Building the towboat AMERICA c.1853 / A Maritime Collectible

                   Towboat AMERICA, New York c.1852 - James Bard. Collection of the
                 Albany Institute of History and Art c.1982


The Hudson River has been the subject of great admiration for many decades, both for its reminenscent beauty and prolific history. From Native-Americans to European Industrialists, the river has accumulated a notable wealth not matched. Historical accounts, especially from foreign dignitaries have attested of the river's beauty and pictureques towns along the shoreline.

With this stretch of water from New York City to Troy, New York, there came an invention of the steamboat monopoly. It was first tested in the southern tier of the United States , but its first successful run was on the Hudson River with the famed CLERMONT -built by Robert Fulton in 1807. From that day onward the river soon became a busy waterway for all types of
commercial craft, large and small.

One type of vessel entering this water highway was the sidewheel towboat. These magnificent machines would prove worthy in the annals of American maritime. The AMERICA was a steamboat that was built strictly for towing. Most steamboats of her time were passenger steamers converted into tow steamers , but AMERICA was one of several built exclusively for this type of service. She was a massive sidewheeler and ranked as the third largest tow to appear on the Hudson River in 1852.

       Profile plan of Hudson River towboat AMERICA c.1852, as researched and drawn by
      maritime artist, historian and craftsman Rex Stewart c.1987

I admired James Bard painting of AMERICA that hung in the East Wing of the Albany Institute of History and Art during my tenure as an art student. It was this painting which inspired my research, twenty years later, to develop a rare set of one-of-a-kind plans on the famous towboat.

What made AMERICA so special to research and build was that she was commissioned, built and owned by an American man of color in an age when the country was moving toward Civil War and racial division. It was unheard of in those times for any man of this background to own a commercial steamboat monopoly such as the one owned and operated by Samuel B. Schuyler out of Albany, New York. Even today, some 120 years later, it's unheard of in America's maritime that a contemporary man of color is designing and building unique one-of-a-kind steamboats of America's past. Yet, it's these events that has motivated my ability to grasp and comprehend the American steamboat in minute detail as never before.

Mr. Schuyler who captained steamboats, before opening his business which he called the Schuyler Line, remained pliant to the needs of the communities which he served. He was well respected among his peers and celebrated by steamboatmen up and down the Hudson Valley, especially when his successful towing business ran in unison with the two other companies in the area which was the Austin Line and the Betts Line.

 
             Samuel B. Schuyler's steamboat stock share c.1873 - Schuyler Towing Line

AMERICA was built in 1852 at Brooklyn, New York. At 212' feet she was one of the largest tows to service the Albany-New York City route. Not only was she a large vessel, but she was heralded for her Herculean power and beautiful lines.

Building this rare scale replica was a test of both skill and ingenuity. No such plans were existant in the Hudson Valley -or in the entire State of New York. Sixty years prior, a prolific modelbuilder named Forrest Van Loon Ryder made the same claim when his models appeared during the late '50s - early '60s. And though his steamboats were limited in detail, he became the respected forerunner of his day. Since then, with painstaking research and countless hours, bringing together details that have been overlooked for decades, I have been fortunate to develop a body of works that has not been rivalled. I felt it was important to
research and build (from my own plans) the steamboat as it actually appeared for the period; the towboat AMERICA being one of them.

        Maritime artist and craftsman/historian Rex Stewart working on one of his signature
       steamboat models, the Hudson River sidewheel towboat AMERICA c.1853. Here, he
       carefully rigs the American flag to the rail.

AMERICA's fanciful paddleboxes and prolific hogframe system made her the steamboat to model. Furthermore, in my arsenal of steamboats, she made for a handsome nautical accent for those owning or had desired to own river-related memorabilia.

Many hours went into designing her rare and distinctive plans, based on the James Bard painting of 1852 and a later photo which showed her 1875 appearance from an old glass negative of my late friend, Herman Boyle. Those references proved invaluable and priceless to my research -as well as her dimensional data from the publication Marine Engineering.

         Towboat AMERICA's walking beam marine engine. Made entirely of wood, approxi-
         mately 154 pieces make up this detailed miniature. These models are museum
         collector pieces and are well respected in the maritime steamboat community.

