For those unfamiliar with the Edward W. Kane and James Gubelmann IYRS Maritime Library, you may be surprised to learn that in addition to thousands of cataloged books, periodicals and A/V materials, its holdings also include a variety of rare, valuable, fragile and scarce items. These include hundreds of charts, boat plans, letters, posters, brochures, press kits, typescript or handwritten histories, photographs, slides, film, and video tape. Ephemera such as wearable items, burgees, flags and an impressive display of trophies, paintings, and models are also preserved, protected, and displayed among the Library’s Special Collections.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
The Vanderbilt Collection
Library Find: Photo ID?
Librarian's Update
Sailing Museum Shared Collection: Walter Cronkite's Bookshelf
Lloyd's Yacht Register Collection
Sunken Treasure Video: Sir Ernest Shacklelton's HMS Endeavour Found
Race for Ukraine: Sailors Unite on Narragansett Bay, June 4
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The Vanderbilt Collection |
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The Vanderbilt Collection was among numerous items acquired by IYRS from the Museum of Yachting. While volumes have been written about the legendary Vanderbilt family, our Library collection centers around those, who through their industry and intelligence, made the most of their passion for the sea. |
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Founder of the family fortune, Cornelius “the Commodore” Vanderbilt (1794-1877) famously started his business in a small (2-masted) periauger, fearlessly delivering passengers and cargo between Manhattan and Staten Island. His favorite grandson, Cornelius Vanderbilt II (1843-1899) commissioned the Breakers, among the grandest of Newport’s Summer Cottages. Contained within the Library’s Vanderbilt Collection is an item that would have been of curious interest to his shipping magnate grandfather, CV II’s bespoke copy of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping; 1897 Yacht Register.
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As indicated by the books in the Library's collection written by the Commodore’s great-grandson, William K. Vanderbilt II (1878-1944) was an accomplished blue-water yachtsman. No further descriptions are needed beyond the titles “Willie K.” himself provided including:
To Galapagos on the Ara, 1926: 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.
Taking One’s Own Ship Around the World; A journal descriptive of scenes and incidents, together with observations from the log book, recorded on the voyage around the world, October 25, 1928 to May 16, 1929, of the yacht Ara.
West Made East with the Loss of A Day; A chronicle of the first circumnavigation of the globe under the United States naval reserve yacht pennant, July 7, 1931 to March 4, 1932; an account of the adventures in navigation, diversions, picturesque scenes… the everyday life of remote places, and the taking of specimens for the Vanderbilt Marine Museum.
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Harold “Mike” Stirling Vanderbilt (1884-1970) is another of the Commodore’s great-grandsons. Like his brother Willie K., he was both a prolific author and extraordinary yachtsman. Unlike his grandfather, he was an actual Commodore of the New York Yacht Club from 1922-24. By all accounts, he was a canny strategist and a fierce competitor— evidenced today by the plethora of trophies including 5 Astor Cups and 6 King’s Cups commanding their own room of Marble House, a Vanderbilt family summer home in Newport. Inducted to both the America’s Cup Hall of Fame (1993) and the Sailor’s Hall of Fame (2011) Harold is best known to racing sailors as a three-time America’s Cup winner and originator of The Racing Rules of Sailing. In addition to authoring When Two Yachts Meet: Racing Rules Pertaining to the Right of Way (adopted 1938) and Suggested Revision of the International Yacht Racing Right of Way Rules (1936), he penned two works of non-fiction based on his own experiences, Enterprise: The Story of the Defense of the America’s Cup in 1930, and On the Wind’s Highway: Ranger, Rainbow and Racing (1939). Harold’s wife and sailing partner Gertrude (nee Conway) Vanderbilt (1901-1978) was an accomplished yachtswoman in her own right. Alongside her husband, as a member of the after-guard on their J-Class yachts Rainbow and Ranger, she was one of the first two* women to race for the America’s Cup. (*The other first was Mrs. T.O.M. Sopwith who, also alongside her husband, held a similar role onboard Endeavour and Endeavour II.--SAS
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Recommended Reading: Whether your interest lies in yacht racing, ocean voyaging, the Gilded Age or Newport history, the Vanderbilt Collection has something for you... |
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One of the newest additions to our Library collection is: Vanderbilt, the Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper (the Commodore’s great-great-great grandson) and Katherine Howe. Of particular interest to sailors is Chapter 9: Standing in a Cold Shower Tearing Up Hundred-Thousand-Dollar Bills: September 15, 1934. Contained within is a detailed account of the 1934 America’s Cup contests between Harold S. Vanderbilt’s Rainbow and T.O.M. Sopwith’s Endeavor. Accurate descriptions of the on-water sparring combined with off-water quotes of the two skippers provides insight into the competitive 7-race series and the characters of both men. Putting his remarkable family tree into perspective, Cooper closes this chapter: “…Harold S. Vanderbilt, the great-grandson of the Commodore, who had made his first fortune plying sailboats in New York Harbor… skippered his million-dollar racing yacht in a hotly contested series of thirty-mile circular races to nowhere.”--SAS
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Library Finds: Help Us ID this Intriguing Photo |
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The photo above is attributed to the Vanderbilt Collection, but unfortunately no information is included to positively identify the date, occasion, boats or persons depicted. Based on the portable lighting (held high at far end of dock) and throng of people gathered, this happening was of great interest to the Press. Our best guess is that this image was captured at a 1930's America's Cup race dock-in or out, but which one? Is the woman in white Gertude Vanderbilt? Email us with any information that you are able to glean from this interesting image; we'll print your replies in the next Navigating the Stacks.
