167 (detail) 170 (detail: The Cutty Sark looking forwards)
168. A 19TH-CENTURY MERCANTILE PRIVATE LOG/JOURNAL
167 167.
WILLIAM FIFE III, YACHT DESIGNER AND BUILDER: AN HISTORICALLY-INTERESTING PERSONAL YARD BOOK
the manuscript pocket book written in different coloured inks and replete with lists of yachts built approximately between 1896 and 1939 indexed by name and yard number and containing specifications, owners’ names, measurements, notes and ideas with many annotations in pencil, cancelled calculations, etc. and including yachts Shamrock, Moonbeam, Cambria, Water Witch, White Heather along with numerous 6, 8 and 12-metre yachts, bound with black card covers with taped spine -- 7¼ x 5in. (18.5 x 12.6cm.)
William Fife (1857-1944), popularly known as “Fife the Third” , designed
some of the most iconic racing yachts of his generation. Perhaps most famously the series of Shamrocks conceived for Sir Thomas Lipton which, although denied the ultimate goal of the America’s Cup, were justly famous and successful racing craft in their own right. The firm also became synonymous with designing 6-metre class yachts, so much so that the class was nicknamed the “Fife Class” regardless of builder. The notebook offered here contains a wealth of source information for yacht historians and is understood to be the one possession he would never, under any circumstances, part with whilst working. When the yard was finally sold, it passed to the new owner Archibald Macmillan who later gave it to a friend.
£1000-1500 60
for the barque Eleanor kept by Frederick Wooton between January 1869 and January 1871, approx 110 pages for a voyage from London to various destinations including the coasts of China, Japan and New York with typical weather observations and activities -- 12½ x 8in. (31.7 x 20.3cm.); together with another dated 1881 aboard a barque (name obscure) for a voyage from Scotland to Havana, approx. forty-five pages and including lists, songs, poems, and charts: It was an early morning, just at the break of day,/ There was a Yankee frigate, and to anchor she did lay,/ When man upon the maintop, on the maintop so high,/ Cries there is something on to windward like a house top I do spy -- 9 x 7in. (22.9 x 17.8cm.)
(2)
£400-600 169.
‘JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE FROM SOUTH SHIELDS TOWARDS POINT DE GALLE’
kept by James Fowler aboard the Minnesota between 19 April, 1864, to 11 May, 1866, and comprising approx. 171 pages in a neat hand including notes on the stops at Bombay, Maulmain, Queenstown, and London. …the Sailors Boarding House illuminated with Lanterns made out of pumpkins & Pine Apples in commemoration of this day (July 4th 1865) being the Anniversary of the American Independence day and the Memorable Battle of ‘Bulls Run.’ -- 9¼ x 7½in. (23.5 x 19cm.); together with a log of the merchantman Crimea kept by J.C. Henning between 25 November 1860 and 20 January, 1864, approx. 98 pages with typical details of the weather and the events on board, some dates with multiple entries, bound with cloth boards -- 12¾ x 9½in. (32.5 x 24.2cm.)
(2) £500-700 additional images online at
www.charlesmillerltd.com
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