The current issue of the WoodenBoat Magazine, May/June 2011 (No. 220), has a very interesting article by Abner Kingman, "Viking and Her Descendants: Carrying forward a San Francisco rowing tradition". The article is about the 'pulling boat' Viking which is owned by the Dolphin Club in Aquatic Park on San Francisco's northern waterfront. She was build around 1900, and donated to the club in the 1930s. The article covers the story about Jeremy Fisher-Smith building some replicas of Viking in the late 1970s and the 1980s, and then in 2010.Fascinating article! Now, run out and buy your copy!
I have to share what for me is a delightful coincidence: My brother, who for years taught ocean rowing for the University, just discovered with great enthusiasm your 04/23/11 posting of three "cigarette cards" from 1924--one of which sports an illustration we've never seen of our very own step-grandfather, M.K. Morris of London, winner of the 1923 Diamond Sculls. My brothers and I only met him once in London 1974, but clearly remember his pride in the title, and the framed photo of him racing which hung on the wall of his studio apartment. He won it despite an arm that had been badly broken as a youth and set very crooked--it had a marked "dog-leg" apparent even in the photo.
ReplyDeleteThen scrolling down--just two days previous in your blog--your posted reference to this article about boats I've built for San Francisco's rowing clubs. How many degrees of separation is that?
Thank you for publishing that old image!
Dear Jeremy ~ I am delighted to hear that you and your brother enjoyed the post where your step-grandfather M.K. Morris is mentioned. I am going to take a look to see what Chris Dodd writes about Morris in his brilliant book on the London R.C. which was published in 2006.
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