Yachting
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This catalogue of material related to YACHTING is jointly produced by Greg Gibson at Ten Pound Island Book Co. in Gloucester, Mass., and myself here at Rulon-Miller Books. Orders will be accepted by either of us, and we will communicate with one another. If someone on my mailing list wants to order a book that belongs to Ten Pound Island, I will pass that information along at once to Greg. We’ll both do our best to confirm as soon as possible. Thanks! / Rob Rulon-Miller
A note on OCLC
As is now the norm, OCLC counts are tentative, at best, as we recognize that searches using different qualifiers will often turn up different results. Searches are now further complicated by the vast numbers of digital, microfilm, and even print-on-demand copies, which have polluted the database considerably, making it difficult, without numerous phone calls or emails, to determine the actual number of tangible copies. Hence, even though the counts herein have been recently checked, most all should be taken as a measure of approximation.
1. [America's Cup Races.] Millions for defense: a pictorial history of the races for the America's Cup. New York: Derrydale Press, [1934].
$1,250
Edition ltd. to 950 copies, 4to, pp. 98, [2]; color frontispiece of the yacht America, profusely illustrated throughout with 92 illustrations from contemporary sources and photographs, a number full-page, plus a table of the races. Far from perfect, a worn, but good copy in original blue buckram with the crossed burgees of the N.Y.Y.C. and the R.Y.S. on the upper cover.
This copy with a letter of transmittal from one of the authors and Yachting editor, Herbert L. Stone, on Yachting magazine stationary to New York Yacht Club member Edmund Lang, Chairman of the N.Y.Y.C. America's Cup Racing Committee, presenting him this book "with the compliments of the two authors." Furthermore, the book is inscribed to Lang, "To a Cruising Club man who carries the burden of seeing that the British challenger gets a fair race. Herbert Stone / Alfred F. Loomis / July 1934." Also, with a carbon of a letter back to Stone from Edmund Lang, commenting on the book and remarking on Stone's inscription: "I accept [the book] with the deepest of appreciation and realize the responsibility conveyed in the autographed sentiments."
2. [America's Cup Races.] Drama and color in the America's Cup Races as told in woodcuts by Jacques La Grange ... Portraits and initials by Helen La Grange. New Brunswick, N.J.: The Christie Press, [1934].
$1,500
"De Luxe Edition" limited to 500 numbered copies (this, no. 80) signed by Jacques La Grange on the title page; oblong folio, pp. [4], 120; 30 handsome woodcuts on 28 plates by the La Granges, most printed in color and each signed in pencil by the artist; each plate is protected by a glassine sheet as well as a blue pictorial leaf with descriptive text; other smaller embellishments throughout; bound in full blue leather with silver lettering on spine and upper cover, slightly rubbed but overall the book is very good and sound; internally fine.
This copy belonged to Louie Howland (Howland and Co.) who has been selling his books through Greg Gibson at Ten Pound Island in Gloucester, Mass. I saw this book in one of Greg's recent lists and, having an affinity for America's Cup books, and never having seen the book before (or so I thought), I plunged ahead and bought it. Lo and Behold! When it arrived there was a slip inside from the business which sold Howland the book in the first place - The Current Company where I worked with my father until the late 1970s. And it was I who catalogued it! I'd like to say I've never seen or had this book before. And until I saw proof to the contrary, I hadn't.
3. [America's Cup Races.] Photograph of the America's Cup contender, Shamrock IV, inscribed by Lipton. N.p.: [1914].
$850
Approx. 15½" x 11", mounted on board approx. 19" x 12½", with remains of old mat at the edges and the margins a bit erose; identified in pencil on the verso: "Shamrock IV on a trial spin in English waters, 1914."
Inscribed in faded ink: "To my good friend Winfield Thompson with every good wish, 12 August 1914, respectfully, Thomas Lipton."
Between 1899 and 1930 he challenged the New York Yacht Club five times for the America's Cup (in yachts named Shamrock I - Shamrock V), and lost each time. Nonetheless, the tea which bore his name became famous in the U.S. and made him a very wealthy man.
Winfield Thompson was, with Thomas Lawson, co-author of the famed Lawson's History of the America's Cup. He also wrote a biography of the yacht America, and two books on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
4. [America's Cup Races.] Supplementary and final report of the 'America's Cup' Committee and report of racing committee upon the Puritan - Genesta races for the America's Cup.. New York: [privately printed by the New York Yacht Club], 1885.
$150
8vo, pp. 8; original printed yellow wrappers; vertical crease, else fine. OCLC locates copies only at the Navy Department and the Mariner's Museum. Not in Morris & Howland.
5. [America's Cup Races.] Report of the special committee of the New York Yacht Club relative to certain charges made by the Earl of Dunraven concerning the recent match for the America's Cup. New York: printed for the Club, 1896.
$950
Only edition, 8vo, pp. [10], xxx, [2], 556; original printed paper wrappers, with the NYYC emblem, edges a little chipped with small pieces missing (no loss of any letterpress), lightly worn and soiled; a good, reasonably sound copy of an uncommon America's Cup title.
Nicely printed on very good paper stock by Douglas Taylor & Co. New York. An account concerning Lord Dunraven's charges against the American yacht, Defender, which, according to his claim, was surreptitiously loaded with ballast to sink her four inches lower in the water, thus making her faster than Dunraven's yacht, Valkyrie III, in the races sailed for America's Cup September 7, 10, and 12, 1895. The charges were subsequently found to be false.
Included are reports and testimonies by J. Pierpont Morgan, W. C. Whitney, A. T. Mahan, C. Oliver Iselin, Nathaniel G. Herreshoff, and Captain Henry C. Haff, among many others prominent in the New York yachting scene.
Ownership signature on the front wrapper of Edmund Lang, New York Yacht Club member and later chairman of the America's Cup Race Committee.
6. [America's Cup Races.] Enterprise: the story of the defense of the America's Cup in 1930. New York & London: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1931.
$850
First edition limited to 250 signed and numbered copies, 4to, pp. [4], xvii, [1], 230; tipped in color frontispiece, numerous plates from photographs, charts, plans, etc. (some folding); edges and corners a little worn, 3½ x 1 inch stain on front cover, plus two other smaller and less obvious ones, else a very good copy in original quarter blue buckram lettered in gilt, embossed America's Cup ornament on upper cover, t.e.g.; without the scarce publisher's blue folding box.
This copy is no. 19 and is inscribed by Vanderbilt on the limitation page to "Edmund Lang with the compliments of Harold S. Vanderbilt." Lang, who died in 1940, was a member of the New York Yacht Club, and was Chairman of the America's Cup Race Committee in 1930, the year Vanderbilt and his J-Boat Enterprise won the America's Cup.
7. [America's Cup.] Souvenir program. International Yacht Races, 1930 to be sailed off Newport harbor, beginning September 13. With history of N. Y. Yacht Club and officers and committees of the Royal Ulster Yacht Cub. Also history of previous races for the "America's" Cup. New York: 1920 [i.e. 1930].
$575
Oblong folio, pp. 200; illustrated throughout; original pictorial wrappers; light wear; near fine. Many advertisements for nautical gear and stuff for the wealthy folks, and pictures of the Cup boats past and present. This is the program for the first America's Cup Races held in Newport, the first program for the J-Boat era, and the last time the Cup was contended for by Sir Thomas Lipton who lost the series in his Shamrock V to Harold Vanderbilt's Enterprise. I once did a bibliography of books on the America's Cup Races, published in part in The American Book Collector way back when; and when I was in business in Rhode Island, Cup books were something of a specialty. In 50 years of selling books, this is the first copy I've encountered. So, not in Rulon-Miller, not in Howland, or Toy. Only the Mariner's Museum in OCLC.
8. A Daring Voyage Across the Atlantic Ocean. London: Griffith and Farran, 1880.
$200
12mo, 18 cm.151, 32 (adverts) pp. b/w plates.
The Andrews brothers sailed from Boston to England and then to France in a 20 foot Gloucester dory built by Higgins & Gifford in 1878. Andrews made a total of 5 small boat voyages. In 1901 he and his second wife attempted a honeymoon voyage and were lost. First edition, and quite scarce. An American edition was printed the same year. Morris & Howland p. 5. Toy 486 (citing reprint only). Minor lean to spine, but good condition in original gilt decorated cloth showing edge and corner wear.
9. [Australia - Coast Directions.] Wellbank's Australian nautical almanac and coasters' guide, for the southern and eastern coasts of Australia. Compiled from the most authentic sources for the year 1877. Sydney: printed and published by James Reading and Co., [1876].
$150
8vo, pp. viii, [2], 4, [12] almanac], 376, [40] ads; colored plate of signal flags, a colored page of storm signals with a slip announcing Additional Signal Stations tipped in; 32 other printed notices to mariners slips about lights, hazards, and other matters tipped in at p. 69, 82, 101, 105, 144, 155, 197, 211, 228, 238, 241, 242, 288, 292, 316, 323, 324, 326 (2), 328, 329, 336, 337, 341, 342, 351 (2), 354 (2), 356, 358, and 369; folding lithograph chart of Broughton Islands (Capt. F. W. Sidney, 1865); tipped in at the back is a 12-page Catalogue of Charts, Nautical Books, and Stationery on sale by J. Reading & Co., Sydney, in original blue printed wrappers, showing available charts for Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, China Sea, many Pacific islands, the Gulf of Aden, Japan, San Francisco, the Red Sea, as well as nautical books, sailing directories, and miscellaneous books. This scarce Australian coast guide appears to have been published from the 1860s to the 1890s; this particular issue not located in OCLC. Original limp blue cloth, paper label on upper cover chipped, with loss; covers detached but present, back cover stained; text block in very good condition.
10. The cruise of the Alice May in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and adjacent waters. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1885.
$200
First book edition, 8vo, pp. 129, [1], [6] ads; 57 drawings by M. J. Burns throughout text, plus 7 maps; original pictorial wrappers; some wear and soiling, several pages crudely opened yet still generally very good. Reprinted from the Century Magazine.
11. The Corinthian yachtsman, or hints on yachting. London: C. Wilson, 1881.
$150
First edition, thin 8vo, pp. [4], 87 [1], xvi, 20, ads; 2 plates of ship's plans, vignette title and few small illustrations in the text; original blue cloth decorated in gilt; head and tail of spine chipped, spine a bit darkened, rear hinge cracked, lacking rear free endpaper, foxing to endpapers, still a nice-looking copy, internally very good and clean. For "those youthful aspirants, who wish to become Yacht Owners, or who desire to go afloat for the first time, with some little knowledge of the Build and Equipment of a Yacht, and the routine on board."
12. [Block Island.] The Block Island "double-ender" [drop title]. [Providence]: Reprinted from the Rhode Island Historical Collections, October, 1923.
$175
8vo, pp. 7, [1]; 2 plates showing 6 illustrations; original printed wrappers;
bound with: the entire issue of the Rhode Island Historical Society Collections, Vol. XVI, No. 4, for Oct. 1923, pp. 97-128; 3 plates showing 9 illustrations; original printed wrappers.
