First Annual Summer Americana Auction
The clipper-bowed, merchant brigantine Newsboy was one of the earliest designs of Dennison J. Lawlor of Chelsea (designer of the highly successful pilot schooners Dancing Feather, Hesper, and Phantom) for owners Dabney & Cunningham of Boston. Newsboy was built at the Joshua C. Adams and Elisha Brown shipyard in Owl’s Head, ME where she was launched in June 1854. She had a length of 111 feet, beam of 27 feet, depth of 12 feet, and tonnage of 290 tons. While described as a brigantine, the rig is more accurately described as a hermaphrodite brig because there were no square sails on the main mast. The Newsboy was engaged in the triangular trade: carrying lumber and manufactured goods from New England to the Mediterranean; transporting wine, oil, and fruits to the West Indies; and returning to New England with rum, molasses, and sugar. The Monthly Nautical Magazine said she had “a reputation for speed, by wringing reluctant laurels from her competitors who have chanced to fall in company with her at sea….she does her designers no discredit…her log will speak for itself”. Full-rigged and painted wooden display model, with scribed decking, metal fittings and chains. Model: 16” H x 22” L (scale: 1/8″ = 1 ft. or 1:96); within glass case on oak base with engraved, brass name placard, approximately 18” H x 25” L x 10” D.
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