Description

[Photo Album]: Two Photo Albums: New England Family, Boating, and the U.S.S. Shenandoah Author: PARSONS, E.H. and Phineas Title: [Photo Album]: Two Photo Albums: New England Family, Boating, and the U.S.S. Shenandoah Publication: Providence, Rhode Island: 1919-1926; 1926-1929 Description: Softcover. Two photo albums. Oblong quartos. Measuring 11" x 7". String-tied black textured leather over flexible paper boards with "Photographs" stamped in gilt on the front board. Contains 778 black and white or sepia toned gelatin silver photographs between the two albums, measuring between 2.5" x 3" and 5.5" x 8", some with captions. Both albums are very good with rips and tears on the boards; the later album's rear board is detached but present, with near fine photographs. Two photo albums kept by a member of the Parsons' family in New England between 1919 and 1929 mostly in Rhode Island and Connecticut. The albums contain a massive amount of photos, nearly 800, all capturing the upper middle class family, who made their money in the brass industry, through the decade of the 1920s. The family were avid boating enthusiasts and the album is full of photos of a variety of boats and small ships, as well as of people posing on and around them. Most of the vessels are named in the album including sailboats named *Swift Wind* and *Resolute*, as well as *Mischief* and the H.M.S. *Wraith*. These photos also show men in the rigging of the ships repairing and working on them as well as ships on land being built and painted. A variety of family members of all ages can be seen enjoying the excursions from grandma to the (obviously well-beloved) family dog. One group of photos shows the family on a trip to Quebec and includes the family boat, *Nada*, as well as photos of the various waterways. There is also a sketch of a sailboat laid-in, drawn on letterhead, which reads, "on board the Pontiac." Also documented throughout the album are a number of births in the family with photos of chubby newborns with their nurses, mothers, and fathers. Later in the album there are a number of photos of the USS *Shenandoah* which was the first of four U.S. Navy rigid airships. The 14 photos show the *Shenandoah* "tied up to the USS *Patoka*" docked in Newport in August of 1924. *Patoka* was the first ship used as an "airship tender" and in 1924 an "experimental mooring mast" was added to the oiler as well as a variety of accommodations for the crew of both the oiler and the airship. These photos show the *Shenandoah* moored in Newport shortly after the mast was erected. To test the mast and airship the *Shenandoah* flew from New Jersey to California and then continued on to Washington State, making it the first airship to fly across North America. A little over a year after it was constructed the airship was caught in a storm over Ohio and crashed. Also included in the album are obituaries for Phineas F. Parsons and Edmund Hayden (E.H.) Parsons, who appear to be the patriarchs of the family. Both men had ties with the brass industry. Phineas, the elder Parsons, who died at age 91 was a well-regarded member of the jewelry community with a career spanning over 60 years. E.H. died around the same time as his father after being "suddenly stricken" with an illness at 73. He spent 30 years in the brass trade before retiring to take over Locust Farms in Warwick. One photo shows the family on "Gramp's Birthday" on the farm in 1922. An interesting look at a New England family in the 1920s with an emphasis on the boating culture of a Rhode Island. Seller ID: 402520 Subject: Ephemera, Photography Between the Covers Between the Covers has been selling books for more than 30 years. Today we offer a wide ranging inventory, from Modern First Editions to General Used Books to Rare Archival Collections. We are active members of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) . Terms All orders ship within two business days. Standard mail is USPS Media Mail. Expedited and international shipping are also available. We offer combined shipping on multiple orders. All books are guaranteed to be as described or they may be returned within 30 days of receipt for a full refund. This listing was created by Bibliopolis.