitudes from sea level up to 3,500 feet!  This function is accessible on the back as is the set screw for adjusting the reading.  The instrument is 3 ¾ inches in diameter and the body is 5 7/8 inches wide.  Excellent original condition in all respects.  The barometer function is lively and accurate.  A very handsome little weather instrument with an unusually wide range of readings.   239

12.08  FOLK ART TRADE SIGN.  Genuine hand-carved and painted 1800’s sign in the form of a lobster float.  This charming one-of-a-kind advertising piece is not a typical lobster float from the period -- examples of which fetch hundred of dollars.  This is an actual advertising sign offering lobsters for sale!  Carved in the traditional shape, one side is beautifully painted in classic script with serifs and shadowing reading “LOBSTERS.”  It is complete with its original old hemp rope seized on both ends in a seamanlike manner.  The wooden body is 20 5/8 inches long and 3 inches square at the base, tapering at the top.  The rope is over 4 feet long and can be adjusted to variable heights for display.  Condition is original and excellent with expected age.  The old red and black paint surfaces show decades of weathering just as collectors want them.  The sign exhibits one large age crack on the left side., which is actually a good indication of its age and authenticity.  Remarkably, the key advertising words “LOBSTERS” is in near perfect original condition.  This is a scarce relic of the early New England fishery.  Much rarer than a Nantucket basket or harpoon! Museum quality.  695

8.28  SALON CARVING.   Artistically-carved plaque depicting a classic old fashioned kedge anchor intertwined with a ship’s wheel, bound by rope.  The central theme is flanked by a flowing Acanthus leaf design.  The background is embellished with literally thousands of chip carvings which appear to have been made with a traditional triangular sail needle.  All of this is “framed” in a border carved in relief.  The carving is made of solid walnut in 5 planks laminated together, later supported by 2 pine splines.  The back of the carving bears the old penciled inscription “Pass Salone” (sic).  There are 4 large old wood screws in the back which originally held this carving in place on the ship’s bulkhead.  It is now fitted with a strong picture frame wire for hanging.  1 ½ inches wide by 33 ½ inches high.  1 1/8 inches thick at the maximum and weighing 16 pounds.  Excellent original condition in the original varnished finish, noting an age crack running through the middle.  The crack is stable.  A super decorative piece with documentable ship’s history.  1275 

Provenance:  Originally fitted on the SS OCEAN MONARCH, a British passenger ship built by Vickers-Armstrong in 1951.  She had a length overall of 516 feet, a breadth of 72 feet and displace 13.700 tons.  She carried 430 passengers.  When scrapped in 1964 this carving was transferred to the M/V OCEAN HAROMONY II, which was sold to Greek interests, and herself scrapped in 1979.

AUTHENTIC LIGHTHOUSE. This is the ultimate! Here is an exceptional opportunity to own a very historic relic of America’s rich maritime heritage embodied in the original lamp room from the famous Ballast Point Lighthouse, which served its sentinel duties in the channel of San Diego Bay from 1890 until 1960. This incredibly well-preserved piece of history was built according to specifications laid out by the U.S. Lighthouse Service in 1885. A copy of the original specifications are included as are much printed references and photographs. Erected in 1890, the 5th Order lighthouse was a significant aid to navigation in conjunction with the Point Loma Lighthouse (1850) poised at the entrance to San Diego Bay. Ballast Point Light was situated further inside the massive bay on a point which jutted into the seaway which posed a hazard to shipping. 13 feet 10 inches high with a maximum width of 8 feet 8 inches. Weight approximately 5 tons. It will require a crane and a flat bed truck for transport. 129 years old! Price Request

HISTORY

On October 2, 1888, recognizing the need for a harbor light in the increasingly congested channel of San Diego Bay, Congress authorized $25,000 for the construction of a lighthouse to be built on Ballast Point. Fashioned in the late Victorian style, the entire structure took 3 months to build beginning in March 1890. The light was first lit on August 1st. It was a sister of the lights at San Luis Obispo and Table Bluff, south of Humboldt Bay. All were wood framed structures with attached living quarters. The ironwork for the lantern was forged in San Francisco and carried south to San Diego by ship. The French firm of Sautter, Lemmonier, & Cie. manufactured the Freznel lens for the Ballast Point Light in 1886. The fixed 5th Order lens was visible for a distance of at least 11 miles.