It took approximately a week to research, scale and finish the plans; and one month to complete the 1/8" = 1' build. This type model is the first ever to come on the circuit as a Hudson River steamboat collectible and has been a favorite among this genre of enthusiasts.
The supporting photos shows the beauty and size of this once famous 'work horse'. Her accurate appearance of 1853.  Her career ended in 1902 when she was broken up at Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

                        Port View -River Towsteamer AMERICA  c.1853, Rex Stewart

                                 Port Overview Detail -AMERICA c.1853 , Wood Model

                              Starboard View of Hudson River Towboat AMERICA c.1853

Commissioned work can be honored for any and all Hudson River steamboats. These are fine one of a kind models that accurately define the vessel as it appeared at any given time of its career. For information contact me at: Caseships@yahoo.com or call 1-774-757-7137 for details.

To view my work and credentials, please visit https://youtube.com/c/RexStewartoriginals and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexstewart

Thank you for viewing!

MARY POWELL c.1861 - a rare model / Part 1/ Rex Stewart

            MARY POWELL, in her 1880-81 overhaul appearance, is shown steaming north-
           bound to her Rondout homeport. The New York skyline is behind her.

The WAR of 1812 and the Civil War were American battles that were uniquely connected by the family of Mary Ludlow Powell. And with this connection were two famous vessels, the first (War of 1812) began with Ms. Ludlow's history when her eldest brother, Robert Ludlow, was assigned to the American frigate CONSTITUTION which fought and defeated the British frigate JAVA that December. Her other brother, Augustus Ludlow, was on the CHESAPEAKE serving as First Lieutenant when the ship engaged H.M.S. SHANNON off Boston on June 1, 1813.

             The author's CONSTITUTION GUNDECK showing the gunner's braced to fire
            with the first lieutenant giving the order. Robert Ludlow could be one of those men
            at the cannon.

After the war, Mary married a prominent businessman named Thomas Powell who established a steamboat line in 1835. The business lasted ten years and was transferred to the Anderson and Romer Families due to fierce steamboat competition in the Hudson Valley.

Steamboats were now being acquired by different firms and there was need for fast and swift boats. In 1860 a celebrated New York-Albany dayboat entered the river and gained prominence after she raced and beat ARMENIA. That steamboat was the DANIEL DREW.

Captain Anderson, viweing this powerful steamer as she passed his Kingston dock, knew it was time to upgrade and build a new boat that would eventually be the talk of the entire valley. That vessel would be the inevitable MARY POWELL dubbed "Queen of the Hudson".

She became the heart of American folklore as she plied the Hudson, and was heralded both in the Northeast and across the Atlantic. For 55 years she commuted on the river and touched at every port-of-call. She was beautiful as she was fast, surpassing many records of her contemporaries with no loss of life. She ran her last trip in 1920.

            Work-in-progress of MARY POWELL showing her rare original configuration
            of 1861. No current models exist of her in this state. Author, Rex Stewart

The MARY POWELL model is highly sought after in the collectible market today. In my experience as historian/modelmaker, I discovered this subject matter exhibited in many places of renown both in the state of New York and abroad. I first discovered the steamboat model while attending art classes at the Albany Institute of History and Art as a youth. I was awed and fascinated with the overall detail the MARY POWELL carried. At every opportunity I went to the Museum to study its configurations and faithfully sketched the details; only to file them away for future reference.

Some twenty five years later I received a commission from a local corporation to build MARY POWELL for the President's Room at Albany International. That build granted me access to the entire Hudson River Valley via media.

              
                 Author's model of MARY POWELL in the President's Room of Albany
                 International c.1980.

It wasn't long thereafter that prominent businessmen and women in both the area and region recognized I was the premiere builder of the Northeast steamboat; inpartricular, the Hudson River types. These affluent individuals were now converted collectors.

Bankers, lawyers, curators, corporate ceos. Physicians, publishers, antique dealers and families of the steamboat lineage collected them. There were others -too many to mention. But it was the media that magnified this genre to new and interesting circles, placing it in a class of its own from that time to 'today'.

           Albany artist Rex Stewart appearing on the popular television show "City-Closeup"
          discussing, in part, his prominence as the Hudson valley's premiere modelmaker of
          steamboats.

Today, there exist MARY POWELL models which are both antique and contemporary. Few are accurate -but overall, nice presentations of the "Queen". Several are at museums in New York State and one is at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. At the time of this writing I learned that a model of POWELL's vertical beam engine is at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut, a place where I exhibited for two decades.

For years I have studied and built this prolific model for clients, but only as she appeared in 1887. However, in my research, I found no models existing of her as she originally appeared. Finally, a collector in the Lower Hudson Valley contacted me and negotiated her 1861 build.

