A guide to the Michael Dobrin photograph collection, 1938-1998

Shared collection box

Item No. 01. San Francisco Bird Boats racing in a regatta on the San Francisco Bay, 1938 May 14

Extent: 1 photograph.

Physical Description: 1 black-and-white photographic print, 8 x 10.75 in.

Scope and Content Note

Left to right: GREY GOOSE (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 10), ORIOLE (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 11), LINNET (built 1932; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 20), ALCYON (built 1927; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 7), PETREL (built 1928; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 8), SKYLARK (built 1927; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 6), MAVIS (built 1924; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 4), KITTIWAKE (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 9), CURLEW (built 1922; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 2), and ROBIN (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 18) in the foreground. Photograph from the San Francisco Call-Bulletin Library. "Won by Widegon", "May 18, 1936" and "May 14, 1938" are stamped on the back of the print. KITTIWAKE is identified as LARK on the back of the print. This photograph was used in the September/October 1998 issue of WoodenBoat magazine (which can be found in this collection as item 36), and the caption indicates the event was in May 1938.

Shared collection box

Item No. 02. Loon (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 13) pulling full and by on lee side of Treasure Island, San Francisco Bay, 1939-1940

Extent: 1 photograph.

Physical Description: 1 black-and-white photographic print, 5 x 7 in.

Scope and Content Note

Four people visible on board (two men, a woman and a child). Photograph of LOON taken from another vessel. LOON (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 13) was designed by John Alden and was built for Bill Van Dyke at United Ship Repair.

Shared collection box

Item No. 03. Bird boats on a downwind run during a San Francisco Bay regatta, circa 1940

Extent: 1 photograph.

Physical Description: 1 black-and-white photographic print, 5 x 7 in.

Scope and Content Note

The bowsprit of the "famed" Templeton Crocker yacht ZACA is in the foreground. "R4" visible on the sail of one of the yachts in the background.

Shared collection box

Item No. 04. Cuckoo (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 16), Puffin (built 1928; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 12), and Teal (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 24) at the starting line at the 1970 Bird Perpetual, 1970

Creator/Collector: Veder, Slava

Extent: 1 photograph.

Physical Description: 1 black-and-white photographic print, 7.38 x 11.38 in.

Scope and Content Note

PUFFIN is in the foreground.

CUCKOO (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 16) was designed by John Alden and was built for Fred Loeser at the W.F. Stone & Son Boat Yard in Oakland, California.

PUFFIN (built 1928; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 12) was designed by John Alden and built for Bruce Dohrmann at the W.F. Stone & Son Boat Yard in Oakland, California.

TEAL (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 24) was designed by John Alden and was built for Gary Armour at United Ship Repair.

Shared collection box

Item No. 05. Polly (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 19) docked in an unidentified location, view off port bow, 1985-1989

Extent: 1 photograph.

Physical Description: 1 color print, 4 x 6 in.

Scope and Content Note

Before POLLY's restoration.

POLLY (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 19) was designed by John Alden and was built for C.R. Rodgers at the W.F. Stone & Son Boat Yard in Oakland, California. In 1988, R.C. Keefe established the non-profit organization "Save the Bird Foundation" to help restore old bird boats. Keefe began with POLLY in 1989/1990.

Shared collection box

Item No. 06-35. Jack Erhorn with Polly (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 19) at the Stone Boat Yard in Alameda, California, late 1989

Extent: 30 photographs.

Physical Description: 30 black-and-white photographic negatives, 35 mm

Scope and Content Note

Photographs of POLLY under construction during her rennovation (she was essentially rebuilt). Jack Ehrhorn is in many of the photos, as well as an unidentified man (likely Michael Dobrin). Item 22 was used in the September/October 1998 issue of WoodenBoat magazine (which can be found in this collection as item 36).

POLLY (built 1929; sloop: yacht: Bird Class, No. 19) was designed by John Alden and was built for C.R. Rodgers at the W.F. Stone & Son Boat Yard in Oakland, California. In 1988, R.C. Keefe established the non-profit organization "Save the Bird Foundation" to help restore old bird boats. Keefe began with POLLY in 1989/1990.

Shared collection box

Item No. 36. "76 Years of Soaring: the story of the San Francisco Bird Boats" by Terry Norton, 1998 September-October

Extent: 1 item.

Physical Description: 1 volume

Scope and Content Note

This is an article in WoodenBoat Magazine, No. 144 (p. 44-49). The article includes several reproductions of photographs in this collection (items 01 and 22).

Collection Contents