The Boats of Summer: New York Harbor and Hudson River Day Passenger and Excursion Vessels
-of the Nineteenth Century, Vol. 1 / –of the Twentieth Century, Vol. 2
by Richard Verbryck Elliott
“At the turn of the twentieth century, horse-drawn carriages and freight wagons still dominated New York City streets, and the few motor vehicles seen were a novelty. The auto revolution was in its infancy and decades away from affecting the survival of steamboating,”
This excerpt is from the Introduction to Vol. 2 and we chose it to make a quick connection to our core interest, automobiles. Substitute “railroad” for “auto” and dial the clock back one century and you know where Vol. 1 will start.
If boats don’t tickle your fancy, think of these books as a look at the social and economic history of the United States seen through the lens of steamships whose ability to move heavy loads from one place to another was novel and unmatched. Their method of propulsion was a vast improvement over sail, and surface transport just really didn’t exist yet. In other words, no matter your specific interests in aspects of history you will find something here that sets the scene for other developments.
Also, bibliophile interests are well provided for, both in terms of bookmaking (paper, printing, binding) and also the reproduction of many pieces of fine art by the late author’s (b. 1934) childhood friend William Gordon Muller (b. 1936) who would become a Founding Director and Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists.
Referring to the author as “the late” is alone a reason to seek out these books because they represent the consuming pursuit of a lifelong interest; he spent decades gathering this material and organizing it into a manuscript—and then died six months later. It would take another decade and many, many hands before the books became what you see now. Elliott may not have seen them finished but he already knew he was good at writing books: his first one, in 1970, Last of the Steamboats, The Saga of the Wilson Line, became the first steamboat history to climb to bestseller rank in any state. Also, pursuing his degree in engineering at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy he had earned an award as “outstanding student of American history and government” and you’ll see why on just about every page here.
Not all sets of books lend themselves to being reviewed together. These do because for all practical purposes they are one book that was only separated into two to make the almost 600 pages easier to handle. Each volume has its own pagination as well as front- and backmatter and of course Index.
An example of the Endnotes.
Because each volume has its own Introduction, it is in Vol. 1 that we find the explanation for the title, i.e. why it was New York City that “became the birthplace of commercial steamboating [and] the nation’s leading hub.” Certainly for readers not familiar with early US history this may well locate necessary reference points, as will the general discussion of regulatory and financial factors, and a quick nod to the “first rudimentary steamboat” of 1787.
Given Elliott’s standing in the maritime community it should come as no surprise that he had deep access to a vast number of sources, such as people who had actively been involved with steamboats as well as to archival material, and that dozens of historical societies provided input and feedback.
This spread illustrates two organizing principles that are not explained: the year in large type size (1913) is the year the boat was first put in service but on the Table of Contents it is treated as a 1921; in fact it is preceded by an 1893 boat listed as 1920 and followed by a 1924, followed by a 1902 listed as a 1925. This all makes sense because it is the latest/newest service date that matters.
Then, note the A–F list in the margin: is “C” missing? No, “C” is the “De Witt Clinton iteration” of the boat that the text will be presenting in detail.
Within just a few paragraphs of the Preface you will grasp what great affinity Elliott held for the “big steamers” of his youth spent along/on the Hudson River in the 1930s to ‘50s, by the end of which not just the boats but the memories of them were fading, hence his sense of urgency to document and preserve their history.
Top right: if you didn’t bother to read the caption your eyes won’t be able to make sense of what they see: the orientation of the boat doesn’t jive with anything else in the photo—it is listing, because it is sinking.
There were over a thousand day and excursion vessels that plied New York area waters, these books showcase 63. Volume 1 presents the histories of 35 vessels 1861–1900, Vol. 2 another 28 ending in 1972 with diesel boats. Those histories, each several pages long touch on a great many other vessels (all referenced in the Index which consists of only names of boats and people). They are presented in year order by service date (or relaunch in the case of rebuilds or other reasons for recommissioning). Elliott must have had a reader with advanced boat knowledge in mind because terms like uptakes or walking beam are used liberally and without explanation; even something as familiar as calliope might stump some in a steamboat context.
It is amusing to think that Schiffer Publishing on the one hand turned 50 the year these books came out and on the other still sees itself as “largely flying under the industry radar.” With some 7,500 nonfiction titles across 10 imprints under their belt, many/most of which kept in print for years if not decades, produced to a high standard and offered at uncommonly affordable prices, this fine publisher should be top of mind when you have discretionary book funds rattling in your pocket.
Copyright 2024, Sabu Advani (Speedreaders.info)
The Boats of Summer
New York Harbor and Hudson River Day Passenger and Excursion Vessels
by Richard Verbryck Elliott
Volume 1: _of the Nineteenth Century
Schiffer, 2024
304 pages
304 pages, b/w & color images, hardcover
List Price: $59.99
ISBN-13: 978-0764367403
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