When California was still part of Mexico the peninsula jutting into San Diego Bay was known as Punta del los Guijarros or “Pebble Point.” For centuries cobblestones washed down by the San Diego River had been deposited on the point. When California gained statehood in 1850 the point was renamed Middle Ground Shoal. As time went on and merchant traffic in the harbor increased, many sailing ships found it convenient to load or discharge the stones as ballast. The practice continued and eventually the name “Ballast Point” stuck.

Accompanying the Ballast Point lighthouse was a huge 2,000 pound fog bell in a wooden tower. In 1928 it was supplanted by a single tone electric diaphone horn.

The first keeper of the light was John M. Nilsson, assigned duty on July 15, 1890. The second was Henry Hall, who took the job on December 1, 1892. Perhaps the most famous keeper was Irish born David R. Splaine, a Civil War veteran and veteran lighthouse keeper, who assumed the post in 1894, having served at Point Conception, the Farallons and San Diego’s own Point Loma light from 1886-1889.

In 1913 the original old kerosene lamp was replaced with an acetylene burner. Acetylene gave way to electricity in 1928. In 1938 a filter was fitted inside the 5th Order Freznel lens giving the light a distinctive green hue for recognition. One of the last keepers of the light was Radford Franke who recalled receiving the order to “douse the light” upon the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

By early 1960 the light was deemed to be of no further service, so in June of that year the lantern room was removed to a salvage yard. The wooden tower and its brick and mortar foundation remained a couple of years later until they too were declared structurally unsafe and demolished. The bell tower continued to survive, mounted with a 375 mm high intensity lamp on its roof. However the value of maintaining any light on Ballast Point diminished with the installation of harbor entrance range lights. In the late 1960’s the bell and its tower were dismantled. The tower found its way to a private residence in Lakeside, California. The bell had a more circuitous later life. It was purchased from a San Diego area junk yard in 1969 for its scrap value of 5 cents per pound! The one ton bell remained on local private property until 1991, when it was put on loan to the San Diego Maritime Museum. In 1999 the bell was transported to the son of the original buyer, living in Colorado. Then in 2002, the bell finally found its way to the home of the owner’s granddaughter living in Vermont, where it rests to this day.

The story of the lantern’s later life is even more fascinating. The nation was just recovering from the Cuban Missile Crisis between JFK and Khrushchev, when in 1964 the Cuban government cut off the fresh water supply to the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay. By that time, an experimental desalinization plant had been in operation at Point Loma for 2 years. The Navy hastily ordered it to be disassembled and shipped through the Panama Canal to Cuba. A gentleman working as a crane operator during the process noted the shabby lantern room in a trash heap nearby. He inquired as to the fate of the relic and was told it was salvage. Asking if he could purchase it, the yard foreman told him he could “have it” if he would haul it away. With that, for the next 34 years the lantern room served as a gazebo in the backyard of the man’s residence in Bonita, California. It was purchased by the present owners in 1998, fully refurbished, and then placed on public display ever since. Now it is time for it to find its next new home. According to the crane operator who delivered the lamp room it weighs approximately 5 tons. It will require a crane and a flat bed truck for removal.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

F. Ross Holland, “The Old Point Loma Lighthouse,” 1978, Cabrillo Historical Association, San Diego, California

Jim Gibbs, “The Twilight of Lighthouses,” 1996, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA.

Kin Fahlen and Karen Scanlon, “Lighthouse of San Diego,” 2008, Arcadia Publishing, San Francisco

Kraig Anderson, “Forgotten Ballast Point “Lighthouse” Seeks New Home,” article in “Lighthouse Digest,” East Machias, Maine, September – October 2011, Vol. XX, no. 5 pages 34 – 37.

“Mains’l Haul,” a periodic publication of the San Diego Maritime Association, Summer 1990, Vol. XXVI, No. 4, pp. 11-12.