Containers:

Items 1-89; Boxes 1, 2, 4, 6

Identifier:

Series 1.

Dates:

1894-1992, bulk (bulk 1910-1935)

Extent:

89 items

Scope and content:

Contains photographs of members training and rowing in competitive events and posed for photographs after events that took place in the San Francisco Bay Area. Some of the pictures show the members holding trophies and plaques. Most photographs were taken in the San Francisco Bay (including Aquatic Park and the Oakland-Alameda Estuary) and there are some taken in Clear Lake, Lake Merced, and other unidentified bodies of water. There are several photographs of members at the club's training facility at Pier 54. SERC used this facility from the 1920s-early 1950s, but it is unknown the exact length of time that they used these training quarters.

Most of the photographs are of men in sculls, sweep boats, training barges, and standing on docks. Many of the men are also wearing clothing or bathing suits with South End Rowing Club insignias on them, and it can be seen how the bathing suits changed throughout the years. Many of the individuals in the photographs are identified.

There is a photograph of the christening of a barge in this series. Series 4 (Members) also contains a photograph of a group of people on a dock that might also depict a boat christening ceremony; it is located in Series 4 because we could not confirm that it was related to a boat christening ceremony, although it seems likely that it is.

Black-and-white and color photographic prints and negatives. Some of the photographic prints are stuck to glass, have had something spilled on them, are torn, or are very fragile.

Biographical / historical:

In the 1890s-early 1900s, "championship races and club regattas [were] held either at Long Bridge, at the foot of Third street, San Francisco, or at El Campo, a picturesque picnic resort in Marin County, about ten miles from the city" (Inkersley, p. 575). Other rowing locations were the San Antonio Estuary (also known as Oakland Creek), Lake Merritt, on the Sacramento River, on the San Joaquin River, and Lake Bohemia (the result of damming part of the Russian River near Guerneville) (576).

On February 27, 1887, the South End's new barge CHARLES N. FELTON was launched. The vessel was built by Al Rogers of Alameda, and was named after a then congressmen (and later senator). This barge replaced the barge GENERAL GARFIELD (built by John Twigg in 1881) (Pickelhaupt, 39). In June 1891, another new barge was christened and was named THE SOUTH END (also built by Al Rogers) (47). Rogers built another racing barge in 1900 named THE WILLIAM THOMAS, in honor of the South End Rowing Club member and club captain (67).

The pleasure barge SOUTH END (built by Al Rogers) was christened on February 14, 1915, by Frances Deremer, the daughter of former club president Fred Deremer. The FRITZ and the BURKE (now known as the O'NEILL and the LAWLEY) were built by Thomas R. Keenan and raced in 1916. In 1928, the pleasure boats HORN and STEEL (later the DR. CROWE) were delivered to the club (77, 79-80).

Sources:

Inkersley, Arthur. Rowing on San Francisco Bay. "Outing" 35:6, March 1900, p. 575-584. http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/Outing/Volume_35/outXXXV06/outXXXV06e.pdf, accessed March 13, 2012.

Pickelhaupt, Bill. 1995. Club rowing on San Francisco Bay 1839-1939: Featuring the South End Rowing Club. Printed in the United States.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Contents

Access and use