A guide to the George R. Lamuth photographs of Eppleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat), 1970 March-1989 September

Processed by: Processed by M. Crawford and Amy Croft, January 2012.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Building E, Fort Mason

San Francisco, CA 94123

Phone: 415-561-7030

Fax: 415-556-3540

SAFR_Historic_Documents@nps.gov

URL: http://www.nps.gov/safr

2016

A Guide to the George R. Lamuth photographs of Eppleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat)

P99-015

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, National Park Service

2016, National Park Service

Title: George R. Lamuth photographs of Eppleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat)

Date: 1970 March-1989 September

Identifier/Call Number: P99-015 (SAFR 23143)

Creator: Lamuth, George R.

Physical Description: 26 items. Online items available.

Repository: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department

Building E, Fort Mason

San Francisco, CA 94123

Abstract: The George R. Lamuth photographs of Eppleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat), 1970 March - 1989 September, (SAFR 23143, P99-015) consists of 26 color slides of EPPLETON HALL and related vessels. Most of the images are of EPPLETON HALL arriving in San Francisco on March 24, 1970, and the vessel at different locations at San Francisco. The material is processed at the collection level and includes an itemized list of the collection.

Physical Location: San Francisco Maritime NHP, Historic Documents Department

Language(s): In English.

Access

This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted.

Publication and Use Rights

Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.

Processing Note

Slides housed in shared collection box.

The descriptions in this collection guide were compiled using the best available sources of information. Such sources include the creator's annotations or descriptions, collection accession files, primary and secondary source material and subject matter experts. While every effort was made to provide accurate information, in the event that you find any errors in this guide please contact the reference staff in order for us to evaulate and make corrections to this guide.

Please cite the title and collection number in any correspondence with our staff.

Preferred Citation

[Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item Number], P99-015 (SAFR 23143), George R. Lamuth photographs of Eppleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat), San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Acquisition Information

SAFR-01366

George Lamuth loaned San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (SFMNHP) 26 slides for duplication in October of 1998 through Richard W. Rutter. The original slides were returned to Lamuth and the duplicates were accessioned into the collection April 30, 1999. The slides are a subset of slides used as part of a presentation on the EPPLETON HALL on October 24, 1998, and a detailed list of all of the slides used for this presentation was included in the accession.

Historical or Biographical Note

George Rudolph Lamuth sailed in the Merchant Marines, was a San Francisco fireman for 38 years, and was an avid maritime photographer.

George Rudolph Lamuth was born in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco on September 19, 1918, to Mary (Babich) and George Lamuth. He had one sister, Helen. George married his wife, Ella Mae, around 1945 and they resided in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. Lamuth served in the Merchant Marines before and after World War II, and then he worked for the San Francisco Fire Department for 38 years. Lamuth was a fireman on the San Francisco Fire Department fireboat PHOENIX in the late 1950s. Lamuth was an avid maritime photographer and amassed a considerable amount of slides over the years. These images were used in presentations to maritime groups and have been used by his friends and colleagues to post information in online forums regarding vessels and vessel identification. Lamuth was a life-long San Francisco resident and he died there on June 13, 2006.

Sources: George R Lamuth entry. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Accessed via Ancestry.com on January 26, 2012. George R. Lamuth Obituary. 2006 July 16. San Francisco Chronicle. Accessed on January 26, 2012, from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/07/16/MNLAMUTHGE16.DTL

EPPLETON HALL: The EPPLETON HALL was built in 1914 by the Hepple and Company of South Shields, England, for the Lambton and Hetton Collieries, Ltd. The vessel, named after the Lambton family's ancestral home, was designed to tow ocean-going colliers (coal-carrying vessels) to and from the port of Newcastle on the River Tyne. Coal was a booming business, and days of transit time were saved by towing the sailing vessels upriver to load. The vessel was also used to tow newly-built ships out to sea.

The EPPLETON HALL is a steam sidewheeler with side-lever engines, and is the only remaining intact example of a Tyne paddle tug. The vessel was engaged on the Wear and Tyne rivers of northeast England from 1914-1967 and she is a direct descendent of the first craft to go into commercial service as harbor tugs. In 1946, she was purchased by France Fenwick, Wear and Tyne Ltd., which operated her in the Wear River until 1964 (she is being restored to this period today).

The EPPLETON HALL's steam engines are descended from a type first developed in England in 1828. The two large side lever engines, often referred to as grasshopper engines, operate the paddle wheels independently, making the tug especially maneuverable in tight spots. Another unusual feature of the EPPLETON HALL is its hand-forged boilers designed to use seawater. Every six weeks the accumulated salt had to be chipped out of the boilers and rinsed away. The advantage was that large freshwater tanks did not have to be carried aboard.