Together in a single volume of three-quarter green morocco over green marbled boards, gilt lettering direct on spine; spine sunned, else near fine.
Laid in is an original photo postcard of two Block Island double-enders, and an April 1927 issue of The Rhode Island Mariner reprinting the same article. This is the author's own copy.
13. The last voyage to India and Australia in the "Sunbeam." By the late Lady Brassey. Illustrated by R.T. Pritchett and from photographs. London: Longmans, Green, 1889.
$150
First edition, 8vo, pp. xxiv, 490; inserted frontispiece and vignette title page (with a long tear, skillfully repaired), numerous plates, folding maps, wood-engravings in the text, etc., the whole sumptuously produced and handsomely presented. This copy barely shaken, with one or two of the plates loosening, but still near fine and bright in original blue cloth, gilt, t.e.g.
With an appendix on Mauritius and the Cape of Good Hope, and a memoir of the famed voyager and travel-writer by Lord Brassey.
14. American and English Yachts. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1887.
$850
Oblong folio, 33.5cm. 14 pp. with 50 b/w plates and accompanying page of text.
Stebbins’ sought-after first book, and a yachting classic. Fifty full-page gravure plates of yachts, with brief histories and dimensions. Essay on yachts and yachting by Burgess. Stebbins' book is usually found with foxing on the plates. This copy has some foxing on title page and prelims, but the plates themselves are fresh and clean. Solidly rebound in white canvas with the original leather cover and spine titles preserved and laid down.
Toy 329; Morris & Howland p. 131.
15. Tuiga. 1909. [Monaco]: Yacht Club de Monaco, 2005.
$250
Square 4to, 30 cm. (8), 9-164, (3) pp. Color and b/w plates. French and English text in two columns.
Tuiga is a 76-foot loa gaff-rigged cutter. According to classicyachtinfo.com, "Tuiga was built for the Duke of Medinacelli, who was a friend to the King of Spain, and designed identically to the King’s yacht, ‘Hispania’. This was so that they could then race on equal terms against each other. However, 'Tuiga' collected a long line of second places allowing rumours to spread that indicated the Duke was ‘holding back’ so as not to beat the King and cause an embarrassing situation." In 1990 she was restored at Fairlie Restorations and, since 1995, she has been the flagship of the Monaco Yacht Club.
This book goes into great detail about every aspect of her design, construction, career, and restoration. In one of the most interesting chapters from a yacht design (as opposed to a social history) point of view, the man who restored her, William Collier, researches and speculates upon the thought process of William Fife, her designer. The book is lavishly produced - just this side of over-the-top. It gives us a rare view into the world of zillionaires and their toys, as well as providing a thorough history of a graceful and storied yacht.
The book was published in a trade edition of 4000 copies, all of which seem to have been destined for the Yacht Club of Monaco, since no copies - used or new - are available anywhere. This is one of 100 presentation copies, numbered I-C, bound in full crimson leather, all edges gilt, with gold cover lettering and design. It is numbered copy XXXIX, and comes with a manuscript presentation note from the publisher who says in part, "We hope that the content will bring you as much pleasure as it did for us in its making."
A fine copy, as new, with folding plans, presentation note, and promotional material. Housed in publisher's box, which duplicates the book's cover design.
No copies on Worldcat or any internet sales venue.
16. J-Class. [London]: Yachting Heritage, 2002.
$500
Oblong folio, 44 x 31 cm., pp. 445, [3]; color and b/w plates, with portfolio of additional plates.
The J-Class yacht is a single-masted racing vessel built within structural rules set forth by great Nathaniel Herreshoff' in 1914. These gorgeous yachts represented the highest evolution possible under such standards, and they ruled the waves in the America's Cup challenges of the 1930s. However, as World War II loomed, hybrid design and material problems put an end to this grand class.
In the 1980s a J-Class revival was launched by Elizabeth Meyer. Its success is in part responsible for this book, which is as lavishly designed and produced as any of the yachts it features, with over 100 vintage photographs (some full-page spreads), a watercolor by the great Marin-Marie, drawings, graphs, sail plans, sets of 3 line-plans, 29 portraits of naval architects and authoritative text by Chevalier and Taglang, with a series of watercolors of America's Cup races by Colin Baxter, and contributions from Elizabeth Meyer herself, Louie Howland, and Volker Christman, to name just a few.
The book and accompanying portfolio were published in 2002 in a clothbound trade edition for $500. (We have a copy of this trade edition, in as-new condition, for $300 - see below.) The copy on offer here is #LXXXI in a limited edition of 100 copies, signed by Chevalier and Taglang, and bound in full blue morocco, all edges gilt. Book and portfolio of paintings and photos are housed in a publisher's slipcase of matching blue leather. Text in French and English.
17. America's Cup Yacht Designs: 1851-1986. Paris: [Chevalier & Taglang], 1987.
$300
Oblong folio, 43.5 cm. (xxiv) 24-684 pp. Color and b/w plates.
A monumental and authoritative work containing, in generous scale, lines and sail plans of just about every yacht associated with the America's Cup. The plans are drawn so that each yacht is presented in the same format, making it possible to follow the changes which emerged in response to changing rules. Text in French and English. This is copy #2517 in a limited edition of 2574 copies, signed by both authors. Fine condition in dust jacket.
18. [China.] My holidays in China. Shanghai: "Temperance Union", 1895.
$1,250
First book edition, small 4to, pp. 180; text in double column, black & white photographic illustrations; tan boards with black lettering & illustration of a boat on front cover, brown pebbled cloth spine. Some darkening to boards, wear to extremities, but a very good copy overall.
Reprinted from the "Temperance Union" for which Kahler was the editor. A detailed and entertaining book giving an account of three houseboat tours, from Shanghai to Hangehow and back via Ningpo; from Shanghai to Le Yang via Soochow and the Tah Hu; and from Kiukiang to Wuhu, accompanied by black & white photo-illustrations of scenes along the way.
Scarce. OCLC shows only 8 American institutions holding copies.
19. Croisières du yacht Alphée. 1935 and 1936. Leon et Yvonne Cotnareanu, 1935, 1936.
$250
Two 4to vols. 28.5 cm. (8), 9-90, (1) pp. and (8), 9-133, (1) pp. Color title and initials, b/w maps with spot color, b/w halftone plates.
Leon Cotnareanu was a wealthy industrialist and publisher. Yvonne was the widow of perfume magnate Francoise Coty. These two volumes, produced in limited numbers for friends, chronicle the couple’s adventures on their sumptuous 200-foot motor yacht in Mediterranean and European waters. With detailed reports of port visits and visitors, they also document social history.
Apparently Cotnareanu issued such annual summaries of their adventures in 1934, 1935, 1936, and 1938. All editions were limited to 90 copies. The two offered here are #45 and #61, on Arches paper. Untrimmed and partially unopened, bound in original stiff paper wrappers with embossed color pennant design. Text in French. Both books are rare. Worldcat shows only the Bibliotheque Nationale de France and National Library of Sweden holding copies. Fine condition internally, bound as issued in decorated wrappers, which show slight soiling. According to vialibri.net, someone in France thinks the 1935 edition is worth $1100. We can do better than that. Quite a bit better. Two volumes
20. Yachts and Yachting. New York: Cassell & Company, 1888.
$250
4to, 31 cm. ii, (1), 11-200 pp. b/w halftone plates and line ills.
Yachts and Yachting is a history of American yachting from the early days of the New York Yacht Club; the Mayflower and Galatea races of 1886; American steam yachting in the 19th century; and British yachting during the same period. This is the rare limited Edition de luxe, being #238 of 250 copies, and uncommonly hard to find. It has an additional 40 pages on the yachting seasons of 1886 and 1887, with Cozzens's distinctive line illustrations throughout.
See Toy 77 (citing the British edition). Morris & Howland p. 35. Backstrip sunned and worn at spine ends. Corners bumped. The lower portion of the front cover is water stained, but the distinctive cover design is intact. Very good condition internally
21. Strange, but true: life and adventures of Captain Thomas Crapo and wife. New Bedford: Capt. Thomas Crapo, publisher, 1893.
$200
First edition, first issue (without Joanna Crapo's appended note on the death of her husband), small 8vo, pp. 154; 7 illustrations in the text (6 full-p.); original pictorial wrappers; small chip out of the bottom margin on the front wrapper, slight insect damage to the top of the title page; all else very good.
The wrapper issue is less common than that bound in brown cloth. Among other adventures, Crapo with his wife voyaged in an open dory from New Bedford to England, after which the couple was booked, dory and all, with Howe's great London circus.
22. [Cuba.] Manuscript journal recounting a voyage from Wilmington, NC to Cuba via Nassau, and back on the steam yacht Oneida. At sea, and on Cuba: February 16 - April 26, 1892.
$1,500
Small quarto ruled record book, bookseller's label of Corlies Macy & Co., Stationers, New York on the front pastedown, and containing approximately 145 pages by an unnamed passenger, recounting the voyage; the journal is enhanced by occasional, if somewhat amateurish drawings of events and curiosities described, including a waterspout, and a plan of Baracoa Harbor on the eastern end of Cuba; original half black calf, marbled boards; rubbed and worn, but sound; internally very clean.
The Oneida had an iron hull, 2 masts, and was capable of cruising at 13 knots and accommodating a dozen passengers in luxurious quarters. The yacht was owned by Elias Benedict, a prominent member of the New York Yacht Club, and a close friend of President Grover Cleveland. The year after this cruise, the Oneida would gain fame as the location of the secret surgery performed on President Cleveland to remove a cancerous tumor from His mouth.
On this voyage, the yacht was commanded by the owner's son, Frederick H. Benedict; a Captain Lowberg served as navigator. Passengers included John Bloodgood, Jr., Thomas B. Brown, and Edgar H. Booth, as well as the anonymous author, all of New York City. They depart from Wilmington, travel down the Cape Fear River, and experience very rough weather on the first night in open ocean. After a stop at Nassau, they reach Guantanamo, Cuba, where they are met and shown around by Paul Brooks, son of a wealthy American planter, consular agent, and major stakeholder in the local railway. They visit several sugar plantations, drink some rum, and play some pool, before heading on to Santiago (more sugar plantations) and then Havana.
They reach Havana on the last day of Mardi Gras, and find "the streets a howling mob of holiday seekers, most of them in fancy costume and masked." They join the fun, attending an opera and several lavish balls. In the following days they tour the town, socialize with a variety of expats, dine at some of the notable local establishments, and tour the Corona Cigar factory. Throughout, the author offers nice descriptions of the landscape and architecture, with occasional observations on the local people and customs. On the return journey they have the ill fortune to be stuck a few days in Jacksonville, Florida, which evidently lacked socialites, as "there is absolutely nothing to see or do." They return to Wilmington, where they enjoy "a few days frolic" -- including fishing, sailing, oyster roasts, teas, dancing, and general lounging about in the company of ladies -- before embarking on a short cruise to Bermuda, a description of which comprises the last 25 or so pages of the diary.