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Since our last newsletter the library has received generous book donations from Aline Benoit and Dan Nerney. In addition, IYRS was chosen as the recipient of the late Henry Keene’s collection of books. A longtime member of the Cruising Club of America (CCA), his exceptional collection includes some very rare and special books, such as J. Scott Russell’s 1865 Modern Naval Architecture. This three-volume set includes 165 stunning plates of architectural drawings. Gifts such as these are what make IYRS Maritime Library a destination for researchers, historians, the yachting community, and the public at large. They also add depth and richness to the resources available for our students.
A partnership has long existed between IYRS and the CCA, as evidenced by the CCA’s Newport to Bermuda Ocean Race trophy collection on display just outside of the library doors. I’m pleased to announce we are expanding this partnership with the addition of a computer workstation and a mailbox to facilitate a centralized location for administrative tasks in support of the Club. This space will also contain a bookshelf of CCA yearbooks, magazines and publications. IYRS welcomes this addition, and we extend a warm welcome for CCA members to stop by and enjoy the library when they are visiting Newport!
As a reminder, the library is open to the public, however book circulation is limited to IYRS students, faculty, board members and staff, as well as CCA, NSHOF and NYYC members, and to donors at the discretion of the librarian. All are welcome to browse our collections of books, periodicals, model yachts, archival items, and trophies. And please don’t forget to browse our book sale shelves!-- HS
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IYRS Maritime Library Partners with The Sailing Museum:
Members Enjoy Shared Collections & Benefits
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On loan from the National Sailing Hall of Fame’s (NSHOF) Tom Morris Library are two shelves containing some of Walter Cronkite’s personal books. These are being held for display only. Additionally, we have many other great titles in our NSHOF collection that are available for circulation.
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Lloyd's Register Collection |
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The Library houses a collection of Lloyd’s Registers comprised of the Lloyd’s Register of Yachts, and the Lloyd’s Register of American Yachts containing comprehensive lists of American and Canadian owned yachts dating from 1909 to 1979.
The Registers serve as a national registry of vessels documenting specifications such as the hull type, dimensions, designer, builder, year built, machinery, owner, and home port. The section most often referenced is the alphabetical listing of yachts which can be used to trace the history of any recorded vessel. Yachts are kept on the annual register until they are sunk, wrecked, hulked, scrapped, or withdrawn by the owner.
As for Lloyd’s origin story, it dates to pre-1760 when these types of records were kept by merchants at Lloyd’s Coffee House in London. Since those days, the lists grew into an organized publication and the interest in having access to this information crossed over the Atlantic as an American Committee was established and maintained. If you’re curious to explore the publication online, the Mystic Seaport Museum has electronic copies of early editions available by clicking on this link.-- HS
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Sunken Treasure: FOUND 10,000' Deep in the Weddell Sea,
Sir Ernest Shackleton's HMS Endurance in Surprising Condition
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Narragansett Bay Sailors Unite for UKRAINE |
RACE FOR UKRAINE, a fundraising regatta around Conanicut Island will be held on June 4, 2022. While hosted by the 12 Metre Yacht Club, the event is open to all sailboats with PHRF ratings. Official event charity, Heart to Heart International (HHI) will track the donations of each boat individually enabling the broadest base of donors to “back their boat” with online contributions.
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About IYRS Maritime Library |
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Mission Statement: The IYRS Maritime Library is an educational and cultural resource, committed to the mission of IYRS and to making its collections available to students, staff and faculty as well as to scholars, researchers, and members of the general public.
IYRS Library Committee is comprised of founder James Gubelmann, interested IYRS Board members, the IYRS librarian, IYRS staff members, and qualified individuals from the surrounding community.
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Location: 4th floor of the historic 1831 John Mecray Aquidneck Mill building on the IYRS campus at 449 Thames Street, Newport.
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Open: to Students, Researchers and the General Public
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Hours: Wednesday through Saturday from noon-5pm, or at other times arranged with the IYRS Librarian
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Contact: Helen Sowinski at 401-848-5777 ext 221
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Search: Online Catalog anytime
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Items in the library's Special Collections have been acquired through donations by private individuals and families as well as by esteemed organizations including the Redwood Library & Athenaeum, the National Sailing Hall of Fame, Salve Regina University and of course the Museum of Yachting. In addition to IYRS's searchable online catalog, which utilizes the Library of Congress system, the IYRS Maritime Library was selected to join RIAMCO-- the prestigious online gateway to the Rhode Island Archival and Manuscript Collections.
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About Navigating the Stacks |
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Exploring the Collections of the IYRS Maritime Library
This newsletter was envisioned by IYRS Maritime Library co-founder and contributor James Gubelmann in order to illuminate the depth and richness of the Special Collections contained within. Gubelmann said, “Together with co-editors IYRS Librarian, Helen Sowinski and Windlass Creative’s SallyAnne Santos, former Creative Director of the Museum of Yachting, we will provide insight into the library’s holdings, specifically highlighting contents of the Special Collections.”
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