In 1952, the tug was slightly modified in order to obtain a Passenger Certificate, so that she could transport officials from newly-launched steamers. Her last commercial owner was the Seaham Harbour Dock Board, which operated her from 1964 to 1967. She was sold for scrap in 1967 to Clayton and Davie, Shipbreakers and, while sitting on a mud bank, fire (part of the scrapping process) destroyed her wooden afterdeck and interior.

In December of 1968, Scott Newhall discovered the EPPLETON HALL in Newcastle, England, after trying to acquire the last operating paddle tug RELIANT, which was slated to be dismantled and pieces put into an exhibit at the Greenwich Maritime Museum. Newhall wanted to purchase the RELIANT but was told it was already spoken for and he was shown the EPPLETON HALL as an alternative; however he still wanted the RELIANT. In early 1969, Newhall assembled a group of maritime enthusiasts in Newcastle for the negotiation of the purchase of the RELIANT and they arrived sometime near the beginning of May. Scott hoped to purchase the RELIANT from the Greenwich Maritime Museum, defray the cost of their investment in the RELIANT and have them use parts from the EPPLETON HALL for their exhibit instead. He wanted to do all this in order to prevent the sea worthy vessel RELIANT from being cut-up into parts and then take the RELIANT back to San Francisco.

In early May 1969, it was determined that they could not purchase the RELIANT and Newhall decided to purchase the EPPLETON HALL. Restoration efforts were turned to her and Bill Bartz remained in Newcastle to oversee the design and renovation of the vessel. She was taken to R.B. Harrison & Sons, Ltd. Shipyard. Bartz worked alongside shipyard employees to restore her and hired appropriate staff to make sure that she was logistically able to leave England for the United States. As she was no longer a vessel used for commercial means, she was registered as a yacht. This allowed her to take on a volunteer crew and have an easier time finding accommodations in ports. She remained registered as a private yacht until 1979.

In mid-September of 1969, the EPPLETON HALL departed England with a crew consisting of Scott Newhall, Karl Kortum and his son Johnny, Bill Bartz and his children Heide and Billy, and engineers and a purser, bound for San Francisco via the Panama Canal. Despite technical difficulties, inclement weather conditions, and illness of the crew, she steamed through the Golden Gate on March 24, 1970.

The vessel was donated to the National Park Service in 1979. She is now berthed at Hyde Street Pier.

Sources: History written by SAFR staff and information also taken from http://www.nps.gov/safr/historyculture/eppleton-hall-history.htm, accessed October 31, 2011.

Newhall, Scott. The Eppleton Hall. Berkeley, California: Howell-North Books. 1971.

Collection Scope and Content

The George R. Lamuth photographs of Eppleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat), 1970 March - 1989 September, (SAFR 23143, P99-015) consists of 26 color slides of EPPLETON HALL and related vessels. Most of the images are of EPPLETON HALL arriving in San Francisco on March 24, 1970, and the vessel at different locations at San Francisco. The material is processed at the collection level and includes an itemized list of the collection.

These photographs document EPPLETON HALL arriving at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf on March 24, 1970. They include exterior views of the vessel underway and at dock, one view of Captain Scott Newhall on deck, as well as the crowd gathered to greet the vessel. It also documents EPPLETON HALL's consequent activity in San Francisco: at Pier 43 with aft mast removed; alongside BALCLUTHA at Hyde Street Pier; at Pier 43-1/2 and Pier 41 just out of the shipyard; underway; and several views at Hyde Street Pier. The collection includes views of the paddle tugs ROKER (built 1904) and RELIANT (built 1907).

The slides were used in a presentation about EPPLETON HALL at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park on October 24, 1998. The presentation was coordinated by Richard W. Rutter and photographs taken by H. Alan Sims, George Lamuth and John Kortum were used.

Collection Arrangement

The slides are arranged and numbered according to the original order of the slide presentation on October 24, 1998. The original presentation consisted of 80 slides, numbered in consecutive order of presentation. The 26 slides in this collection were used in the presentation, and they have been numbered using their original presentation number. The other 54 slides are not included in this collection.

Related Materials

H. Alan Sims photographs of the Eppleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat), circa 1950s, 1970 March 24. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, P99-014 (SAFR 22590); Scott Newhall photographs, circa 1937, 1962-1970. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, P97-006 (SAFR 21372). The bulk of the collection consists of photographs from the paddlewheel steam tugboat EPPLETON HALL's transatlantic voyage from England to San Francisco in 1969 and 1970. Also, Eppleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat) logbook, 1969 September 18-1970 March 27. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, HDC 1137 (SAFR 17686). Logbook from the journey from Newcastle, England to San Francisco, California.

This material is located at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Paddle Steamers

muth, George R. (George Rudolph, 1918-2006)

pleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat)

n Francisco (Calif.)

Color slides

Shared Coll Box

Item No. 02. Roker (built 1904; tugboat), circa 1970-1989