Laid in is a 4-page unsigned typescript recounting a cruise with the New York Yacht Club from New London to New Bedford, via Newport and Narragansett Pier; also laid in are 13 octavo manuscript pages of navigational interest.
23. Thoughts on Yachts and Yachting. Design: Construction: Handling. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1939.
$75
4to. viii, 349 pp. b/w plates, lines.
First American edition. Fox is arguably the most generous of all the contemporary giants of small-boat design, etc., at least as far as clearly explaining boat design, construction and how to remain afloat. Here he presents designs and thoughts about 30 boats - cruising, power, and racing craft, complete with plans and gentlemanly humor. He even includes his thoughts on "Roger North, the 17th century yachtsman, and Frederick Chapman, the first naval architect."
See Toy 1864. Backstrip lightly sunned, else very good condition.
24. Uffa Fox’s Second Book. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1935.
$50
4to, 28 cm. xii, 376 pp. b/w plates, lines.
First American edition of "A companion volume to Sailing, Seamanship, and Yacht Construction. With over 350 photographs and diagrams. Fox’s inimitable discourses on racing, cruising, and histories of same.
Toy 1861. Spine and front cover sunned, else very good condition.
25. Royal Yachts. London: Rich & Cowan, Ltd., 1932.
$350
4to, 30 cm. 338 pp. Color and b/w plates.
Full and thoroughly documented account of British royal yachts and their owners. Includes lists of royal yachts from the Restoration to 1932, with data on design, building, armament, origins of names, flags, history, etc.
Fine printing job on laid paper with tipped-in color plates, pages untrimmed. This is a review copy and, as such, is differently bound than other copies on the market. Those were issued in a limited edition of 1000 copies, bound either in morocco or blue pebbled cloth, with a numbered limitation page. This copy is bound in plain blue cloth over boards with cover label, without the limitation page, but otherwise identical to the trade editions, with a tipped-in color frontispiece and 15 additional tipped-in color plates of yachts, as well as numerous b/w halftone plates.
Laid in is a letter from the book's publisher to the editor of the Daily Mail, reading in part, "I must express apologies for being unable to send this copy to you with a full morocco binding... because it is necessary for me to publish this book on December 30th and I wish you to have an early opportunity of considering it for review." The letter is accompanied by its original mailing envelope, marked "Urgent" in blue pencil. Light wear to backstrip, some foxing on front board, else a fine copy.
See Toy 31.
26. The Challenge. 1983. Sydney and London: Lyon Productions, 1984.
$250
pp. xii, 310; b/w ills. in text, color plates, some tipped in.
This piece of puffery is the height of... I don't know what it's the height of. It recounts, with the aid of striking color photographs, Australia II's stunning defeat of Dennis Connor and Liberty, coming down to a hard-fought and very dramatic seventh race. Fair enough, mate. But the presentation of this tale is totally over the top. The book (#278 in a limited edition of 1000 copies) is bound in full black morocco with gilt lettering and raised bands, and housed in a velvet-lined camphor-wood box with a brass title plate on its front. And all this time I thought the Aussies were regular blokes.
Some wear to box, book in fine condition. (We also have a second copy without the camphorwood box, Unnumbered, but otherwise identical to the above, in very good condition. $150).
27. The Holy Grail of Yachting: the Art of the America's Cup. [West Palm Beach, FL]: [America 3 Foundation], [2013 - 2017].
$5,000
Oblong folio, 13 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches. Seven volumes. xviii, 258; x, 401; x, 309; x, 299; x, 312; x, 407; x, 307; x, 424 pp. Embossed, full-color frontispieces. Color and b/w plates throughout.
William I. (Bill) Koch is a billionaire businessman, yachtsman, collector, and winner of the 1992 Americas Cup. In 2007 he conceived and commissioned this series - history told through art and artifacts, with parallel historical narrative - under the supervision of high-end antique dealers Alan Granby and Janice Hyland. The visual materials come from Koch's own collections, from historical archives, and institutions in Europe and America.
In terms of layout and production values, these uniformly-designed volumes are magnificent. Along with eye-popping visuals, the series maintains a high level of scholarship and historical accuracy, with text written and supervised by such experts as Steven Tsuchiya and Llewellyn Howland III. Illustrated with masterworks from the 19th and 20th centuries by painters such as Lane and Buttersworth, and photographers such as Beken of Cowes, this series is the ultimate in Americas Cup histories, with the 7th volume taking us right to the eve of Koch's win in "America 3."
Contents are as follows: Volume 1. 1851 The Art and Artifacts of the America's Cup. Vol. 2. The Era of the Schooners, 1870-1876. The Era of the Single-masted Racers/Cruisers, 1881-1887. Vol. 3. The Era of the Big Class, 1893-1920: part 1, 1893, 1892, 1899. Vol. 4. The Era of the Big Class, 1893-1920: part 2: 1901, 1903 and 1920. Vol. 5. The Era of the J-class, 1930-1937. Vol. 6. The Era of the 12-meters, 1958-1987: part 1, 1958-1970. Vol. 7. The Era of the 12 Meters - 1958-1987. part 2 1974-1987.
Each volume with extensive bibliography and indices sourcing the visual materials. These books were produced on a limited basis, with copies going primarily to contributors and to Koch's yachtsy friends and other habitues of the 1%. It is, obviously, a rare set. Worldcat shows only the Mariner's Museum and UC Berkeley holding copies, and the sets in those two collections only go up to Volume 6. At this time there are no copies offered for sale on the internet or at auction, and it is doubtful that the set will ever be offered for public sale.
Seven volumes, printed on extra-heavy coated stock, all in fine condition in illustrated dust jackets as issued.
28. Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, Bristol, R.I. sole manufacturer of the Herreshoff patent safety coil boiler, builders of steam vessels, yachts, launches, portable, stationary and marine engines, pumps, propeller wheels and safety valves ... John B. Herreshoff, president and treasurer. New York: Beadle & Broun, stationers, 55 Exchange Place, n.d., [ca. late 1870s - early 1880s].
$250
Tri-fold leaflet on India paper (approx. 8½" x 5¼" folded), printed in red and blue; 4 wood-engraved illustrations; near fine condition.
An early Herreshoff promotional - the company was founded in 1878 - touting the company's hulls, engines, boilers, and propellers.
29. Herreshoff Sailing Tutor. Bristol: ca. 1935.
$1,250
Contained in the original box (approx. 7¾" x 6¾" x 1¾") are 2 hulls made of Burma teak with masts, 2 mainsails, 2 jibs, 2 spinnakers (all "cut from metal and finished in white enamel"), 2 buoys, a wind direction pointer and a tide direction pointer - all parts present and accounted for; box with a pictorial label and original bifoliate directions repeating the box label on the front.
"The Herreshoff Sailing Tutor is a great aid to the novice sailor in mastering the elements of yacht sailing and navigation - and in demonstrating and plotting racing tactics ... Race committees are using the Herreshoff Sailing Tutor to rehearse and visualize alleged rule violations, in deciding subsequent protests, and find that it makes an unpleasant duty easier and considerably more accurate ... These miniature yachts are made with that same painstaking care and skilled workmanship that established the Herreshoff yard at Bristol as the world’s most distinctive center of yacht designing and construction."
30. [Herreshoff Manufacturing Co..] Report made to the Bureau of steam-engineering, Navy Department, March 3, 1883 ... on the hull, engine, and boiler of the steam-yacht "Siesta," constructed by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company at Bristol, R.I.. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1883.
$200
First edition, 8vo, pp. 62; 1 large folding table, 1 large folding plate of the boiler, several other illustrations in the text; original printed gray wrappers; a couple of inoffensive library marks on title page recto and verso, otherwise fine.
Includes data on dimensions, weight, and performance
31. Preliminary report of a Board of United States Naval Engineers on the Herreshoff launch and system of machinery for steam yachts, launches, &c. made to the Bureau of Steam Engineering, Navy Department, October 26, 1880 [wrapper title]. N.p.: 1880.
$200
32mo (approx. 5¼" x 3¼"), pp. 14, [2]; original printed green wrappers; fine.
It's unclear if this is a Navy Dept. publication or a Herreshoff one. An early Herreshoff item, nonetheless. The company wasn't founded until 1878.
Not in OCLC.
32. The Common Sense of Yacht Design.. Jamaica, NY: Caravan Maritime Books, 1966.
$150
4to, 31 cm. ix, 157; vii, 176 pp. b/w plates, line ills.
This is the reprint edition of Herreshoff's classic text, signed by him on the title page. 2 vols in one. Fine condition.
33. [Herreshoff, Nathanael Greene.] Capt. Nat Herreshoff, the wizard of Bristol. The life and achievements of Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, together with an account of some of the yachts he designed.. New York: Sheridan House, [1953].
$375
First edition, 8vo, pp. 349, [1]; 108 illustrations, primarily from photos, on rectos and versos of 24 plates; a fine copy in the dust jacket.
A review copy, with a quarto typed letter from Sheridan House to the reviewer laid in, and containing extensive notes by the reviewer in pencil on the verso; also laid in is a tri-fold leaflet printed in yellow and black with additional blurbs and an order form.
The reviewer in question is likely Garrett D. Byrnes (1923-1984) whose review for the Providence Journal is also laid in.
This is the story of the remarkable life of the genius who designed the first U.S. Navy Torpedo boats, the first high-speed steam launches and six successful defenders of the America's Cup. In all important yacht races from 1890 to the time of his death in 1938, his yachts won more prizes than those of all other yacht designers put together.
34. One-page autograph letter signed on personalized stationery [N. G. Herreshoff, Bristol, R.I.]. Bristol: 19-Aug, 1937.
$950
8vo, approx. 20 lines and 100 words, to "Brother Leahy" thanking him for the gift of Jeff Davis's Log. Autobiographical Reminiscences of the Yachting Editor of the Providence Journal and Evening Bulletin which had been published earlier that same year.
"I ... have days of 'ups & downs.' I want to thank you for the very artistically done-up package ... the Log of Arthur W. Davis - so called 'Jeff' - I don't know why. And cleverly illustrated by that Gale who has real talent ... With cooler weather I hope to be feeling better, and that you will drop in and have a little chat - that is so pleasant! Please give my kind regards to your father and mother..."
Capt. Nat Herreshoff (1848-1938) was arguably the most successful yacht designer of the last part of the 19th century, and into the 20th. Among his many accomplishments were the successful designs of every America's Cup defender between 1893 and 1920. Herreshoff letters are rare. The last record we find of one coming on the market is 1915. Herreshoff died June 2nd the following year.
"Brother Leahy" is Edward Lawrence Leahy, Jr. (1918-1944), son of U.S. Senator Edward Leahy and Fern Dixon Leahy, who was killed in the final days of World War II in a submarine in the North Pacific.
