The NRG's Maritime Institution Survey

SAN DIEGO MARITIME MUSEUM

Survey submitted by Gary Emery, San Diego

Address: 1306 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101
Contact: Ray Ashley, director
Tel/fax: 619-234-9153 / 619-234-8345
E-mail: info@sdmaritime
Internet: http://www.sdmaritime.com

Hours: 0900-2000 daily, until 2100 in summer
Visitors: 100,000/yr

Mission Statement: To preserve and interpret to the public historic vessels, artifacts and documents representing Pacific maritime history.

Use of the Collection: Archives accessible, appointment advisable but not necessary. Inquiries can be made via E-mail: librarian@sdmaritime.com. Will respond to written inquiries within a few days.

Photcopies: $0.15/pg. Photographs, b&w, glossy: 8x10 $25. Delivery in approx. 1 week.

Collection Content:

  • General areas - west coast vessels: navy, fishing, pleasure craft, harbor craft, merchant ships - sail and steam. 16th century-present.
  • Library - 5000 volumes, 250 vessel technical drawings, 12000 vessel photos, 8,000 newspaper articles, magazine articles, correspondence and memorabelia. Special collections include:
    • MacMullen Collection - West coast maritime history
    • Brown Collection - West coast ferry and river boats
    • Kingsbury Collection - passenger liner memorabelia
  • Paintings - 12 displayed, 88 stored: vessels, harbors, seascapes, portraits.
  • Models - 141 displayed, 548 stored: full, half hull, dioramas, ships in bottles, recognition, waterline, sailing. Mostly full and recognition. Sailing models stored.
  • Full scale historic vessels -
    • BERKELEY (1898) - 279' steam double-ended passenger andcar ferry. Built by Old Union Iron Works, San Francisco. Ran between San Francisco and Oakland.
    • BUTCHER BOY (1902) - San Diego yacht
    • MEDEA (1904) - 140' steam yacht built by Stephen of Linthouse, Scotland, for William Macalister Hall. Saw service in French and British navies, last owned by Paul Whittier.
    • STAR OF INDIA (1863) - 278' full rigged merchant sailing bark. Built Isle of Man, originally ship rigged
    • EUTERPE Worldwide trader for English firms. Purchased 1901 by Alaska Packers Association, San Francisco, for Bering Sea salmon fishing, renamed.
    • __________ - various small craft.


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