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Collection Guide
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A guide to the Richmond Yacht Club photographs, circa 1920s-1977
P12-001 (SAFR 23370)  
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Collection Contents

Shared collection box, Enclosures 1-9

Series 1.  Photographs, circa 1920-1970s (bulk 1930s-1940s)

Extent: 60 photographs (60 physical forms: black-and-white photographic prints of various sizes, ranging from 2.5 x 3.5 in. to 5 x 8 in.)

Scope and Content Note

Items 01-60. Contains mostly various views of the Richmond, California, waterfront and yacht harbor. Topics include portraits of people on passenger vessels; Richmond Yacht Service; Standard Oil fueling stations; Liberty Ship launchings; yachts, including MARY JANE (yacht); and what appear to be yacht races.
Some of the photographs have the same number stamped on the back, as if they were from the same original group of developed photographs. Many of the photographs were developed by Bear Photo Service and two of the photographs are attributed to F. Pierce Sherry Photography of Sausalito.

Item List:

  • Items 01-03: Portraits of two people on board passenger steamers HARVARD (built 1907; merchant vessel) and AVALON (built 1891; passenger vessel), possibly Gerald and Marie Heaphey, circa 1920-1930s.
  • Items 04-11: Photographs of Richmond Yacht Service exterior and men working on boats, circa 1930s-1940s.
  • Items 12-13: Exterior view of Standard Oil Company fueling stations, circa 1930s-1940s.
  • Items 14-24: Various views of unidentified harbors and waterfronts, most likely during some point of development. The location is most likely Richmond, California, and possibly the yacht harbor, Santa Fe Channel, Laurentzen Channel or Bulldog Point, circa 1930s-1940s.
  • Items 25-30: Various views of yachts, including one photograph (Item 30) of Gerald Heaphey's yacht MARY JANE, which was most likely built in 1940, with a person (who is most likely Heaphey) captaining the vessel, circa 1930-1950s.
  • Items 31-38: Various views of Richmond Yacht Harbor, circa 1940. Most likely includes views of MARY JANE (yacht), Gerald Heaphey's yacht. Items 31 and 32 were originally part of the paper photograph album that houses Items 33-38. The photograph album has "Krystal [sic] Gloss Prints; Guaranteed Forever; An Exclusive Product of; Bear Photo Service; At Leading Druggists" printed on the front. All photographs are 3 x 4.75 in. and have "757" stamped on the back of each print. "Richmond Yacht Harbor, 1940? 'Mary Jane'" is written on the back of the album.
  • Items 39-54: Various views of OCEAN VANGUARD (built 1941; cargo vessel: Liberty ship), the first ocean class Liberty Ship, launched on August 16, 1914, and an unidentified ship that may be the same vessel at the shipyard across from the Richmond Yacht Harbor. All photographs are in a paper photograph album. The photograph album has "Krystal [sic] Gloss Prints; Guaranteed Forever; An Exclusive Product of; Bear Photo Service; At Leading Druggists" printed on the front. All photographs have the Bear Photo Service stamp with a processing date of August 27, 1941, and "2" stamped on the back. "Gerald Heaphey, from [Gallen] Best of Luck" written on the inside of the front cover of the photograph album. "Shipyard across from Yacht Harbor" written on the back of the photograph album.
  • Items 55-58: Launching of OCEAN VENTURE (built 1941; cargo vessel: Liberty ship), Hull #4 at Richmond, California, September 27, 1941. Four views of a crowd in the foreground and the vessel in the background; two of the photographs have a small sailboat in front of the vessel. All four of the prints are annotated on the back with various forms of the date, hull number, and vessel name.
  • Items 59-60: Two photographs of what appear to be yacht races, most likely in or around San Pablo Bay, circa 1950-1970s. Port views of groups of vessels with crew visible on board.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.
Shared collection box, Enclosure 2

Item No. 05.  Exterior view of Richmond Yacht Service, Richmond, California, circa 1930s-1940s

Extent: 1 photograph.
Physical Description: 1 black-and-white photographic print, 2.5 x 4.5 in. "16" printed on the back of the print.

Scope and Content Note

"Richmond Yacht Service; Berthing Space; Paint and Boat Surveys; Phone RICH 96" is seen painted on the broadside of a building. A small boat hull is on a cradle in the foreground.
Shared collection box, Enclosure 4

Item No. 16.  Waterfront along the Richmond Inner Harbor, Richmond, California, circa 1930s-1940s

Extent: 1 photograph.
Physical Description: 1 black-and-white photographic print, 2.75 x 4.5 in. "5" printed on the back of the print.

Scope and Content Note

Sailboats are docked in the foreground and anchored at mid-distance. The waterfront appears to be developed in the background, and not developed in the foreground. There are also cars parked along the waterfront in the foreground.
Shared collection box, Enclosure 4

Item No. 18.  Richmond Inner Harbor Waterfront, Richmond, California, 1937 March 1

Extent: 1 photograph.
Physical Description: 1 black-and-white photographic print, 2.75 x 4.5 in. "122" and "Genuine Krystal [sic] Gloss; Guaranteed Forever by Bear Photo Service; Mar. 1 1937" printed on the back of the print.