Accompanied by: An undated letter from Mr. Herreshoff's secretary to Mrs. Leahy thanking her, her husband and son "Brother" for birthday flowers.
35. Two-page autograph letter signed on personalized stationery [N. G. Herreshoff, Bristol, R.I.]. Coconut Grove, Fla.: M[ar]ch. 21, 1930.
$1,250
8vo, approx. 30 lines and 140 words, to a Mr. Rigg regarding the building of a yacht.
"[Y]ou are considering having the Herreshoff Mfg. Co. build you a duplicate of Haswell. For a fast cruiser, I have always considered Flying Cloud (and Haswell which [is] exactly the same except having slightly more over hang,) the best design I have made. I am very sure you will not be disappointed if you build from that design. I hardly feel about giving advice on the rig ... For myself I would prefer a yawl, or ketch with mizzen..."
Capt. Nat Herreshoff (1848-1938) was arguably the most successful yacht designer of the last part of the 19th century, and into the 20th. Among his many accomplishments were the successful designs of every America's Cup defender between 1893 and 1920. Herreshoff letters are rare. The last record we find of one coming on the market is 1915.
36. Two-page autograph letter signed on personalized stationery [N. G. Herreshoff, Bristol, R.I.]. Bristol: Feb. 2, 1935.
$1,500
8vo, approx. 37 lines and 220 words, to a Mr. Rigg comparing three Herreshoff-designed yachts.
"I believe the three boats Flying Cloud, Haswell and Mary Rose ... to be very perfect models to combine good sailing qualities with cruising comfort. All are strongly built and fit for sea-going. Flying Cloud never was in racing hands, and has not the record she deserves. Haswell at first had no sailing record but was fortunate in falling into the smart Canadians hands - Jarvis, who got her rig in shape and made a brilliant record with her even winning - with schooner rig allowance against the crack J-class yachts ... So to Mary Rose, you probably know more about her than I do, as she was built after my retirement ... Of course you know that in ordinary racing success depends in the ability of the owner and skipper on average at about 3-1, and in ocean racing, the owner, skipper, and crew on average about 4-1..."
Capt. Nat Herreshoff (1848-1938) was arguably the most successful yacht designer of the last part of the 19th century, and into the 20th. Among his many accomplishments were the successful designs of every America's Cup defender between 1893 and 1920. Herreshoff letters are rare. The last record we find of one coming on the market is 1915.
37. Sketches drawn on his trip to Europe and Asia Minor in 1895 aboard the steam yacht "Barracouta" owned by John R. Fell of Philadelphia, the father of W.E.H.'s sister-in-law, Mrs. Herbert Marshall Howe, born Mary W. Fell [cover title]. Shipboard, Mediterranean Sea: 1895.
$1,500
Three-ring binder assembled by the historian and writer George Howe from whom this notebook emanates, with approximately 23 sheets extracted from the artist's sketchbook, with approximately 77 individual sketches and studies in pen & ink, pencil, and watercolor (18 full-page), on both rectos and versos of the sheets; the leaves are toned throughout, occasionally with erose margins and sometimes with short tears and breaks; the artwork for the most part is in very good condition.
Subject matter includes shipboard life aboard the Barracouta, St. George's (Bermuda), Funchal (Madeira), Gibraltar, Marseille, Menton, Arles, Malta, Palermo (Sicily), Cairo, Jerusalem, Athens, Naples, and 16 men atop a London bus! Almost certainly these sketches were salvaged from a sketchbook long gone, but these survivals seem to be representative of what the whole once looked like.
Wallis Eastburn Howe (1868-1960) was the third child of Mark Anthony DeWolf Howe's third marriage to Eliza Whitney. While he was born in Philadelphia, his family had deep roots in Bristol, R.I. A graduate of Lehigh and M.I.T. he moved to Bristol in 1892 and set up as an architect. As such, he went on to become one of the most noted architects in Rhode Island working with several different partners and partnerships over a long and successful career.
38. Hunt's Yachting Magazine. Volumes 1 - 29, August, 1852 - December, 1880. .
$6,000
In the collection of yacht registers, also being offered in this catalog (see item 75), appears a publication called Hunt’s Universal Yacht List. This international register of yachts was the predecessor to, and inspiration for, Hunt's Yachting Magazine, which began publication in 1852. The run of 27 volumes on offer here is complete, with no volumes or issues missing between 1852 and 1880. (The magazine continued until 1887 but the last 7 years are not included in this lot.)
Hunt's is the premiere early source of information about English, Irish, Canadian, and American yachting - including news of the America's Cup (with a color lithograph of the America vs. the Alarm in vol. 10, 1861). There is news of club activities, technical information about, and illustrations of, yachts, plans of yachts, information and illustrations on design and construction, laws of management, racing results and rules, yacht signals, hardware and fittings, sails, charts of courses and locations of shipwrecks, book reviews, and virtually every other aspect of yachting in the mid-19th century.
These informative articles are accompanied by hundreds of engraved plates, lithographs and charts, many folding, and all in excellent condition. This is an immaculate set, uniformly bound in half black morocco over boards with raised bands and gold spine decoration, top edges gilt. Each volume contains the bookplate of Charles Plumptre Johnson, a noted yachtsman of his day and Physician-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria.
39. Yacht Races for the America’s Cup. 1851-1893. New York: The Outing Company Limited, 1894.
$250
8vo, 26cm. x, 180, (12 ads) pp. b/w line and halftone ills.
“Being an account of America’s victory at Cowes in 1851 and subsequent contests for the trophy, also the international history of the Brenton’s Reef and Cape May Cups, and the mission of Navahoe in 1893.” Toy describes it as "discussing all challenges whether or not they resulted in races.... Several chapters deal with the development of the English racing cutter, the Marquess of Anglesey and yacht racing, the building of four Cup defenders, and the curious racing careers of the American yachts Sappho and Navahoe in England."
Kenealy's book features the distinctive line drawings by Frederick Cozzens, and a dozen pages of illustrated ads for maritime products of the period, which are often lacking. This copy has been handsomely rebound in white parchment over blue boards, with gold spine lettering and decoration. The pages remain untrimmed. Title page is evenly tanned from acidic binding materials in the original binding, and bears the stamp of an English owner. A collectible copy of a scarce America’s Cup item.
See Toy 1597. Rulon-Miller 6. Morris & Howland p. 77.
40. Encyclopedia of Yacht Designers. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2006.
$200
Folio, 31 cm. xiii, 530 pp. b/w photo plates and line ills.
According to Howland's introduction, this book is the product of "ten years, 87 of the world's finest yachting writers, 525 of the world's best yacht designers, 652 drawings and photos of representative yacht designs..." and one hell of a lot of work. An absolute necessity for scholars, collectors, historians, and armchair sailors.
This is a special "signed and slipcased edition... limited to two hundred copies" and signed by all three author/editors, with prospectus laid in, which is also signed by the big three. Fine condition in slipcase. (We can also offer the trade edition of this book, in fine condition in dust jacket for $85.)
41. Sailing in. The stereo-book of ships ... Photographs by Herbert C. McKay. New York & Toronto: Farrar & Rinehart, Inc, [1937].
$150
First edition, small 4to, pp. viii, [2], 53, [3]; with 50 pairs of photographs on 50 separate pages meant for viewing with the stereo-viewer which is mounted on a steel rod affixed to the rear pastedown; last few leaves with small indentations from the viewer, extremities a little rubbed and worn; all else very good in original blue cloth, pictorial pastedown on upper cover.
42. The 12-Metre Class. [Genoa, Italy]: LTYachting Editions, 2010.
$200
The history of the international 12-metre class from the first international rule to the America's Cup. These sleek machines inspired the talents of generations of the best designers. The book is jam-packed with lines, plans and gorgeous color photos. There is a full chapter on "Twelve Metres and the America's Cup (1958-1987)" and a complete register of every 12 meter ever built, with details on designer, builder, first and following owners, current home port, and sail number."
Fine condition in publisher's slipcase with separately-bound register of yachts. Scarce, with only one copy- a different edition, lacking the Register - available online.
43. Sixteen photographs of the 79' schooner Windward. New York: Edwin Levick, n.d., [ca. 1910].
$750
Each print measures 7¾" x 10", each mounted on card and bound into an album. The album has cracked hinges and joints and the binding is fair at best, but the photographs are generally fine. Levick was one of the great marine photographers of the early 20th century. This collection of photographs of the Windward contains 8 of her under way, and 8 more of her interior. All are blindstamped "Edwin Levick, New York" in the lower right-hand corner. Laid into the album are Windward's bill of sale and papers of ownership. Her owner was Edward Farnham Greene of Boston. This first print has a few spots but the rest are in fine condition. Levick's paper advertising stamp is glued inside the back cover
44. Log and Record of the Intended Cruise of the Sailing Barge RARA AVIS.... .
$750
Oblong 4to scrap book. Unpaginated (about 170 pages). Color and b/w photos, ink and watercolor drawings, manuscript notes and comments, signatures of guests, color maps.
Paul Hammond was a financier and a lifelong yachtsman, obviously of considerable means. In 1928, aboard the great open-water yacht Nina he won the Queen of Spain's Cup, a trans-Atlantic race of over 3300 miles. In 1939, as captain of the Capitana he carried Samuel Eliot Morison through the Caribbean while Morison researched his book on Columbus.
The Rara Avis was a 95-foot schooner-rigged steel-hulled sailing barge designed by Phillip Rhodes and built in the Netherlands in 1957. She had a draft of only 4 feet and was designed to accommodate shallow waters. Under command of Captain Hammond and his wife "Admiral" Susan Hammond, she cruised the Aegean and Mediterranean, as well as east-coast America in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This scrap book is a most unusual record of those years - part log book, part guest register, part travel diary, and part rich man's folly.
Hundreds of b/w and color photographs (including a portrait of the yacht by Beken of Cowes), watercolors, crayon cartoons, ink drawings and tipped-in clippings document places they stopped and people they sailed with. Indeed, the book is studded with signatures and signed raves from A-listers of the day. Uffa Fox devotes an entire page to his opinions about Americas Cup defenders and signs his work twice. A long string of Hammond's WW II naval officer pals sign aboard, architect Wallace Harrison contributes attractive drawings and a watercolor, shoals of Sedgwicks and Cabots appeared, King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece, Waldo Howland, Halsey and L. Francis Herreshoff, Harold Vanderbilt, Samuel Eliot Morison, Adlai Stevenson, Lord Mountbatten (who signs himself "Dickie"), Buckminster Fuller, Chester Nimitz, and many, many more.
As is the case with so many of these high-end yacht cruises, this remarkable journal is a social history as well as a record of the adventures of a wealthy yachting couple and their beloved rare bird. Bound in crimson morocco with marbled pastedowns and housed in a marbled custom slipcase. In 1963 Hammond's wife Susan published a book called Landfalls Remembered which recounts this extended cruise and the people and places that made the adventure a memorable one. That book is included with the log of the Rara Avis.
