Extent:
39 items
Language(s):
In English.
Scope and Content Note
Items 001-039. These research and reference materials were used by Ottley during his career as a historian, consultant, and
author of maritime works, including but not limited to the manuscript of his unpublished book, LEE RAIL UNDER, and the story,
"Cracking for Chirikoff."
Ottley's personal interests in history included maritime racing, steamboats and steamships. He was a collector of maritime
photographs and research and he corresponded with other maritime enthusiasts and researchers. Topics of interest to Ottley
included steamships, clippers and rowing, boat and yacht racing, and passenger vessels (material on these topics can be found
in the Allan R. Ottley papers, 1823-1997 (bulk 1931-1971), San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (SAFR 21639, HDC1374).
It is likely that some if not many of the photographs from this series were used for Ottley's own research. Of particular
note are photographs regarding racing that may have been used for his unpublished manuscript, LEE RAIL UNDER, which is a survey
of maritime racing. This manuscript is also found in the Allan R. Ottley papers. Includes black-and-white photographic prints;
postcard announcement; Christmas cards; and cellulose nitrate negatives of various vessels, mostly yachts, steamboats, sailboats
and passenger
vessels, as well as geographic locations. Vessel names and locations that appear in the series are listed below. There are
several images of AMERICA (built 1851; yacht). Some of the photographic images are of paintings and of postcards. The original
photographs were taken between 1851 to circa 1990, but the physical items in this collection were created between 1930 and
1990. Most of the photographs are reproductions of originals.
Items:
- 001-010, 10th Olympic Oar Finals to BREMEN: Envelope 1
- 011-019, COMMODORE to PIONEER: Envelope 2
- 020-029, REX to VILEEHI: Envelope 3
- 030-035, YOSEMITE and unidentified vessels: Envelope 4
- 036-039, Unidentified vessels at Victoria, B.C., 1909: Nitrate Storage
Vessels Represented in Series 1:
- ALICE (paddle steamer: stern-wheeler)
- AMELIA (built 1860; paddle steamer: side-wheeler)
- AMERICA (built 1851; yacht)
- AVALON (built 1920; passenger vessel: excursion vessel)
- BALCLUTHA (built 1886; ship, 3m)
- BREMEN (built 1896; ocean liner)
- COMMODORE (built 1920; schooner, 4m)
- EMMA GILES (built 1887; paddle steamer: side-wheeler)
- EXPLORER (paddle steamer: stern-wheeler)
- GOVERNOR DANA (paddle steamer: stern-wheeler) at the Marysville Landing, 1851
- HERZOGIN SOPHIE CHARLOTTE (built 1894; square rigged vessel), windjammer
- ILLINOIS (barge)
- JACINTO (packet (watercraft): paddle steamer: stern-wheeler)
- MANUIWA (yacht, 2m)
- MARY POWELL (built 1861; paddle steamer, side-wheeler)
- MONTANA (barge)
- NENANA (built 1933; paddle steamer: stern-wheeler)
- PIONEER (built 1852; paddle steamer: side-wheeler)
- REX (built 1931; ocean liner)
- RIVER QUEEN (built 1926; paddle steamer: stern-wheeler)
- SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL (built 1966; schooner, 3m: training vessel)
- TUSITALA (full rigged ship, 3m)
- VERMONT (barge)
- VIGILANT (built 1920; schooner, 5m)
- VILEEHI (built 1930; ketch)
- VIRGINIA (barge)
- YOSEMITE (built 1863; paddle steamer, side-wheeler)
- Unidentified vessels including a stern-wheeler on a Christmas card from Robert Parkins; a steamer at Mount Davis (possibly
in the Ansel Adams Wilderness); an advertisement for the exhibit "Shipwrecks of the Golden Gate" at the San Francisco Maritime
Museum; and vessels along the waterfront in Victoria, B. C.
Places Represented in Series 1:
- Los Angeles, California: 10th Olympics, 8 Oar Finals, August 13, 1932
- Sacramento City
- Sacramento Valley
- Victoria, B. C.
Items 001-006, 008-017, 019-039 were received in accession SAFR-01148.
Item 007: AVALON (built 1920; passenger vessel: excursion vessel), and item 018: NENANA (built 1933; paddle steamer: stern-wheeler)
were received in accession SAFR-00940; these two photographs were the only photographs in the accession, and they appeared
to be part of Ottley's reference and research materials since they were not part of his postcard collection.
Nitrate negatives of Victoria, B.C., 1909, were found in an envelope addressed to Ottley at the State Library from Victor
R. Plukas, Bank Historian, Security Pacific National Bank, Los Angeles, California, postmarked July 30, 1971.
The following items were originally housed together in the same envelope: Item 13. EXPLORER (paddle steamer; stern-wheeler);
Item 14. GOVERNOR DANA (paddle steamer; stern-wheeler) at the Marysville Landing, 1851; Item 33. unidentified vessel; and
Item 34. unidentified vessel
The following items were originally housed together in the same envelope: Item 10. BREMEN (built 1896; ocean liner) and Item
15. HERZOGIN SOPHIE CHARLOTTE (built 1894; square rigged ship).
There was no supporting documentation or notation as to why any of the photographs were included together in the same envelope;
therefore all the items were arranged both intellectually and physically according to vessel name.
Two postcards of BALCLUTHA (built 1886; ship, 3m) were left with the research materials in Series 1, rather than be moved
to Series 2: Postcards, as they seemed to be used as research materials for his story "Cracking for Chirikoff," rather than
as part of Ottley's postcard collection.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Provenance
Items 001-006, 008-017, 019-039 were received in accession SAFR-01148.
Item 007: AVALON (built 1920; passenger vessel: excursion vessel), and item 018: NENANA (built 1933; paddle steamer: stern-wheeler)
were received in accession SAFR-00940; these two photographs were the only photographs in the accession, and they appeared
to be part of Ottley's reference and research materials since they were not part of his postcard collection.
Nitrate negatives of Victoria, B.C., 1909, were found in an envelope addressed to Ottley at the State Library from Victor
R. Plukas, Bank Historian, Security Pacific National Bank, Los Angeles, California, postmarked July 30, 1971.