Scope and Content Note

As many as twenty-five small boats are docked at a small marina in the foreground. There are other small boats at anchor and the otherside of the harbor in the background.
Shared collection box, Enclosure 5

Item No. 30.  Mary Jane (yacht) underway, port broadside view, circa 1940

Extent: 1 photograph.
Physical Description: 1 black-and-white photographic print, 5 x 8 in. "Pacific [Inter] Club Class" and "Mary Jane" are written on the image frame on the front of the print. "Jerry's 1940 yacht" written on the back and "F. Pierce Sherry; Mill Valley, California" stamped on the back of the print.

Scope and Content Note

A man, presumably Gerald J. Heaphey, is captaining the yacht as she leans port, underway. The number 14 and a triangle with "P" line "C" are visible on the sail.
Shared collection box, Enclosure 8

Item No. 58.  Ocean Venture (built 1941; cargo vessel: Liberty Ship) in the water on launching day, view off the port quarter, 1941 September 27

Extent: 1 photograph.
Physical Description: 1 black-and-white photographic print, 2.5 x 3.5 in. "Sun. Sept. 27 1941. Hull #4. Ocean Venture" written on the back of the print. "1" is stamped on the back of the print.

Scope and Content Note

The vessel is dressed, sitting in the water with up to fourteen men visible on deck. There is a small boat in the water in front of the hull and two men wearing hats standing in the foreground.
Shared collection boxes, including oversized storage, Enclosures 10-12

Series 2.  Ephemera, circa 1934-1977 (bulk 1930s-1940s)

Extent: 10 items (in 11 physical forms: 2 business cards, 6 clippings, 1 membership card, 1 souvenir program, 1 regional map)

Scope and Content Note

Items 61-70. Various clippings, membership affiliations and business cards related to Gerald Heaphey, Richmond Yacht Service, and the Richmond Yacht Club.

Item List:

  • Item 61: Two identical business cards for G. J. Heaphey of the Richmond Yacht Service, Santa Fe Channel, Richmond Inner Harbor, circa 1930s-1940s.
  • Item 62: Newspaper article "Aeolians Win Five Firsts in Regatta," by Harry Borba, sports writer for "The Examiner" circa 1934-1950. The article mentions Heaphey's victory over fellow RYC member Alan Clarke at the helm of MERRY JANE [sic].
  • Items 63-65: Three newspaper articles regarding the emergency landing of an army transport plane in the San Francisco Bay, circa January 6, 1938. One of the articles mentions that the first boat to arrive at the site was manned by "Joe Argento, shop foreman for the Richmond Yacht Service, Port Captain Ken Eastman, and Charles Pendola, Alexander G. Center and G. J. Heaphey." None of the articles have dates or bylines. These items are located in oversized storage.
  • Item 66: Gerald J. Heaphey's membership card for the Richmond Yacht Club, 1941. Details include: Member's card 75 and embossed with the RYC seal. The card is printed on both sides.
  • Item 67: Souvenir program from the Pacific Coast Championship Regatta, San Francisco Bay, August 17-21, 1949. The cover has a ship wheel and Pacific Coast Yachting Association burgee on the cover and a compass on the back cover.16 pages. Includes but is not limited to member associations; officers; committee members; sponsors; participating clubs; maps; program; classes, signals, time and courses; racing divisions; and race instructions as well as photomechanical prints on the pages.
  • Item 68: Regional Street Map of Richmond and Vicinity, published by the City of Richmond Chamber of Commerce, circa 1955. 17 x 22 in. Includes street key and profile of Richmond, "All-American City."
  • Item 69: "The Watch Cap," "Daily Guide," page 1, by Ralph J. Brady, August 22, 1972. The article references the history of the Richmond Inner Harbor and Ellis Point, the first location of the RYC. This item is located in oversized storage.
  • Item 70: Clipping of an advertisement for real estate development of the Port of Richmond, specifically for Port related industry, "Marine Digest," June 4, 1977. Includes a photomechanical print of an aerial view of the port.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.
Shared collection box, Enclosure 10

Item No. 61.  G. J. Heaphey, Richmond Yacht Service business card, circa 1930s-1940s

Extent: 1 identifying card.
Physical Description: 1 business card on white card stock, printed with blue ink on one side, 2 x 3.5 in.

Scope and Content Note

The logo for the Richmond Yacht Service is a ship's wheel with the business name over it. Services are listed as "Marine Ways; Berthing Facilities; Repairs; Yacht Supplies; Gas and Oil Brokerage." Contact information is "P.O. Box 96, Richmond, Calif., Telephone Richmond 96; Santa Fe Channel, Richmond Inner Harbor."
Shared collection box, Enclosure 10

Item No. 66.  Gerald J. Heaphey's Richmond Yacht Club of California, Inc. membership card, 1941

Extent: 1 identifying card.
Physical Description: 1 card on white card stock, printed with blue and red ink, printed on both sides, 2 x 3.5 in. Embossed with the Richmond Yacht Club seal.

Scope and Content Note

Member's card 75 signed by J. A. Vincent, Jr., Commodore, and F. K. Fox, Treasurer. Richmond Yacht Club flag in the middle. Club membership rules on verso.
Shared collection box, Enclosure 11

Item No. 67.  Pacific Coast Championship Regatta souvenir program, 1949 August 17-21

Extent: 1 souvenir program.
Physical Description: 16 pages, 6 x 9 in. Cover printed with blue, red and gold ink; pages printed with black ink. Includes maps.

Scope and Content Note

Program for the event, sponsored by the Pacific Coast Yachting Association. Contains sponsorship, rules, regulations, program and other supplemental information for the event of the regatta. The front cover has a ship wheel and Pacific Coast Yachting Association burgee. There is a compass on the back cover.