45. Yachting in America [and ] "Supplement to Preliminary Edition". Mystic, CT: Mystic Seaport Museum, 1991.
$50
4to. 26 cm. 398 pp. (and) 54 pp. on recto only.
This bibliography by Morris and Howland is the final (so far!) word in yachting history. “A Bibliography Embracing the History, Practice, and Equipment of American Yachting and Pleasure Boating from Earliest Beginnings to Circa 1988.” Along with Ernest Toy's bibliography of small boat voyages (see below), this is the essential reference book for the history of American yachting. VG, with spiral-bound "Supplement."
46. [Narragansett Bay.] Log of the good ship Wabun of the Newport Yacht Club from July 6 - 9, 1909. .
$425
8vo (approx. 8" x 5¼"), pp. [8], approximately 2 dozen small vignette illustrations accomplished in pen and ink, and watercolor; near fine.
A matter-of-fact log of a pleasure cruise in Narragansett Bay from Newport to Wickford, East Greenwich, Bristol, and return. Wonderful, primitive vignette illustrations depicting sights along the way, where they tarried ashore, the Updike Hotel, weather conditions, and nautical motifs such as anchors, wheels, buoys, and the Bristol and Newport Yacht Clubs burgees.
47. [Naval Architecture.] Design notebook. San Diego: [ca. 1979].
$150
Oblong folio, approx. 60 leaves printed by spirit process on rectos only showing De Fever's very sleek designs for various offshore cruisers and motor yachts ranging in size from 38' to 150'. Twenty yachts in all, each with a sheet of specifications, an outboard profile, and also below deck arrangements; post-bound in limp blue fabricoid binding; 2 leaves loose, but very good.
From the De Fever website: "Arthur DeFever spent his early years designing commercial tuna clippers for the San Diego fleet. These vessels proved highly reliable and seaworthy. They stayed away from port for weeks at a time, traveling long distances to Central and South America before returning safely with their catch. In the early 1960s, Arthur joined the Offshore Cruising Society. At the time, long range cruising in private yachts was virtually always done in sailboats. The Society retained Arthur to design a series of seaworthy cruising powerboats in the 38 to 54 foot length that would have sufficient range to make the long runs up and down the Pacific coast into Mexico or to Alaska. These were deep draft, full-displacement, diesel-powered vessels that were capable of prolonged Pacific passages in comfort and safety."
48. Representative American Yachts. A Collection of One Hundred Views. Boston: Henry G. Peabody, 1891-1892.
$4,500
Ten volumes, oblong folio, 36 cm. Title pages in red and black. Each volume (2) or (3) pp. plus 10 toned heliotype plates.
Henry Peabody was a photographer who began work in the Boston area in the 1880s. He was a contemporary of the prolific Nathaniel Stebbins, but his work tends to be more thoughtfully composed. Also, his marine photographs are quite a bit scarcer (Peabody had a second career as a landscape photographer, and these images exist in greater numbers).
The bibliography of this work is rather complicated. In the 1890s Peabody began publishing groups of images of American yachts, which he sold by subscription from his Boston office. The first of these, published in 1891-92, was a collection of 10 separately bound folio-sized fascicles, or “Parts” as Peabody referred to them, consisting of 2 or 3 pages of description and 10 plates. This is the configuration being offered here. These images were later issued in book form, in a hardcover binding in 1893.
Also, that same year, the photos were published in a smaller, 8vo format. In 1895 the Metropolitan Publishing Company published an expanded, limited (to 175 copies) version, Representative American Yachts. A Collection of One Hundred and Ten Views, adding an 11th gathering of photos, with descriptions by William E. Robinson. In 1898 some of the yachting photos were included in a larger work that also featured his photos of American naval vessels. Thus, this set of 10 individually-bound gatherings of images constitutes the first, and rarest, appearance of Peabody’s monumental work.
Included are images of the America’s Cup defenders and candidates: Volunteer, Mayflower, Puritan, Priscilla, Atlantic. The images then work downward to smaller yachts, ending with "Twenty-One-Footers" in Part 10. It is noteworthy that the legendary yacht America, in Part 2, is presented in her 1890s guise, and that Part 5, “Forty-Six-Footers,” was also bound and issued separately in hardcover book format. (A small printed “Notice to Subscribers” has been inserted into Part 5 in this collection, advising the reader that “A separate edition of Part No. 5 has been issued... a most desirable gift book for the holidays.”)
The quality of Peabody’s prints is extraordinary and Stewart’s descriptions provide useful historical background. See Morris and Howland, p. 108, and Toy 321 (both referring to the 1891 hardcover edition.) Steve Tsuchiya’s America’s Cup bibliography calls Peabody’s work “Significant for rare images of relatively obscure Cup defense candidates." This is a genuinely rare set. Worldcat shows only a single library, the Huntington, holding a copy. The overall condition is very good. All covers and string ties are present. (The ties to Part 5 are broken but present.) There is light soiling to some of the covers, and occasional minor foxing to the plates. This is truly " A most desirable gift book for the holidays."
49. America's Cup Contender "Yankee" Under Sail, Morris Rosenfeld, Circa 1930. .
$350
A stunning b/w gelatin silver print of the J-Boat Yankee under sail, with "Morris Rosenfeld/NY" in ink in the lower right corner. Rosenfeld was one of America's major 20th Century marine photographers, and many of his America's Cup photographs have been widely reproduced. However, this image is nowhere to be found - except here. According to America's Cup historian Steve Tsuchiya, "The photo was taken before 1934 - probably during her first season in 1930 - because Yankee is shown carrying her original triple-headed rig."
The image measures 16 x 19 3/4 inches. Minor surface rubbing and small blemish on upper right, else very good condition. Framed, under glass, and backed in plywood with the stamp of Bror Tamm, shipwright, boat builder, engineer, and designer who spent much of his career at the George Lawley shipyard - the Lawley company built Yankee. A rare photograph and an excellent association.
50. Vigilant and Valkyrie In A "Thrash To Windward." In Their International Race For "The America's Cup" Oct. 7th 9th & 13th 1893. New York: Currier & Ives, 1893.
$750
Large folio. Colored lithograph. Image size 18 x 24 inches, matted and framed under glass.
Here's how the Met describes their copy of this classic yachting print: "Match race between fully-rigged British and American yachts during the eighth America's Cup competition of 1893. Here, the American yacht Vigilant (center) has taken the lead, with most of her crew on the far side of the deck to keep the boat from listing under full sail. The black-hulled Valkyrie follows in second place. A trailing tugboat flying an American flag appears in the central distance between the two yachts, while a single-stack steamboat is shown at the far right background. The print's inscription indicates that this race was won by Vigilant." Short tear across upper right corner of image. Otherwise excellent condition; original coloring. (We have a fine selection of 19th century English and American yachting prints. Inquiries are welcome.)
51. [Providence Regatta.] City of Providence Regatta. July 4, 1860. [Providence]: Cooke & Danielson, printers, Evening Press Office, [1860]..
$150
Broadside (approx. 7¾" x 5¼") on card; small crease at the lower right corner, else very good.
Detailing three races in all, one for single scull lapstreak wherries, one for double scull boats, and one for four- and six-oared boats; crews listed come from Brown University, Yale, Jamaica Pond, Boston, and Hartford Navy, among others; and the names of each of the rowers.
This is likely the same broadside offered by Ernest Wessen in his Midland Notes in 1955 for $5. Not in OCLC.
52. Racundra's Last Cruise. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1923.
$125
8vo, 22 cm. 217, (6 ads) pp. b/w photo frontispiece and plates.
Racundra was a gaff-rigged centerboard ketch, 29 feet 6 inches loa. Ransome had her built in Riga in 1921, and in 1922 sailed her northward along the Estonian coast. This book is the true first edition of Rasome's account. Ernest Toy describes it thus: "It is a tasteful blend of the old and the new which foreshadows Ransome's marvelous series of nautical books for children of the interwar years beginning with <em>Swallows and Amazons</em>." In other words, the cook, the girlfriend and the old salt in this present account were models for characters in his later books. Scattered light foxing. Two spots on backstrip else a very good copy in publisher's blue cloth with gold lettering.
53. Notes of a yacht voyage to Hardanger Fjord, and the adjacent estuaries. By a yachting dabbler. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longman; Kenwick: James Ivison, n.d., [1855].
$500
First edition, 8vo, pp. [2], xxvii, [1], 105, [5]; folding color map, 13 plates, 13 tinted lithographs (3 mounted, as issued; 1 double-page); original blue pictorial blue cloth stamped in gilt on upper cover and spine; light wear; very good and sound.
Abbey, Travel, 256 (giving the date as 1850). Toy 938 (misdating the book 1885).
54. The little sea torch: or, true guide for coasting pilots. London: for the author by J. Debrett, 1801.
$12,500
First edition, folio, pp. [2], [i]-ii, [v]-vi, 144, [6]; likely original marbled boards, rebacked in gilt-paneled brown calf, original red morocco label preserved; minor spotting; a very good, sound, and attractive copy. The subscribers' list contains 171 names taking 191 copies, so the edition was likely a small one. This copy with the engraved bookplate of Joseph Neeld, one of the subscribers.
A lovely work on "how to navigate along the coasts of England, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Sicily; the isles of Malta, Corsica, Saedinia, and others in the straits; and of the coast of Barbary ... enriched with upwards of one hundred appearances of head-lands and light-houses, together with plans of principal harbours..."
With 130 pages of sailing directions for and descriptions of the above-named places, followed by 20 full-page hand-colored aquatints, showing views of about 125 ports, harbor entrances, and harbors. These are followed by 12 engravings with 24 hand-colored charts of harbors and seaports. The text is a translation, with revisions and additions for the British market, from the French of Bougard's Petit Flambeau de la Mer.
Phillips 2852; National Maritime Museum III, 218; Abbey, England, 344.
55. The Cup Races. New York: R.H. Russell, 1899.
$350
Oblong folio, 54 cm. Unpaginated (32 pp.) b/w frontispiece plus 16 full page plates with description opposite.
Leon Shafer was an American artist and illustrator, specializing in military and marine art. He published magazine illustrations, posters, and illustrated books of his own. This is the first edition of a surprisingly scarce America's Cup book, with 16 large (trim size is about 21x15 inches) full page b/w plates of contestants in the America’s Cup races up to the turn of the century. In his checklist of America’s Cup books Rulon-Miller cites this work as “difficult to find.”
Not in Toy. Morris & Howland p. 124. Rulon-Miller 9. Worldcat shows only 8 libraries holding copies. Bound in original printed boards with cloth backstrip and leather spine label renewed. Light cover wear,still an excellent copy of a collectible America's Cup book.
56. The Cup Races. New York: R.H. Russell, 1901.
$200
Folio, 41 cm. Unpaginated (70 pp.) b/w frontispiece plus double-page plates and line ills.
