Americana Exceptional Auction
Lot 316:
Description
Detailed maritime financial log, 1883 to 1885. Notations by H.C. Pitman regarding the comings and goings of dozens of ships and their named captains. Many journal entries can be traced to specific journeys. Quick research highlights the dangers aboard ship. Many of these ships sunk within 5 years of the entries, some were burned, and numerous lives were lost. Various ships are the subject of famous paintings including the L. Shepp, memorialized in a painting sold by Christie’s. Some, such as the “Manuel Llaguno”, were appropriated for WWI, others were involved in financial scandals. The “Loretto Fish” and “Raphael” are named in an 1884 article in the San Francisco Daily Alta revealing an insurance scandal perpetrated by Port Warden or Special Agent J.F. Evans. The last ship entry regards the “Florence” captained by Frederic Chandler Duncan, son of Capt. Charles Duncan, who was famously lampooned by Mark Twain in his first book “The Innocents Abroad”. Duncan moved from ship captain to Shipping Commissioner and hired his three sons including Frederic as agents. This led to a nepotism scandal and the voyage noted in this journal marks Frederic’s return as a ship captain. Book is composed of cardboard covers, housed in a slip case, book measures approx. 7-1/4″ x 8-1/2″. This item can be shipped in-house. Multiple lot combined shipping may require 3rd Party shipping.
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