Finding Aid to the Oscar Johnson Photographs of Sea Scout Ship Navigator (120), 1938-1950

This finding aid was produced by the Historic Documents Department of San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

Historic Documents Department

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

National Park Service

Third Floor, Building E, Fort Mason

San Francisco, CA 94123

Phone: 415-561-7030

Fax: 415-556-3540

Contact Information at: www.nps.gov/safr/historyculture/researchcontact.htm

All written inquiries should include your name, mailing address, and telephone numbers.

2007

Finding Aid to the Oscar Johnson Photographs of Sea Scout Ship Navigator (120), 1938-1950

Collection Number: P06-028

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Historic Documents Department

San Francisco, California

Contact Information:

San Francisco Maritime
National Historical Park
Third Floor, Building E, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123
Phone: 415-561-7030
Fax: 415-556-3540
All written inquiries should include your name, mailing address, and telephone numbers.

Processed by:

Sara Diamond

Date Completed:

Jan 12, 2007

Encoded by:

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department

Collection Summary

Title: Oscar Johnson Photographs of Sea Scout Ship Navigator (120),

Date: 1938-1950

Collection No: P06-028

Creator: Johnson, Oscar

Extent: 35 copy negatives.

Repository: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (Calif.)

Historic Documents Department

Building E, Fort Mason

San Francisco, California 94123

Abstract: The collection consists of 35 copy negatives selected from three albums of photographic prints related to the Sea Scouts and their activities in Aquatic Park, San Francisco including activities aboard Sea Scout Ship Navigator and landscape features of Aquatic Park between 1938 and 1950.

Language: English

Indexing Terms

The following are indexing terms related to the description of this collection.

Subjects

Boy Scouts of America. Exploring Division.

Sea Scouts.

Training ships.

Geographical Names

Aquatic Park (San Francisco, Calif.)--History.

Aquatic Cove (San Francisco county, California, United States, North and Central America) bay.

Genres and Forms of Materials

Internegatives.

Reproductions.

Occupations

Seamen.

Information for Researchers

Access

This collection is open for use.

Use

The San Francisco Maritime NHP possesses physical property rights through ownership of the materials. However, copyright may reside with the individual or corporate body responsible for the creation of the materials, or with their heirs. It is the user's responsibility to respect the provisions of the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Permission to reproduce or publish from this collection must be secured by the user from the copyright holders.

Preferred Citation

[Item description], P06-028, [Location within collection organization identified by series number, file unit number, or item number], Oscar Johnson's Sea Scout Photographs, 1938-1950, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

Custodial History

The original photographs were created and/or compiled by Oscar Johnson. The albums were borrowed and accession under SAFR-1956 in 2006. The photographic reproductions were selected by Stephen Canright for accessioning as a field collection into San Francisco Maritime's museum collection under SAFR-1957.

Acquisition

Accession number SAFR-1957, field collection from copy of loan.

Processing and Cataloging

Processed by Sara Diamond and completed 12 Jan 2007. .

ANCS+ Catalog No. SAFR 20700.

This number links the collection to the ANCS+ catalog record and documentation. A portion of the ANCS+ catalog record can be viewed on the NPS Museum Collections Web Catalog by searching for the above number at http://www.museum.nps.gov/safr/page.htm.

Historical Note

The Sea Scouts is an Exploring Division of Boy Scouts of America, and the units are known as "Ships." They have been a presence in San Francisco since the early 1920s where the program began operating out of the Marina Yacht Harbor. They moved to Aquatic Park in 1942, initially to a small pier north of the current Base, and finally to it's current location in late 1945 or early 1946. The structure that is now the Base was built and occupied by the U.S Army during the Second World War. The original San Francisco Sea Scout Ship # 120 depicted in many of the photographs was named Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.). The later photographs depict the replacement whaleboat acquired in 1949.

Oscar Johnson joined the Sea Scout Ship #120 Navigator in 1938. From 1946 to 1990 he was an officer of the Ship, and in 1948 was the skipper of Navigator. The Aquatic Park Sea Scout Base is still occupied by the Sea Scouts, and sits within the boundaries of San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of 35 copy negatives selected from three albums of photographic prints related to the Sea Scouts and their activities in Aquatic Park, San Francisco. Between 1938 and 1950, Oscar Johnson compiled and took photographs of the San Francisco Sea Scouts and of their vessel Navigator in particular. Images include shipboard activities, as well as, landscape features of Aquatic Park.

Arrangement

The collection of 35 copy negatives are arranged and organized in numeric order as they were copied from the original loaned photographic albums.

Inventory

P06-028.1. Sea Scout boats and high school cutters at yacht harbor.
P06-028.2. Youth working on Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.).
P06-028.3. Sea Scout boats at Gas House Cove.
P06-028.4. Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.) with spinnaker.
P06-028.5. Sea Scout boats at old pier, Aquatic Park, ca. 1946-1949.
P06-028.6. Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.) at old pier, Aquatic Park.
P06-028.7. Floats and pilings at Aquatic Park.
P06-028.8. Sea Scout topsail schooner SEQUOIA.
P06-028.9. Working on Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.) with Aquatic Park in the background.
P06-028.10. Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.) with shack at the base of Muni Pier.
P06-028.11. Public at Sea Scout Base.
P06-028.12. Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.) in davits with a shack in background.
P06-028.13. Sea Scout base with sunken boat, Aquatic Park Bathhouse Building, a National Historic Landmark, in can be seen in the background.
P06-028.14. Aquatic Park lagoon with pilings.
P06-028.15. Aquatic Park lagoon with pilings.
P06-028.16. Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.) with Aquatic Park Bathhouse Building in background.
P06-028.17. Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.) with pilings in Aquatic Park.
P06-028.18. Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.) under sail.
P06-028.19. Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.) at Sea Scout base, shack in background (ca. 1950).
P06-028.20. Navigator (lifeboat: 30 ft.) under davit, ca. 1950.
P06-028.21. Navigator (whaleboat: 30 ft.) in deck frame, Aquatic Park landscape in background, 1950.
P06-028.22. Navigator (whaleboat: 30 ft.) in deck frame, Aquatic Park landscape in background, 1950.
P06-028.23. Navigator (whaleboat: 30 ft.) with Corsair and White Cloud, 1950.
P06-028.24. Navigator (whaleboat: 30 ft.) with Sea Scout base in background, 1950.
P06-028.25. Navigator (whaleboat: 30 ft.) with lockers and Aquatic Park Bathhouse Building, 1950.
P06-028.26. Oscar Johnson with sea Scout building in background, 1950.
P06-028.27. Navigator (whaleboat: 30 ft.) with Sea Scout base, 1950.
P06-028.28. Locker at north end of the Sea Scout base.
P06-028.29. Old pier at Aquatic Park, ca. 1950.
P06-028.30. Navigator (whaleboat: 30 ft.) rigged for sail.
P06-028.31. Navigator (whaleboat: 30 ft.) with the north end of the Sea Scout base.
P06-028.32. Door at north end or the Sea Scout base, 1950.
P06-028.33. Lockers at north end of the Sea Scout base, 1950.
P06-028.34. Lockers at north end, and Navigator (whaleboat: 30 ft.) almost finished.
P06-028.35. Color view. Deck of Navigator (whaleboat: 30 ft.) and White Cloud.