This is the second edition of Shafer's Cup book and it, too, is quite scarce. The first edition was "landscape" oriented, composed mainly of large-scale double-page reproductions of Shafer's dramatic drawings of notable cup races, This edition, while also illustrated with Shafer's art, is "portrait" oriented, and heavier on text, narrating each challenge and race. As such, it's an ideal companion to the first edition. Bound in original cloth over paper covered boards. Light cover wear, front inner hinge cracked, and front pastedown chewed to a lacy fringe around its outer border. Text and plates clean.
57. Sailing Alone Around the World. New York: Century Co., 1900.
$750
xvi, 294 pp. b/w ills.
First edition of Slocum’s great book, with the original illustrations by Fogarty and Varian. In his yachting bibliography, Ernest Toy says, “The classic account of a small boat voyage, which has been compared favorably to Thoreau’s Walden. Slocum perceived his world in a poetic manner and described his vision of reality with grace... After re-building Spray, an ancient wreck of a boat given him by a fellow sea captain, Slocum sailed from Boston westward around the world via the Straits of Magellan and the Cape of Good Hope on an eventful voyage which lasted from 1895 to 1898. Along the way he encountered the ghostly Pilot of the Pinta... pirates of Salee, wild Indians of Terra del Fuego, a fearful storm near Cape Horn... and many other memorable people and adventures which are best seen first-hand through this narrative.”
Toy. 462. Morris & Howland p. 126. This copy has light wear to corners and spine ends, but is still in very good, collectible condition.
58. Athena - A Classic Schooner For Modern Times. [Vollenhove, Netherlands]: Foundation Book Athena, 2005.
$150
Folio, 41 cm. 200, (4) pp. Color photo plates, b/w line ills.
Another one of those high-end paeans to a specific yacht, this one an all-metal schooner-rigged mega-yacht almost 300 feet in length. She was the result of a succession of ever-larger and more successful designs, and her engineering and construction were technological marvels. Fittingly, this is a beautiful book, with dense, lush color plates on extra-heavy paper. It feels as much like an art object as a book, and the 295 foot metal schooner as a work of art in its own right. In as-new condition, in publisher's illustrated slipcase.
59. [Star Boats - Chesapeake Bay.] Fifteenth anniversary record of the Chesapeake Bay Fleet I.S.C.Y.R.A. (1923-1938). [Baltimore, MD]: Published by the Members of the Chesapeake Bay Fleet [Press of the Hoffman Brothers Co.], [1938].
$50
First edition, 8vo, pp. 84, [1]; facsimile on title page verso, numerous black & white photographic illustrations, fine in cloth backed paper covered boards with glassine wrapper.
60. Cruising in the Caribbean with a camera. Lecture delivered May 7, 1903, at the New York Yacht Club including description of globular naval battery invented by the author. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1903.
$150
First edition, small 8vo, pp. 46, [2], 21; folding color map of the West Indies, 12 plates showing 20 illustrations from photographs, plus 10 illustrations in the text of the globular naval battery; original limp cream cloth, with an inscription from the author at the top of the upper cover, "To Chandler N. Wayland, Esq., with best regards Anson Phelps Stokes." Small chip at the top of the spine, some overall soiling; very good.
A cruise from Puerto Rico to Trinidad. One hundred and forty-six stereopticon views were used in the lecture, some of them represented here.
61. Stonington Regatta! A regatta will come off at Stonington, on Thursday, August 4th, at 11 o'clock A.M. open to all boats and vessels, under the following classifications and regulations. Westerly, R.I.: J. H. Utter & Co., n.d., [1890s].
$1,250
Broadside (approx. 12¾" x 7½"); details measurement rules, prizes, and sailing directions all in a single column beneath the running head; lightly toned, previous folds, else near fine.
An 'X' in the margin next to the section on rules, is keyed to an 'X' at the bottom where it is written in ink: "The 2, 3, 4 class boats allowed to shift ballast; but not to take any in, or discharge, during the race." James I. Day, C. T. Stanton, and H. L. Niles comprise the race committee.
Not in OCLC.
62. Mariette & the Herreshoff Schooners. [Eynesse, France]: LYTachting Editions, 2010.
$300
Tall 4to, 30.5 cm. (8), 9-534, (1) pp. Color plates, toned b/w plates, and line ills. With portfolio of 45 plans and documents.
This is the story of the most famous schooner of all time and her place in the work of the world's most celebrated yacht designer - Nathaniel Greene Herreshoff (see above, items 28-36). In addition to telling the saga of Mariette "- 94 years old in 2010 and with 17 owners since her launch in 1916 - the book gives the first in-depth look at the other 14 Herreshoff schooners." The book is meticulously researched and brilliantly illustrated, with contributions by such yachting luminaries as Maynard Bray and Llewellyn Howland III.
This is #XXI in a special limited edition of XXV copies, signed by Taglang, and bound in full tan leather with gold cover lettering. Book and portfolio of folding plans are in as-new condition, in publisher's slipcase, $300. (The trade edition of this book was issued at $295 in 2010, and limited to 999 copies, it has become as difficult to find as the limited edition, with no copies available online at this time. We can offer a copy of the trade edition, also in as-new condition in slipcase, for $200.)
63. L. Francis Herreshoff Yacht Designer. Volumes 1 and 2. Mystic, CT: Mystic Seaport, [2015, 2018].
$125
4to, 26 cm. iv 449; xiii, 628, (1) pp. b/w photo plates, plans, and lines, some folding.
Taylor is an author, small boat historian, and the founder of International Marine Publishing Co. This two-volume work on Herreshoff is his magnum opus. It is not only a biography of the great designer, but a critical consideration of his work in the context of other marine architects of his day. Both volumes are in fine condition in dust jackets, and volume 1 is inscribed by Taylor.
Owing to uneven distribution, the two volumes, published 3 years apart, are rarely offered together.
64. British Sports and Sportsmen. Yachting and Rowing. Lon. 1916: The Sportsman, .
$200
Folio, 37.5 cm. 522 pp. b/w gravure and halftone plates.
A giant compendium of Edwardian yachting and rowing, with articles on the history of British yachting, single-handed cruising, motor racing and cruising, the "America Cup", and even a section on King Edward as a yachtsman. Pages 337-519 contain five articles on British rowing of the day. All of the text is handsomely illustrated with b/w halftone photos and sepia-toned gravures of yachts and boats, yachtsmen and oarsmen, etc.
This is #830 in a limited edition of 1000 copies. Bound as issued in full burgundy morocco with gold cover lettering and gilt inner dentelles. Rebacked to match. Some rubbing on the edges of the front board, contents in fine condition. Housed in custom drop-front box with cover label.
65. Adventurers Afloat. A Nautical Bibliography. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1988.
$100
2 vols. 22.5 cm. xii, 476; 477-1179 pp.
This work by Ernest Toy is "A Comprehensive Guide to Books in English Recounting the Adventures of Amateur Sailors upon the Waters of the World in Yachts, Boats and Other Devices and Including Works on the Arts and Sciences of Cruising, Racing, Seamanship, Navigation, Design, Building, etc. from the Earliest Writings Through 1986."
If you are reading this list, you probably have many interests in such matters, and in collecting books about same. This is the reference you must have. Two volumes in as-new condition.
66. [Trans-Atlantic Log.] Yacht Nicanor log Boston to Falmouth June 1925 - July 16, 1927. N.p.: 1927.
$1,250
4to, [3] p.l. plus 46 leaves typed on rectos only; 58 mounted photographs ranging in size from 8" x 11" to 5½" x 3"; one of the preliminaries is a limitation page but with edition size and copy number left blank; original half blue morocco, morocco label lettered in gilt on upper cover; rubbed, otherwise very good and sound.
The Nicanor was owned and skippered by Dan Simonds, the navigator was Laurence Lombard, and the cook, Theodore Newcomb. Laurence Coolidge, Gardner Emmons, John Parkinson, Jr. and J. Lawrence Pool rounded out the crew. A 20-day passage in a 42' leaky schooner. The text is full of excellent observation and a modicum of humor.
Not in OCLC; not in the comprehensive Mystic Seaport Museum logbook collection.
67. Enterprise. New York: Scribner's Sons, 1931.
$750
4to, 29.5 cm. xvii, 230 pp. Color frontispiece, b/w plates, folding charts, plans.
The story of the defense of the America's Cup in 1930. This is the limited edition, #132 of 250 copies signed by Vanderbilt.
Rulon-Miller 14. Toy 1626, Morris & Howland p. 148. An essential America's Cup book. Slight wrinkle to lower corner of tipped-in color frontispiece, else a very good copy.
68. On the Wind’s Highway. Ranger, Rainbow and Racing. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1939.
$750
4to, 28.5 cm. xi, 259 pp. Color frontispiece, b/w plates.
“A handsome book... which describes the evolution of J-Class boats... Vanderbilt's defense of the... Cup in Rainbow in 1934, and the design, construction and successful Cup defense of the super-J-Boat Ranger, designed by W. Starling Burgess and Olin J. Stephens... Ranger was so superior to all other boats in her class that Vanderbilt feared she might be, as she was, the last of them to be built.” -Toy 1627.
Morris & Howland p. 148. Rulon-Miller #19. An important America’s Cup book, and a very important copy, being a first edition presentation copy from Vanderbilt to W.S. Newell of the Bath Iron Works, the yard that built the Ranger. Laid in is a letter from "Monsell," the boat’s skipper, dated October 25, 1937, from aboard the Ranger to Starling Burgess, who designed the boat, informing him that "Ranger is stored away clean and safe." Minor cover wear, backstrip lightly sunned, but a unique copy in very good condition. With publisher's slipcase, which is chipped and worn.
69. To Galapagos on the Ara. 1926. n.p [New York]: Privately Printed, 1927.
$300
Folio, 34 cm. 161 pp. b/w and color plates, large folding map.
The events of a pleasure-cruise to the Galapagos Islands and a classification of a few rare aquatic findings, including two specimens of a new species of shark never caught before and here described for the first time. And their many stops along the way.
"This is a beautifully-designed and printed folio volume with 30 color plates of marine animals and numerous black and white photographs, many of which have significant artistic merit." — Toy 758.This is one of 500 copies bound in black morocco over hand made paper boards. Top of backstrip chipped, otherwise very good condition.
70. Constitution, by-laws, sailing regulations, &c. of the Warwick Yacht Club, of Providence. Providence: J. A. & R. A. Reid, printers, 1876.
$150
16mo, pp. 41, [1]; pages ruled in red throughout; 2 chromolithograph plates of burgees and private pennants, lists of members and officers; original pictorial blue cloth stamped in gilt on the upper cover with the club's monogram; some light staining to the upper cover, but generally very good.
The Vice-Commodore Rowland Gibson Hazard's copy, with his bookplate. Hazard (1801-1888) served three terms in the R.I. House of Representatives.
Not in OCLC.
71. Log of the schooner yacht "Malabar VIII" in Gibson Island Ocean Race 1929 New London to Gibson Island 475 nautical miles. [Philadelphia]: 16-Dec, 1929.
