Maritime History Collection
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Abstract
This collection is comprised of prints and photographs dealing with naval and maritime subjects, including naval engagements and portraits of ships and naval officers, most notably Captain James Lawrence and John Paul Jones.
Historical note
The importance of New York as a port city is reflected in the large selection of naval and maritime prints found in this collection. Hundreds of prints from the Naval History Society's John S. Barnes Memorial Library portray naval engagements, and also include portraits of ships and naval officers. The Eugene H. Pool collection contributed nearly 50 images related to Captain James Lawrence, and a large number of prints relate to John Paul Jones. Images of non-naval vessels include many portraits of individual trans-oceanic, coastal, and inland steamboats, yachts, and harbor craft.
Arrangement
The materials have been arranged by size into four series. Within each series, materials are arranged by subject.
Scope and Contents
The Maritime History File spans the period from ca. 1700 – ca. 1960 and primarily contains prints and photographs relating to both naval and civilian maritime history. Not strictly a visual image collection, there are newspaper clippings, correspondence and various ephemera that add to the collection's research value. The collection is divided into four series by size: Boxed Files holds material smaller than 9 x 14 inches; Medium Format Flat Files holds items between 9 x 14 and 24 x 40 inches; Large Format Flat Files holds material between 24 x 40 and 30 x 40 inches; and Oversize Format Flat Files holds material larger than 30 x 40 inches.
More detailed information about the contents is provided in the Scope and Contents notes for individual series and folders.
Provenance
The Maritime History Collection contains material collected from several sources. The bulk of the collection was a gift of The Naval History Society, John S. Barnes Foundation, 1925. Additional material arrived from Eugene H. Pool II, in a series of donations from 1941 to 1944. The remaining pieces were added to the collection by past staff members, when the subject matter related to maritime history.