The NRG's Maritime Institution Survey

SAN FRANCISCO MARITIME NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

Address: Foot of Polk Street (location: Maritime Museum)

Hyde Street Pier (location: Historic ships)
Bldg. E, Fort Mason (location: Library)
Fort Mason, Building E, San Francisco, CA 94123 (mailing)
Contact: Superintendent
Tel: 415-556-1659/ Fax 415-556-1624
Web Site: http://www.nps.gov/safr/

Hours: 1700-2000 Tue, 1300-1700 Wed-Fri, 1000-1700 Sat (library)

Open daily (ships and museum) Visitors: 323,800/yr (museum), 185,000/yr (ships)

Mission Statement: To collect, preserve and interpret Pacific coast maritime history in its own context, and its influence on world trade, in order to contribute to public appreciation and enjoyment.

Use of the Collection: Archives accessible with appointment. No electronic access. Will respond to written inquiries within 2-3 weeks.

Photcopies: no charge. Photos, b&w, matte or glossy: 5x7, 8x10 $16, 11x14 $23, 16x20 $35, 20x24 by quote, toning 25-50% extra. Slides, b&w, minimum order of 6: $6 ea. Drawings: 34x48 $6, oversized $8. 20% discount for members. Allow 4 weeks for delivery.

Collection Content:

  • General areas - West coast maritime, shipbuilding, Cape Horn passages, Whaling, steam technology. 1840-present.
  • Special collections include:
    • Barbara Johnson Whaling Collection - whaling books.
    • Hester Collection - commercial Puget Sound sailing photos (ca 1893-1905)
    • Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. - 14,000 shipyard images (ca 1889-1979)
    • W. Proctor Collection - San Fran. waterfront, Bay area shipping photos, (ca 1900-1937)
    • Alaska Packers Assn. Records - logbooks and records (1876-1945)
    • President Lines Records - logbooks from American President, Dollar and American Mail Lines (1925-1944)
    • Westbound Rate Agreement Records - minutes and cargo records (1927-1979)
    • David W. Dickie Collection - drawings of ferryboats, lumber schooners, freighters plus business records (1878-1966)
    • J. Porter Shaw Collection - general collection of Pacific coast artifacts, books, photos, etc.; core of library's collection (to 1959)
  • Library -.33,000 volumes (including backruns of 500 periodicals, vessel and yacht registers), 120,000 vessel technical drawings, 200,000 vessel photos, 150,000 ft motion picture film, 2,000 shelf feet textural records including logbooks. 450 oral histories. Newspapers and indexes thereto back to 1840 including San Francisco Chronicle, Call-Bulletin and Daily Shipping Guide.
  • Paintings - 17 displayed, 383 stored: vessels, seascapes
  • Models - 61 displayed, 366 stored: full, half hull, shadowbox, ships in bottles, WWII identification models.
  • Full scale historical vessels -
    • ALMA (1891) - 59' two masted scow schooner, built San Francisco, bulk cargo
    • BALCLUTHA (1886) - 256' steel full rigged ship, built Glasgow
    • C.A. THAYER (1895) - 219' wood three masted lumber schooner, cod fisher, last commercial sailing vessel to operate on West coast, built Fairhaven, CA
    • EPPLETON HALL (1914) - steel sidewheel Bay tug, twin single cylinder grasshopper steam engines, built South Shields, England
    • EUREKA (1890) - 300' wood hulled double ended steam sidewheel passenger and auto ferry, originally built in Tiburon, CA, as railroad ferry UKIAH, converted in 1922.
    • HERCULES (1907) - 135' steel steam ocean going tug, 1000 hp triple expansion engine, built Camden, NJ
    • JEREMIAH O'BRIEN - WWII Liberty ship
    • PAMPANITO - WWII fleet class submarine, Balao Class
    • WAPAMA (1915) - coastal steam schooner
    • ___________ - 90 small craft: skiffs to powered boats, includes collection of Italian double-ended fishing boats.


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