$1,250
4to, 8, 23, 13 leaves, printed from typescript on rectos only (except for the last 13 leaves printed on both rectos and versos); includes a typed letter signed from the owner, W. Findlay Downes addressed to "Dear Shipmates," presenting this log and taking blame for the poor finish; three 7½" x 9½" and fourteen 3" x 5" black & white photographs tipped in, plus 3 photostat leaves reproducing an account of the race in the Herald Tribune, and a chart showing the course sailed; original full brown morocco lettered in gilt on the upper cover; a bit rubbed but a very good example.
The edition was likely limited to the number of crew, nine in all, plus perhaps a few extras. This is the copy belonging to Percival Armitage whose name is in gilt at the bottom corner of the upper cover. The race attracted 41 entrants, and was the largest ocean race ever at the time. [Editor's note: my grandfather, John Rulon-Miller also sailed in this race on his Tradition, finishing in twelfth place. Malabar VIII came in sixteenth.]
Not in OCLC.
72. [Yacht Clubs.] A world-class collection of approximately 1,700 yacht club annuals and histories. V.p., v.d.: 1860s - 2000s.
$45,000
The contents of this collection focuses primarily on American yacht club annuals and histories, but there are also those from sailing and yacht clubs overseas, including exotic locations such as Sudan, Bombay and Zanzibar. Nearly 200 yacht clubs world-wide are represented, about 40 of them from overseas, including Britain, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and The Netherlands. Typically, the yacht club annuals — about 1,500 of them give or take — contain lists of committees, officers, by-laws, yachts, members, rules of conduct, racing and signaling information, measurement rules, race schedules and results, trophies awarded, etc. Many contain photographs of members, yachts, and club houses, and color plates of club and private pennants, flags, and signals. Some also have charts of courses and manuscript notes and additions pertaining to members and races.
Together with more than one hundred yacht club histories summarize the detailed information contained in the annuals and generally provide rich visual information about clubs and yachts. This unparalleled collection includes as well publications such as “Who Won” and “Annual Winners” which give yearly results from the most prominent races. This may be the most comprehensive collection of such materials ever assembled. These are important documents in tracing the social history of yacht clubs and yachtsmen and women, as well as yacht design. Taken together they provide unique insight into the social history of America and the yachting world over the last 150 years. A complete list of those published prior to 1930 is available, as well as a summary of those published 1930 and after.
73. [Yacht Design.] Design of a High-Speed Cruising Yacht. Thesis presented for the degree of Mechanical Engineer in naval architecture. [Ithaca]: Cornell University, 1894.
$250
4to, ff. [6], 46; 47; typescript, several leaves in the last section ("Specifications") bound out of order, but the text appears to be complete; 2 folding tables and 2 manuscript graphs bound in; occasional manuscript corrections in the text; contemporary half green cloth over black cloth sides, lettered in gilt on the upper cover; aside from the misbound leaves, near fine. Legg was Cornell class of 1894. Chapters include Methods of Design, Theory and Computations, Safety, Power, Correct Displacement, Strength of Ship, Trim Calculations, Propeller, etc. Cornell only in OCLC.
74. [Yacht Racing.] Log of the Urchin. Port Huron - Mackinac Race, July 23-27, 1927. .
$1,250
Quarto carbon typescript 8½" x 11“, bound in green cloth with title and small sailboat vignette stamped in gilt on the upper cover; dedication page with a mounted photograph of the skipper, Alger Shelden; 21 numbered pages plus 7 pages with 22 original photographs mounted in photo corners, most of the Urchin and its crew, many with hand written captions identifying the people. One additional crew photo laid in. Light soiling to the front board, one tear in cloth at spine; overall very good.
The Port Huron to Mackinac Race, now called the Bayview Mackinac Race is one of the longest freshwater races in the world and now has more than 200 entrants each year. This log is from the third year of the race in which just 15 yachts participated. The Urchin, owned by Alger Shelden, had run in the previous two races with many of the same crew members. The log itself takes up 11 pages detailing the start of the race, shifts in wind and weather, related sailing strategies, and a bit about the moods and meals of the crew. This is followed by a bogus newspaper account ostensibly written by a Swedish crewmember and which purportedly appeared in the Swedish press (here translated from the "Nordic"). This provides a short but lively sketch of each crew member recounting both their strengths as yachtsmen and their personal quirks. There is also a one-page verse, "The Song of the Urchin," written to commemorate the race - apparently a race tradition. The Urchin finished eighth, but they seem to have had a fine time, nonetheless.
The compiler of the log, Charles DeWolf Gibson, was the nephew of the illustrator, Charles Dana Gibson, and the great grandson of James DeWolf, of Bristol, RI. Gibson was born August 2, 1895, so he would have been 32 at the time of the race. Other crew members included James Newcomb (whose ownership signature is on the front free endpaper); the navigator, Warren Booth; Cleve Thurber, and Bud Gibson. Charles Dana and Bud were sons of Langdon Gibson, brother of Charles Dana Gibson, the official ornithologist on the first Peary Arctic Expedition. Not found in OCLC.
75. [Yacht Registers.] A major collection of more than 200 yacht registers. London, New York, et al.: 1872-2006.
$15,000
Mostly oblong octavos, most all in original cloth, many with supplements laid in; generally in very good condition, or better, but due to the nature of the beast, many with mild ocean damp- and water stains.
Included are 28 American Yacht Lists (1874-1914); 3 American Yachts and Signals (1874-75); 3 Hunt's Universal Yacht List (1883-1907); nearly 100 Lloyd's Yacht Registers, both the British (green cloth) and American (blue and white cloth) editions (1883-1980); 17 Manning's Yachting Annuals and Yacht Registers (1874-1903); plus representative examples of fourteen other series including the American Yacht Register, Debrett's Register of Yachts, Fox's Yachting Annual, Norie’s Yacht List, North American Yacht Register, Register of Wooden Yachts, Star Register of Yachts, Clubs and Flags, Wood’s International Yacht Register, Yacht Owners Register, and Yachtsmen of New England.
These are often the property of famous yachtsmen who in turn are often famous industrialists, businessmen, and heads of state. Among the owners with either signatures or names stamped by the publishers are: Sir Roderick W. Cameron, Esq., Dexter Tiffany, Jr., Charles H. Leed, H. A. Mower, General Joseph T. Torrence, J.P. Morgan, Nathaniel Greene Herreshoff, the Prince of Monaco, W. P. Stephens, James Roosevelt, and Thomas W. Lawson, among others.
A close to complete list is available on request.
76. [Yachting.] Log of the Golden Hind, 1928 [cover title]. 1928.
$1,500
Oblong 4to; bound in at the front is the Log of the Dauntless / May 29, 1928 / James Lord Pratt, Master / George H. Day, Mate / Charles A. Goodwin, Navigator; 3 leaves typed on the rectos only; the Dauntless sailed round trip from Essex, CT via Point Judith, and Newport, apparently a Memorial Day weekend cruise, May 29 to May 31, 1928;
bound with: Log of the yacht Golden Hind; 4 leaves accomplished in manuscript on rectos and versos, and with nine 3½" x 4½" photos pasted in; the Golden Hind sailed June 3 to June 10 to Fisher's Island, Old Saybrook, and return to Essex;
bound with: Log of the Waiandance / Halifax to Essex / June 1928, 9 leaves typed on rectos only; frontispiece chart showing the navigation; the last two leaves consisting of a letter from Charles A. Goodwin regarding the voyage, written to Herbert L. Stone of Yachting Magazine. The Waiandance, the first American 12-Metre (see below), sailed from Halifax to Essex, June 20 to June 26 in foul weather and the yacht was hove-to for 29 hours: "The spray and rain short-circuited the electric light in the compass ... One man had to sit beside the binnacle and hold a copper lantern so the helmsman could see ... Shortly after this, the mainsail blew off the slides and it was inadvisable to carry on longer. We were glad for the life lines and glad of plenty of beef when it came to taking the sail in. Most of it went into the water and we finally had to work her on to the other tack to roll it on board again. The boom was like a flail until inch by inch we gathered it in ... Finally at 11:20 everything was secure and we were lying hove to on the port tack under bare poles..." The letter from Goodwin to Stone concerns dead-reckoning navigation while being hove to: "I had a wonderful opportunity both by day and night for something like thirteen hours to watch the action of the sea upon a boat hove to as we were and I confess it was one of the most interesting things I ever did in my life."
bound with: Off the Deep End, Nos. I-V, by Christopher Morley; a 18-column cutting from an unnamed periodical;
bound with: Log of the Yacht Golden Hind; 30 leaves accomplished in manuscript on rectos and versos, and with seventy 3½" x 4½" photos pasted in; the log covers the rest of the summer on the Golden Hind, July 7 to September 16, and covers daysails, and a longer cruise east as far as Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, via Point Judith, Sakonnet, West Falmouth, Padanaram, Hadley's Harbor, Wood's Hole, Pocasset, Edgartown, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands.
An interesting mishmash of nauticalia, the photographs (kids, dinghies, sailboats of all varieties under way and at anchor, crew on deck, shorelines, etc.) make this as much as a scrapbook as a log. Contemporary red cloth, gilt lettering on upper cover; front hinge broken, else very good.
Charles A. Goodwin was one of the founders of Shipman & Goodwin, a New England law firm still in existence today. The Waiandance was the first US 12-metre, sail number US 1. Her original owner was F. Spencer Goodwin, the younger brother of Charles A. Goodwin. She was designed by Starling Burgess, built by Abeking & Rasmussen in Germany, and shipped to Halifax to avoid paying the American tax. The voyage recounted here was essentially her maiden voyage.
77. [Yachting.] A yachtsman's scrap book or the ups and downs of yacht racing. New York: Brentano Brothers, 1887.
$175
First edition, 8vo, pp. xii, [2], 274; portrait frontispiece and four folding plates; green cloth stamped in blind and gilt; water damage to the lower third of boards, with the textblock having somehow escaped it, edgewear, cracked hinges, good and sound.
Inscribed by the author on free endpaper to the Honorable William Henry Arnoux, a New York judge, followed by a gift inscription from Arnoux to his granddaughter, Violet.
78. [Yachting.] The yachts and yachtsmen of America ... being a history of yachting and of yacht clubs, as well as of the various yachts, with biographies of the founders and members of the different clubs of the United States and Canada. New York: International Yacht Publishing Co., [1894].
$5,500
2 volumes, large 4to, pp. [8], 366; [367]-692; 87 photogravure plates of yachts by Frederiksen, Bruce, Bolles, Stebbins, and Johnson, (numbered I - LXVIII, without plate LXI which was not published); plus 13 more photogravure plates of yacht clubs, 42 half-tone portrait plates of club officers, many more smaller half-tone portraits in the text, and nearly 600 wood-engraved illustrations throughout, some quite large.