          Profile plan of the original MARY POWELL c.1861 by maritime artist  Rex Stewart

            MARY POWELL displayed at the collector's estate in Newburgh, New York


Commissioned work can be honored for any and all Hudson River steamboats. These are fine, one of a kind models that accurately define the vessel as it appeared at any given time of its career. For more information contact me at: Caseships@yahoo.com or call 1-774-757-7137 for details.

To view my work and credentials, please visit https://youtube.com/c/RexStewartoriginals and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexstewart.

Thank you for viewing!                                                                                                                                    

Hudson Day Line Model PETER STUYVESANT c.1944

           Hudson River Day Line steamboat PETER STUYVESANT heading downriver from
          Kingston, New York c.1933.


When the WASHINGTON IRVING sanked at New York Harbor June 1, 1926, no plans were made by the Hudson River Day Line to replace her. This decision came as a result of financial constraints to build a vessel of similiar size to the IRVING. However, upon vote, it was able to proceed with a smaller steamboat to serve routes in that portion of the Lower Hudson between New York and Pougkeepsie. Also, the company's vision was to expand its charter business.

PETER STUYVESANT was launched February 2, 1927, from the yard of Pusey and Jones at Wilmington, Delaware. Katharine Olcott, daughter of Day Line owner, Eben E. Olcott , sponsored and christened the vessel -giving her its name. Destined to be the last steamboat ever built for the Hudson River, she made her first round trip from New York to Newburgh on a Saturday afternoon, May 28, 1927.

                   PETER STUYVESANT berthed at her New York Day Line Pier c.1951


The PETER STUYVESANT was designed by J.W. Millard and Brother. Combining normal maritime requirements, with added ammenities, she was attractive to organizations wanting charters for various outings. On the second deck was a bandstand, positioned behind the smokestack wall and the cabin, from there, extended further aft to establish a dance floor. Also, tables could be placed in this room to provide extra dining space away from the regular dining area so that sizable groups could be served.

On the third deck, the carpeted saloon was slightly raised so that passengers could view the scenic river without the obstruction from those on the outside. Also arranged on either side of the saloon were eight parlors.

         Port profile work-in-progress view of the 1:160 scale model of PETER STUYVESANT.
        The Saloon Deck is being worked on.

Steel-hulled, she was propellor driven with a single screw. Her measurements were 269 ft. with a 60 ft. beam and a draft of 13 ft.5 inches. She was supplied with steam by four Babcock and Wilcox oil-fired, water-tube boilers.

In September 1932, as a result of the Depression, the Day Line made operational changes to employ PETER STUYVESANT, parttime on the New York-Albany run. Between the seasons of 1948 and '49, the Line was acquired by new owners who maintained regular service up the river as far as Poughkeepsie. In 1955, due to financial constraints, only two steamboats operated on the Hudson: ALEXANDER HAMILTON and PETER STUYVESANT.

Following the season of 1962, ownership changed and the vessels were purchased by New York's Circle Line. In 1963 PETER STUYVESANT was no longer placed in commission and was later acquired by Anthony Athanas, proprieter of a Boston waterfront restaurant, Anthony's Pier 4.

"The Delaware Steamboater" was a piblication that surfaced during the 1980s to bring both awareness and support to the steamboat community relative to vessels that needed preservation.

It was also instrumental in fundraising during a time when many citizens on the East Coast heralded these prolific vessels. Unfortunately, as the decade of the '90s arrived, interest in preserving the steamboat declined and many vessels were lost to the scrap-yards.









In 1968, after necessary conversion, the steamboat was placed in a underwater cradle constructed to provide maximum protection. She served as an annex to accommodate large groups and regular patrons whom were waiting for tables. Her final days ended when a great winter storm clipped the Northeast on February 7, 1978. There, at Boston Harbor, she sanked.

             Author's scale model of PETER STUYVESANT showing her private parlors on
            the promenade deck.


The model that I researched and constructed show the prolific steamboat as she appeared in 1944 during the war years. Travel on the Hudson River was popular and it gave many citizens the opportunity to enjoy their outings and view the scenic river during that troubled period.

                      Stern Port Profile of PETER STUYVESANT, Wood Model -Scratchbuilt

The model is produced in bass and pine woods. Scratchbuilt, it has an overall length of 20 inches.

For more information about commissioning a fine quality Hudson River or Northeast steamboat model email: Caseships@yahoo.com or call 1-774-757-7137. You may also visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexstewart

Steamboats For The Business Executive

                               

     

Over the years I have had the opportunity to introduce my models to business executives (nationally and globally). But in the stead of steamboats, these have been acquired by those in New York, New England and in the south and northeast regions of the United States. 

