An exhibition standard model of Hudson River paddle steamer Mary Powell

F. NAGEL (AMERICAN, 20TH CENTURY); CIRCA 2000

Details

An exhibition standard model of Hudson River paddle steamer Mary Powell
F. Nagel (American, 20th century); circa 2000
finished with a "weathered" look, in plank on frame construction, with a painted red bottom and white topsides, the decks planked in holly and trunneled, the paddle wheel boxes built up in wood, pierced and painted in green, white and tan with working paddle wheels, the deck houses, built up in three levels with glazed windows, planked and coffered paneling, fitted with brass deck railings, deck supports and bulkhead railings, a carved and polychromed figurehead at the bridge top, along with other details that include: hawse pipes, jack and flag staffs at bow and stern with flags and pennants, bollards and chocks, capstan, benches, ship's boats rigged on davits, stove pipe, walking beam showing through center deck cut-out, funnels, other hand pennants and flags, and many other details. Mounted on a wood framed stand within a brass framed case with mahogany base.
15¼ x 43 in. (38.7 x 109.2 cm.) cased.

Lot Essay

The Mary Powell was a side-wheel steamboat built in Jersey City, NJ in 1861. She was 294 feet long and had a beam of 35 feet. She was capable of carrying 250 passengers and a crew of 18. The Mary Powell was the inspiration of her first master, Captain Absalom L. Anderson, who named her for the widow of Thomas Powell, a prominent businessman. The graceful, elegant, and fast MARY POWELL ruled as "QUEEN OF THE HUDSON" between Roundout (above Poughkeepsie) and New York City, a run of a little more than five hours each way. The MARY POWELL'S consistently high reputation over her 53-year career is explained in part by the fact that either Captain Anderson or his son owned her for all but three years. The father retired in 1882 and A.E Anderson took the helm in 1886, a post he held until his death in 1914. MARY POWELL was sold to Poughkeepsie ship breakers with the stipulation that she "not be made the subject of any fire or destruction for the production of moving picture films or destroyed in any such manner as shall be deemed prejudicial to the public estimate of the safety of steam navigation." She changed hands twice more, but after six years in a mud bank near Kingston, she was scrapped in June 1920.

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