[PHOTOGRAPHICALLY ILLUSTRATED MANUSCRIPT ACCOUNT OF A VOYAGE FROM LIVERPOOL TO NEW ORELEANS ABOARD THE 'SS POLITICIAN'] A Descriptive Account of the Voyage of the S.S. "Politician" to New Orleans, La, U.S.A. Illustrated with 54 Photographs.

HUTCHINSON, James D.:

Edité par [Original manuscript]., 1903

Quarto (23 x 18cm). Lined notebook. Contemporary marbled boards with typed title label to the upper board. The contents comprising 135pp. with manuscript ink text largely to rectos only, incorporating 55 original sepia photographs, 13 colour postcards, a printed menu from the ship completed in manuscript, and three clippings, all with manuscript captions (the notebook completely full). The photographs all measuring approximately 5.5 x 4cm, excepting a larger portrait of the ship's crew at the rear (15.5 x 11cm). The author's name "James D. Hutchinson" and date "20/09/03" in ink to the front free endpaper. The spine lacking and replaced with black tape, although with the boards now again loose. The contents shaken and with cracking, although still remaining bound at the cords, with a removed label to the front pastedown, some abrasions to the front pastedown and front free endpaper, a little toning, and some fading to the sepia photographs, are otherwise in good order. A well-illustrated account of the voyage of James Hutchinson - an apprentice engineer onboard the English steamship SS 'Politician' - from Liverpool to New Orleans, Louisiana at the turn of the twentieth century. The account is divided into three parts; the first concerning the outbound voyage of the SS 'Politician' (a cargo steamer built by Swan and Hunter of Newcastle in 1898 and launched by Harrison of Liverpool that year) from Liverpool to New Orleans; the second detailing the author's time spent in New Orleans itself; and the third recounting the return voyage. The first and third sections provide detailed narratives of the working life of the ship's crew and the vessel's progress, including descriptions of "steaming along the coast of Florida", passing the Bahama Islands, and entering the Mississippi River: "the Pilot, a typical Southerner, stepped aboard, and greeted the Captain with "An' how aire yew, Cap?". It was a splendid moonlit night. We proceeded at half speed, the huge ship going easily round the bends of the river. The air was chilly, & full of moisture which made the clothes quite damp, while above all was the reek of the swamps. And then the mosquitoes commenced to make their presence felt, and came aboard in swarms. Here and there we would pass little villages some of the inhabitants of which, both black and white, would stop for a moment to see us pass by". The narrative also mentions other ships passed, the loading and unloading of goods including cotton, bricks, and oil cake, and the discovery of a stowaway. Throughout, Hutchinson places a particular focus on the characters and activities of the crew themselves, incorporating numerous photographs of those onboard, including a final group portrait of the officers, which includes Hutchinson himself. The second section begins with an account of a strike in New Orleans by the "cotton screwmen and longshoremen", noting that "200 non-union men, or "scabs" as they are called" had been brought in "from St. Louis. The negros resented this, and in a very active & vigourous manner". He continues, "For daily large mobs of strikers gathered on shore to watch the ships in mid-stream work their cargo, and loudly threatened to shoot or knife any imported labourer who should have chance to fall into their clutches. Things began to assume a serious aspect, and on Saturday, Oct. 10th, when a larger & rowdier mob than usual had gathered, the armed Police had to be held in readiness, in case there should be a riot". This is followed by a large fire which breaks out amongst 10,000 bales of cotton on the dockside, forcing ships out to sea, initially blamed on the strikers, but later transpiring to be caused by sparks from a passing locomotive, some further disturbances, and finally a successful mediation of the dispute by the city mayor. Hutchinson then goes on to detail his experiences of the city of New Orleans, describing the city's streets, buildings, "system of electric cars", and residents ("always on the l. N° de réf. du vendeur 1417

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : [PHOTOGRAPHICALLY ILLUSTRATED MANUSCRIPT ...
Éditeur : [Original manuscript].
Date d'édition : 1903
Reliure : Couverture rigide