This work can be found bound together in a single, very bulky volume, or bound in two separate volumes. Because of its massive size the one-volume configuration usually appears, when it appears at all, in a broken binding. Alternately, volume II of the two-volume set is often missing. This set is complete, and in excellent condition internally. Bound in the two-volume configuration, in heavy cream cloth stamped in blue with the distinctive yacht design on the front boards. Some soiling and staining to the covers, extremities worn, corners showing, some mild abrasion, back hinge of volume II is cracked but holding.
A source book for American yachting up to the turn of the century. “Histories of individual American yacht clubs, drawings of important or typical yachts, photographs and brief biographies of American yachtsmen … For each club data is provided on members, boats, regattas and rules.” Chapters include Evolution of the Yacht, History of Yachting, Yachting in the United States, Speed Records of Sailing Yachts, Types of Yachts, Centerboards, The Rigs of Yachts, The Cost of Yachting and Yacht Decorations, Trophies, and the histories of approximately 45 American yacht clubs, including those on the St. Lawrence, the Great Lakes, inland lakes, and the west coast, and Canada.
Toy 102; Morris & Howland, p. 97.
79. [Yachting.] Log book of the Mischief. At sea: 1927-28.
$750
4to (approx. 10" x 8"), pp. [2], 64; in ink throughout, with a 5" x 3" photograph of the Mischief on the first page, and 5 pertinent newspaper clippings pasted in; original board covers, maroon cloth spine; very good.
Alexander Nelidow (1885-1947) was a member of the New York and Newport, Rhode Island yachting crowd. From an ancient patrician Russian family, Nelidow was a partner in Belgrave LTD, wine importers and merchandising. His father was Russian ambassador to Turkey, Italy, and France and his mother was Princess Hilkow.
He kept this record of cruises and races in his 58-foot yawl in the waters of Oyster Bay and Long Island Sound as well as points in Narragansett Bay, Newport, Point Judith, also Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, etc.
"July 18th. Weighed anchor at 10 a.m. and proceeded under power to Newport. Dropped hook at 12:30 off N.Y.Y.C. landing; fog very thick. At 3:45 proceeded to landing to take on supplies and water. In turning off the float to come alongside pier with our port side to the north side of the dock, ran aground, it being low tide. Terrific rain and wind squall hit the harbor at that moment. Lightning struck flagpole on government landing. Passed hawser to dock and using capstan pulled ourselves along side dock. Remained at dock till thunderstorm subsided at about 5:15 p.m. Dorothy claims having felt severe electric shock in her right arm when lightning struck flagpole ... No damage, however, was reported by her."
"Aug. 11. Newport. Astor Cup races to be started at 1:40 and 1:45 pm for schooner and sloops respectively. Decided not to try and race. Reggie and Ronald came aboard...Waved to Roy and Millie who were on the 'Queen Mab'... all went for a swim at Bailey's Beach--dined with Mrs. Carroll, but were tired and did not go to the clambake party."
Handwriting in entries varies, some probably his wife, socialite Dorothy Gordon King Nelidow. Many entries of sailing in yacht races and watching races such as the Scandanavian Gold Cup in Oyster Bay. "During winter changed rig, increased length of main mast, moved mizzen forward... signed on 2 new men: Capt. Whymotte and A.B. Tom Nickerson both from Nova Scotia". On Sept. 17th, the couple went to the house warming party of Mrs. G. F. Vanderbilt "in her new Munsey place." On Aug. 18th in Newport, they had Hudig Auchincloss, Annis Auchincloss and others aboard to watch motor boat races.
Interesting sailing history with many known names from the social register.
80. [Yachting.] Yachting yarns and others. By a member of the E[astern] Y[acht] Club. N.p. [Marblehead?]: [privately printed], 1933.
$175
Second edition, with additions; 12mo, pp. [44]; text within ruled borders; 5 plates, hand-colored private signal; top of spine slightly chipped and a crack in the rear joint; all else very good and sound in original printed blue paper-covered boards.
This copy inscribed: "To Katherine Clark Bubb with love and best wishes from Dudley L. Pickman." Laid in is a small photograph of a drawing presumably of Pickman.
From a prominent Massachusetts family, grandson of Dudley Leavitt Pickman, the famed Salem merchant, Dudley Leavitt Pickman (the grandson) was a fixture in Boston business and social circles, and a large donor of family art and antiques to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, as well as a trustee of Salem's Peabody Museum.
Two copies in OCLC: Beverley Historical, and Noble, Inc. Not in Toy or Morris & Howland.
81. [Yachting.] Yachting yarns. By a member of the E[astern] Y[acht] Club. N.p. [Marblehead?]: [privately printed], 1932.
$150
First edition, 12mo, pp. [34]; text within ruled borders; 2 plates, handcolored private signal; near fine in original printed blue paper-covered boards.
From a prominent Massachusetts family, grandson of Dudley Leavitt Pickman, the famed Salem merchant, Dudley Leavitt Pickman (the grandson) was a fixture in Boston business and social circles, and a large donor of family art and antiques to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, as well as a trustee of Salem's Peabody Museum.
OCLC locates only the Boston Athenaeum copy. Not in Toy or Morris & Howland.
82. [Yachting.] Der Deutsche Segelsport ... Unter Mitwirkung von Redakteur G. Belitz, Regierungsrat Dr. Riess und Schiffbau-Ingenieur de Ahna.... Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus, 1905.
$275
First edition, imperial 8vo, pp. [2], xii, 315, [1]; color frontispiece portrait, 14 color plates, 128 illustrations in the text (a number full-page), mostly after paintings and watercolors by the author, plus 1 folding plate; original beige buckram with a large color insert on the front cover; wear at the edges, spine a bit soiled and slight cracking of the cloth on the rear joint; all else very good.
An uncommon history of yachting in Germany, with a section on The America's Cup, as well as powerboats, regattas, and rules.
83. [Yachting.] A tale of five mariners bold or the log book of the Hattie B. by "Bertie Dumbkins". Philadelphia: July 15-30, 1894.
$700
Pocket diary 3½" x 6", 73 pages written in ink in a neat hand; 2 small pen & ink drawings at the beginning and the end of the journal; leather cover with some wear at extremities but the binding is sound.
Together with 7 cabinet-size photographs, each identified on the verso: George B. Taylor, Walter E. Terry, John E. Latta (2), Harrison W. Latta, and Theodore A. Mehl (2).
Recounting the adventures of five young men from Philadelphia who formed a club called the "Turk's Club" and who set off on an adventure along the New England coast aboard the sloop Hattie B. out of New York. The names of the five as listed on page one are: Archibald Ferguson Reddie, Frederick Howard Mehl, Theodore Ashmead Mehl, John Ewing Latta, and Heberton Lee Williams. They were all born between 1868 and 1870, making them in their late twenties at the time of the cruise. They were from upper middle-class families and included coal and lumber dealers (the Mehl brothers), a merchant tailor, and Reddie, at the time an "artist" but later the head of the Public Speaking Department of the University of Oregon.
Heberton Lee Williams was to achieve future fame as the designer of the Campbell's soup can label. Campbell introduced its highly recognized red-and-white label in 1898. According to corporate lore, the company's treasurer at the time, Heberton L. Williams, was inspired to drop the then black-and-orange labels in favor of the colors of Cornell University's football uniform after attending a Thanksgiving Day game between Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (see: "Campbell Collecting Pieces From Its Past For A New Museum," by Charles V. Zehren, Inquirer Staff Writer. May 26, 1987).
The journal (not actually a log) is humorously written and opens with "On the eventful fourteenth of July 1894, there was seen at the Broad Street Station, Philadelphia, four youths of sportive mien, surrounded by interested friends and a stack of luggage, their faces pictures of happy contentment, due to the throwing aside of all cares and the possession of opulent pocketbooks ... Leaving Philadela (sic) on the Limited express played whist enroute, arriving in New York, chased across the town to East River and boarded the steamer Manhattan of the Mains Steamship Co for Cottage City...
"After a hearty dinner we wound our way to the wharf and were delighted to find that the celebrated sloop Hattie B had just arrived. Met the captain, a typical yankee skipper with a curious dialect peculiar to the natives ... The first procedure on board the sloop soon as she was under way was to make ourselves look as tough as possible in this the success was astounding ... Went ashore and laid in a stock of provisions, then took an oar apiece and pulled for the sloop, found her anchored in Little Harbor, Woods Hole, with everything in readiness for the night and Capt Carney at his post almost starved no doubt, after shipping the stores we proceeded to get supper under discouraging circumstances, everything was new the boat the store and the cook. Theodore assumed charge of the culinary department, the fire goes out, and the water refuses to boil but after two hours of effort supper was announced ... The dory drifted quite far out in the bay without our knowledge until we noticed a fog coming up--with an effort reached the sloop just in time to escape it. The spectacle of the gang turning in for the night was amusing, such an innovation, all slept in our tough clothes and sweaters. Fred in the cabin, Theo and Arch on the deck under the awning with cushion for a mattress and a down quilt for covering..."
The group visited Boston, New Bedford, points around Cape Cod including Hyannis Port, Vineyard Haven, then down to Rhode Island; Block Island and Newport.
"The entrance to Newport was superb a harbor could scarcely be more picturesque. Arrived in port at 3:15 PM and anchored to a wharf, the cook struck tonight so we donned our full dress uniforms and went ashore early to satisfy our curiosity and greedy appetites ... Later we ventured to inquire the price of that meal-$6.00 a piece, Holy Smoke! but one must put on style at Newport ... The Turks flag on our sail seems to attract considerable attention, it looks either like a private flag or some ensign. Tis amusing to watch the officers on board some of the palatial yachts in the harbor trying to make out the flag apparently. Owing to the suspicious character of our flag we always arm ourselves to the teeth at night when tied to a wharf for fear of river pirates and other vagabonds. Theo sleeps with his bowie knife under him but judging from the difficulty in rousing him to build the fire in the mornings it is doubtful an intruder could clear the deck without disturbing Theo. Bertie has a trusty revolver at hand but should purchase a barn float down the stream and it became necessary ... the chances are the bullet would go right over the barn with the very best intentions..."
The voyage ended up with stops in New Jersey and then back into New York via steamship.
84. British Yachts and Yachtsmen. London: Yachtsman Publishing Co., 1907.
$750
Folio, 33 cm. 566 pp. b/w photo plates.
A massive work, reminiscent of the American iteration by Mott (see the listing for Mott's book above, item 78), “about the size of an unabridged dictionary... It is illustrated with nearly 400 valuable photographs and contains a lengthy history of yachting in England from Elizabethan times, brief biographical sketches of many promising yachtsmen, brief histories of yacht clubs, and an account of the founding and influence of the Yacht Racing Association. Yachting in Scotland, the Australian colonies and Canada are discussed briefly. Indexes of personal, yacht and club names are provided.”—Toy 24.
Indispensable reference for British yachting. Bound in full blue morocco with gold cover and spine lettering. Sewing loose. Covers rubbed and edge worn but in much better-than-average condition for an immense (15 pounds) tome whose covers usually fall off of their own weight.