Congressman Moulton Nominates Sawyer Free Library and Cape Ann Museum for Prestigious National Medal of Museum and Library Services

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro
Congressman Moulton Nominates Sawyer Free Library and Cape Ann Museum for Prestigious National Medal of Museum and Library Services

The amazing Gloucester Schooner Festival

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

Oh what a weekend.  Schooners were amazing and so calming.  The weather was totally cooperating with sunshine.  Would like to thank the Gloucester Schooner Festival’s Committee for all the hard work and organization.

On Sunday, Rick and I went on the King Eider for the Schooner parade of sails.  Beautiful day and great time.

 

Thank You Fishermen!

Posted on by Pat D

While we were out on the water re-creating this weekend, our local fishermen were hard at work. It seems logical to thank them especially on this Labor Day. Here’s Ramblin’Rose, SeaWeed, Trapper John, Bounty Hunter III, Hallett Cameron, Margaret and one unidentified F/V. Cheers, thank you all, and Godspeed.

Ernestina – in port for the Schoonerfest

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Susan Morreale contributes:

Hi Everyone!

You may have noticed the historical house plaque on the front of the hotel building showing an image of a schooner.

The plaques were designed in 1986 in a tombstone shape with a silhouette of the Ernestina in the arch. It will be be among those schooners featured in the Schoonerfest this weekend.

Ernestina was originally launched in 1894, restored in 1987, designated the official vessel of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1994 (original name: the Effie M. Morrissey) and named a National Historic Landmark in 1990 by the United States Department of the Interior. She is owned by the state of Massachusetts and is part of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.

Gloucester antique house historian, Prudence Fish (1935 – 2022), photographed the Ernestina in 1986 when it was in Gloucester harbor and submitted it as the logo for Gloucester Historical Commission (GHC) historical house plaques. As part of the Historical Commission, Pru oversaw the creation and distribution of the approximately 100 plaques throughout Gloucester, until her death last year.

The GHC historical house plaque project will be resumed this fall and continue to include a hand-painted silhouette of the Ernestina.

– Susan

ERNESTINA-MORRISSEY
Homeport: New Bedford, MA
Length on Deck: 106 ft
Schoonerfest Location:  Maritime Gloucester

Launched in 1894 at the James & Tarr shipyard in Essex as the Effie M. Morrissey named for Captain/owner William Morrissey’s daughter. She has lived her life out fishing the Grand Banks, exploring the Arctic, as a packet ship on Cape Verde and finally as an educational vessel. She was just re-launched this past Spring after nearly a decade of work to bring her back to life and continue her work as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ official sailing vessel.

– ERNESTINA earned an award in 1987 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for “outstanding commitment to excellence in historic preservation.”
– In 1990, the Secretary of the Interior designated ERNESTINA a National Historic Landmark and listed her as in “excellent” condition.
– In 1997, the U.S. Congress established New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and included ERNESTINA as part of the park.

http://www.ernestina.org/about/about-ernestina/history/
http://www.ernestina.org/
LIST OF 2023 SCHOONERS: https://www.maritimegloucester.org/sf-schooners
Massachusetts State Vessel: https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-vessel-aircraft-landmark/ernistina#google_vignette

Edward Hopper sketched Columbia likely in Gloucester in 1923, and the Britannia

Posted on by Catherine

Edward Hopper’s sketch of the fast schooner Columbia was completed in Gloucester in 1923 or later: Columbia was built in Essex and launched in 1923. The Hopper drawing annotated ‘Britania’ is a misspelling. The Prince of Wales (future King Edward) commissioned the racing yacht (a cutter) Britannia in 1892. The racer was retooled several times.

Hopper traveled in the UK and Gloucester. It’s likely he saw Columbia in person in 1923 or on later Gloucester visits. If not he saw both boats reproduced in print and in the news. Gorgeous yacht and race photography was popular and circulated widely especially as marine photography advanced.

For Britannia, see British photographers, Alfred Beken and his son, Frank, who settled and worked in Cowes on the Isle of Wight from 1888 on.

For the fishing schooner Columbia see Boston photojournalist, Leslie Jones, collection Boston Public Library.

After 1923, news in the the 1920s: Britannia was racing regularly and Columbia and her crew disappeared in 1927.

Continue here for more Hopper boats in Gloucester.

Columbia in vintage photography

Incomparable American photographer and boat fanatic–as much as Hopper–Boston based photojournalist, Leslie Jones

Image: Leslie Jones. Columbia and Henry Ford. Gloucester. (collection Boston Public Library)

Britannia in vintage photography

Image: Frank Beken. various photographs of Britannia.
Image: Alfred John West. Britannia, 1894. Compare wind and sails with Hopper’s vantage.
Edward Hopper Britannia

Images: Edward Hopper, Columbia, 1923. Whitney Museum. (Choppy and clouds- possibly sketched while here in Gloucester); Edward Hopper, Britania (sic), date unknown conjectured juvenalia, however he sketched yachts and boats from his youth on. Whoever annotated the sketch misspelled the boat. [Collection Whitney Museum of American Art]

Image: 1851. Fitz Henry Lane. The Yacht “America” Winning the International Race. Peabody Essex Museum.

Image: 2023. Columbia in Gloucester Harbor: (will add in soon)

A replica of Columbia launched in 2014 is a showstopper at the Schooner Festival in Gloucester, MA. see easternshipbuilding.com

Parade of Sails. Schooner Festival #GloucesterMA 400+

Posted on by Catherine

Aug.* September 3, 2023 Blooms, crowds, sails. Views from Stacy Boulevard and vicinity. Sky at times hazy smoky from wildfires as has been common during this summer.

*typo update–or clearly wishing for more summer 🙂