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INSCRIBED by the publisher, 'To Mr. A. Turner Wells With the fond hope he will enjoy the study and perusal of this reproduction of America's First Shipbuilding Textbook. Sincerely, Richard C. McKay. New York - November 20th 1940." Laid in is a personal one-page ALS on 'One Broadway New York stationary to Turner Wells (whose grandfather was George Washington Wells, whose namesake six-masted schooner, the "George W. Wells," was one of the largest wooden sailing ships ever built) which reads in part ". the photo of the Glory of the Seas is very rare and was only able to get it when I told McKay that your grandpappy built the George W. Wells, which he admitted was one of the finest ships ever built. He sailed on her as a kid." Donald McKay was Lauchlan McKay's brother; his shipyard played a significant role in the growth of East Boston as a maritime center. Richard C. McKay was Donald MacKay's grandson. Oblong quarto. 107pp; 7 folded leaves of plates: illustrations plus three-page biography of Lauchlan McKay at end. 1" x 1 1/2" 'Piece of the Ways from Donald McKay's Shipyard East Boston, 1845-1875" to front pastedown. 7" x 9 1/2" albumen print 'Launch of the "Glory of the Seas" - the Last of the Clippers - at McKay's Shipyard." pasted to ffep ("Glory of the Seas," launched in 1869, was the last medium clipper ship built by Donald McKay). Rubbing to spine ends; fading to spines; evidence of paper clips (no longer present) to front pastedown and ffep, else a near fine copy in publisher's blue cloth, upper board gilt-titled in somewhat soiled blue paper-covered slipcase. A remarkable maritime offering, this ensemble presents a rare albumen photograph of the 'Glory of the Seas' clipper ship launch in 1870, the photograph s provenance and rarity as noted in an accompanying ALS. The photograph is inserted in the scarce limited reprint The Practical Ship-Builder , Lauchlan McKay s first comprehensive American book on shipbuilding, co-authored with his brother, Donald, and INSCRIBED to Mr. A. Turner Wells, grandson of George Washington Wells (whose namesake six-masted schooner, the "George W. Wells," was one of the largest wooden sailing ships ever built). The photograph captures a bittersweet moment, Donald s final triumph amid financial decline, with the shipbuilder shown wearing a high hat and his daughter, Frances, the ship's sponsor. The Wells connection ties it to another era, as the George W. Wells marked wooden ships twilight, much like 'Glory of the Seas' did for clippers. Tragically, the George W. Wells was lost in the 1913 hurricane at Cape Hatteras. After 1885, Glory of the Seas spent the rest of her long life on the Pacific coast, for a time sailing between San Francisco and Puget Sound, British Columbia, and made four voyages to Alaska. In December 1922 she was beached near Seattle and on May 13, 1923, was burned to recover her iron and copper fastenings. Lauchlan McKay (1811 1895), born in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, was an important figure in 19th-century American shipbuilding and brother to the renowned clipper ship designer Donald McKay. As young men Lauchlan and Donald served together in New York as apprentices to Isaac Webb, one of the founders of shipbuilding in the United States. Lauchlan co-authored with Donald "The Practical Ship-Builder" (1839), a detailed guide that outlined innovative construction techniques for various vessels, reflecting the era s shift toward faster, more efficient ships. While Donald gained fame for clippers like Flying Cloud, Lauchlan s contributions were more technical, focusing on the practical mechanics of shipyard work. Donald eventually owned his own shipyard in Boston, launching a flotilla of the largest, fastest, and most beautiful clippers afloat. The launch of "Glory of the Seas", Donald's last ship, was a pivotal moment for his struggling business. First Edition Thus, Limited No. 150 of a Limited Edition of 250 copies.
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