Today, my models are displayed in companies, corporations, and homes that showcase the breathtaking views of our rivers and waterways here in the Northeast...and abroad. In essence, my namesake is no stranger to the exquisite steamboat models I produce. All which are based on extensive research and painstaking drafting of plans.

                           

This image depict the famed Fall River Line nightboat COMMONWEALTH  shown as she appeared in 1925. At the miniature scale of 1:182, this wood model features indiscriminate detail not found in contemporary models of its class.

New England's Fall River Line was known for its beautiful nightboats which carried luxurious interiors of the day. These large sidewheelers boasted the same elegance as the global steamships that visited international ports of call.

This Hudson River home features two of my models that grace the bookcases of its interior dining room. These steamboats are the ALBANY and MARY POWELL. Both were researched and modeled in their exact appearance of the period -constructed entirely of wood.

What better way to celebrate our maritime heritage than with a ship model of those steamboats that once traveled our industrialized waterways... It's not enough to have a Bard, Jacobsen (or any contemporary painting) gracing the wall without having it accented with a beautiful model of the actual vessel -similar to above supporting photo.

In the images below, I show two ship models of contemporary steamboats of the early 20th century that operated for the notable Hudson River Day Line. These are partial views that focus on the intricate details handcrafted in wood. My scales vary, depending on the client's preference (and need of space)...and no detail is lost -regardless of size.

 This partial portside view show the graceful lines of the HENDRICK HUDSON when first built in 1906. She was the pride of Newburgh, New York -being built at its T.S. Marvel Shipyard for the Hudson River Day Line.

This starboard profile depict the ALEXANDER HAMILTON as she appeared on the Hudson River in 1959. She was the last of the famous Hudson River Day Line steamers to operate on the river between Albany, New York and New York City, ceasing steamboat travel in 1971 with her final excursion to Bear Mountain.

As my credentials grew, I realized executives (along with their wives), were the first to embrace this form of collecting. It was a unique genre being established in the State of New York and New England by businessmen; and to some extent, clergy. Later, galleries, antique dealers, private collectors and others would embrace these momentos of American maritime...even today.

One of my early models of the island steamboat NANTUCKET shown as she appeared in 1895. This was the first of its kind to embrace Nantucket and all of New England during the early 1980s. Business executives were the first to purchase them -followed by collectors and owners of estates in and around the Cape Cod region...Later, due to pirating, I had to change my version to create a new line to show her appearance of 1887 seen in the image below.

 

Stmr. NANTUCKET c.1887 - Detail Wood Model, Scale 1/8" = 1'.

I decided to remain with this version of NANTUCKET c.1887 because of its fresh appearance, knowing that it wouldn't be pirated as the former. Also, my relationship with executives continued to be 'front and center' ...giving a green light to my most recent NANTUCKET ( 1887 version). Not only were replicated models built, but one businessman requested it be placed in a diorama setting shown in the supporting two photographs. 

Stmr. NANTUCKET shown approaching marker bouy as she departs her namesake island enroute to the Mainland.

 

Another view showing a fishing sloop passing portside at NANTUCKET's stern enroute to the island. At the harpooner's station can be seen a young crewman waving to a mother and her daughter on the main deck of the steamboat...Not shown, but featured, are seagulls in flight formation which began to be one of the highlights (and signature) of these current pieces.

Three New England steamboat dioramas were ordered by this executive for his home on Martha's Vineyard. The subjects (all at the same scale) were NANTUCKET, NOBSKA, and NAUSHON.

Below are images of the other two dioramas in his Collection.

Here, a cabin cruiser with sunbathers race the New England steamship NOBSKA off the coastal waters of Massachusetts on a summer afternoon in 1967.  My signature seagulls can be seen in flight at the port bow and starboard stern of the vessel.

Below, a similar scene with the NAUSHON being greeted by Vineyard residents in passing. 

When living in New England those seven years, I took the relocation as an opportunity to explore my creative abilities -channeling whatever I grasped into a worthy portfolio of cultural wealth. There were no limitations (or boundaries). It was a place of peace where I spent the majority of my evenings engaging in dialogues with other artists, gallery owners, business execs and their affiliations, etc., etc.

And, after escorting our daughter to and fro from school, the subtle peace of designing and drafting one of a kind shipmodel plans; along with scratchbuilding the models themselves made my residency all the more worth remaining. I went all out with designing plans of notable steamboats that operated in that region from Connecticut to Maine; and like New York, my credentials traveled.

One of the steamboats that I drafted plans for was the beautiful and elegant PRISCILLA of the Fall River Line. There were two in New England that I witnessed being (fairly large), but I wanted to scale my version down to miniature level so that it could be enjoyed in a corporate office with all the pther trophies of the day; and yet, be large enough to retain all the minute details of  her superstructure and furniture. 

Bow starboard profile below show my PRISCILLA model as she appeared when first built in 1894. The scale of this build is 1:182, giving the model a length of 29 inches.

A few of my profile plans to illustrate the painstaking detail  I discovered (and rendered) while pouring over rare literature and photos associated with these vessels. The plans for these models are exclusive which make the models equally so.

 

Profile plan I drafted on the Hudson River towboat AMERICA as she appeared in 1852.

Profile plan I drafted on the Hudson River steamboat ALBANY as she first appeared in 1892.

I can't express enough how rare these models are. I am indebted to those executives who willingly funded me during the birth of these works. There are no words to express the gratitude. However, I still produce them - and continue to search for those who enjoy them for the sake of their historical prominence, as well as their artistic beauty. In duplication, no two models are alike...and no two colorschemes match. Even the flags have a distinction about them that some attempted to copy.

All in all, these blogs have been collected over the years to pay homage to my ability to research and capture a bygone era that is left to only a remnant of people who can testify of their association with some of the latter boats. But as a whole, steamboating was one of the machines that shaped and cultivated American society...and it was a cultural enterprise that didn't discriminate. I'm living proof through my research and by my works.

Some of you executives/collectors are looking for a specific vessel to add to your collection -or maybe an upstart to a collection. Don't compromise and settle for mediocre when one of the best exist among you.

Feel free to express your concerns (and what you expect). I am a seasoned expert and professional that know the American steamboat as an artist, craftsman and historian. Quality and detail is my forte...and I trust that it's yours as well.

With bank vice present Ron Knoll viewing the steamboat model for his boardroom at Norstar Bank in Albany, New York c.1988.

For further information about my work (and your requests) please send your inquiries to Caseships@yahoo.com or call 774-757-7137 for details. My credentials can be viewed at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexstewart and https://youtube.com/c/RexStewartoriginals. 

Thank you for viewing.

Hudson River Day Line Models

                       
                          Steamboat ROBERT FULTON approaching New York City c.1950

The Hudson River Day Line was one of the most recognized steamboat lines in New York's industrialized maritime. This historic organization was established in 1856 by Van Santvoord when he purchased the steamer ALIDA -followed by sidewheelers ARMENIA and DANIEL DREW to control the dayboat monoply between Albany and New York City.

                            ROBERT FULTON c.1950  -Detail, Port View...wood model

By the end of 1863, operating as passenger-only vessels, these boats established what was known as the Hudson River Day Line. This service continued until 1948.

The models that I've built and, continue to build, celebrate this Line known during it's heydey as "The Great White Fleet". These are one-of-a-kind collectibles that are rarely seen in today's maritime venues or the Hudson Valley where they once travelled.


Plans are obsolete for these steamboats; yet, I have been able to research and produce these models with the assistance of those former personages who were once affiliated with these vessels -either as owners, authors or collectors.




   DayLiner HENDRICK HUDSON  c.1943


I have used various scales of modelbuilding in pursuit of bringing an era of maritime history to our present day  viewers/ collectors.

These quality pieces have garnished museum collections, boardrooms, homes and vacational resorts throughout the Northeast.

The Day Line era has only been one generation away from ceasing when the last American steamboat ALEXANDER

HAMILTON made her last trip up the Hudson River from New York City to Bear Mountain in 1971 -ending the era of that great line.

                      Day Line Steamboat WASHINGTON IRVING c.1913,  Wood Model

                                 Day Line Steamboat ALEXANDER HAMILTON c.1959
                                      Scale 3/32" = 1' , Wood Model -Scratchbuilt

These models, which have become sentimental to those who knew the vessels, are still produced today in greater detail and scope. They are a legacy to America's past and gives tribute to our great Industrial Age.

As a builder and artist, I've been fortunate to have had the experience to study, research and produce these models, firsthand. To know that the Hudson River was once graced with these beautiful steamboats of times past.

For more information about commissioning a fine quality Hudson River or Northeast steamboat model email: Caseships@yahoo.com or call 1-774-757-7137. You may also visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexstewart