Quadricentennial Flotilla Part III

After viewing the flotilla from a distance at Clermont (the main channel there is on the West side of the River, Clermont is on the East bank), I was excited to go to Catskill to see some of the boats up close. I was also excited because again, I got to be a part of the festivities, not just a witness-- the Catskill High School band performed before and after the arrival of the boats in the freight master's building, and alumni were invited to perform.

After leaving Clermont, I was filled with excitement as I crossed the Rip Van Winkle Bridge- I could already see a crowd gathered at the riverfront. I parked at the point, and walked with the masses of people over to the freight master's building. The concert was great-- it was so nice to see old friends, and exhilarating to play as part of such a large band. It was also challenging-- I have been playing again (not exactly regularly, but at least playing), but I hadn't seen any of the music in years (or, in some cases, I had never seen the music)! We played a good selection of movie tunes and popular favorites, so the crowd seemed to enjoy it.

After the first set, and some speeches by dignitaries (just like the 1909 celebration!), the boats arrived. Although the Onrust, the Clearwater, and the Governor Cleveland Tug had docked in Athens and Hudson, respectively, the Half Moon, the John J. Harvey Fireboat, the Launch 5, and the Riverkeeper all returned to Catskill.

Once again, the John J. Harvey was a crowd favorite, with its water show:

The Half Moon, seen up close as it docked, was also quite impressive:

The Launch 5 up close, with its lights on: and the Riverkeeper:

Being a great lover of tug boats, I was of course sad to miss the Governor Cleveland, but it was great to see all the others.

After the arrival of the boats, the band played a couple more numbers, and we were then treated to a performance by the cast of the "River of Dreams" musical. They are certainly a very talented group of kids! I was sad to have missed the performances of the musical, but this was the second time I had seen the students perform some of the musical numbers (they also performed at Clermont's Sheep and Wool Festival). The music, and its lyrics about the river, are the perfect accompaniment to the book "River of Dreams," by Hudson Talbott.

Finally, the band played a couple more numbers to close out the night. One of my favorites, a medley of big band tunes, which we had played when I was in high school, was given new life with performances by a number of students doing improv. solos. They too were incredibly talented, and really got the crowd excited!

All in all, it was an awesome day. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to be involved in two special, historic events. If only the cats could have paraded down Main Street to meet the ships...

Quadricentennial Flotilla Part II

A continuation of last week's account of the Quadricentennial Flotilla:

My first viewing of the Quadricentennial Flotilla was at Clermont State Historic Site, where I work as the curator of collections. As the "home of the steamboat," Clermont was a most appropriate place to view the flotilla. In 1807, Robert Fulton and Robert R. Livingston's "North River Steam-Boat" made a stop at Clermont during its maiden voyage up the Hudson. In 1909, New York City and various riverfront towns held the Hudson-Fulton Celebration, in honor of 300 years since Hudson's voyage, and the centennial of the steamboat. The 1909 celebration also featured a flotilla, which included replicas of the North River Steam-Boat and the Half Moon. On its way up the river, the flotilla paused at Clermont.

This year, a number of visitors came to Clermont to view the flotilla (many of whom were playing hookey from work or school!), picnic baskets in hand. The flotilla was scheduled to arrive at noon, so at 11:30, I presented a short lecture on the boats and the relationship of the 2009 Quadricentennial with the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration.

After the lecture, we waited for the boats... and waited... and waited... They left Kingston, where they docked overnight at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, about an hour late, and finally arrived at Clermont about two hours late-- good thing everyone had those picnics! We had been worried about the weather, but were lucky to have no rain, and even a little sun-- it was a beautiful day to sit outside and wait for the boats.

The coast guard boat that led the flotilla:


The John J. Harvey fireboat puts on a demonstration at the Saugerties Lighthouse:

The Half Moon on its way upriver:

The Half Moon again, and the Launch 5 just behind it:

Some of the crowd gathered to watch the boats:

Some of Clermont's tour guides and their families spot the Clearwater:

The Clearwater passing by:

The John J. Harvey Fireboat pulls up into "Livingston Chanel," so the crowd could get a closer look...

and it put on a demonstration in front of Clermont too...

the crowd waves, and oohs and ahhs in appreciation.

The Onrust, followed by the Governor Cleveland:

One last look at the boats, on their way to Catskill:

Quadricentennial Flotilla Part I

Since this year's cats are Hudson River themed, in honor of the Quadricentennial celebration, I feel that it is appropriate to post about Quadricentennial events too. This past Thursday, I was fortunate enough to get to view the Quadricentennial Flotilla at two different celebrations, at Clermont State Historic Site, and at the Historic Catskill Point.


In 2009, the flotilla featured a variety of interesting historic boats and replicas:

-The Half Moon- a replica of the boat in which Henry Hudson sailed up the Hudson. This version of the Half Moon is actually the second replica of the boat-- the first was built in the Netherlands as a gift to the United States for the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration.

-The Clearwater- a replica of a sloop, built to offer a unique environmental education experience for students up and down the river. The Clearwater is celebrating its 40th birthday this year, as well as the 90th birthday of its founder, Pete Seeger.

-The Onrust- a replica of the first European boat built in America. The boat, which was built at the Mabee Farm Site in Rotterdam Junction, NY, was just completed in May of 2009.

-The John J. Harvey Fireboat- retired by the FDNY in 1994, the boat was called back into active service on 9/11. In 2009, the boat was registered as a National Historic Landmark.

-The Launch 5 (a.k.a. the Patrollman Walburger)- retired by the NYPD, sold and abandoned at the bottom of a river, and then lovingly restored

-The Riverkeeper- the Riverkeeper organization was founded by a group of concerned fisherman, worried about pollution in the river, and its impact on fish-- this boat is used to patrol the river and report polluters

The idea of a river parade to celebrate important Hudson River anniversaries is not a new one-- as part of the festivities for the 1909 Hudson-Fulton celebration, a flotilla of replica boats and naval ships from around the world made the trip from New York City to Albany, stopping for celebrations in many of the river towns along the way. A replica of the Clermont (the North River Steam-Boat) and the first replica of the Half Moon both made the voyage-- sadly, both boats were lost due to neglect and vandalism in the early 20th century.

Check back soon for photos of the flotilla at Clermont and Catskill!

Ready to Take to the Streets!

On Monday, after finishing Bob very early in the morning (I finished up the last touch-ups with the paint late Sunday night, so I got up at 4am to varnish), I dropped him off at the Heart of Catskill Office.

Here he is with some cousins:
Here are some details of Bob, once he was finished...

The fabulous wheels custom made by Corey:

The steam stack, and a portrait of Robert R. Livingston:

The back half of the boat, and a historic lithograph of the North River Steam-Boat (from the collection of Clermont State Historic Site):

View of his front with the "Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commission" ribbon (one of the originals, from the 1909 celebration, is in the collection of Clermont State Historic Site):

Ready to head out to the streets of Catskill!

I can't wait to see all of the beautiful cats lining the streets of Catskill. In the mean time though, our living room is so empty without Bob!

Putting it all together!

First, my apologies for taking so long to post an update-- life has been a little crazy the last couple weeks!


On Sunday, after spending all day painting (and re-painting, as it turned out not all my ideas worked out quite as well on the cat as they did in my head), I went out to meet with Corey, so we could finally get everything put together.



Before we got to installing the wheels, Corey helped me put in the steam stack. I had already primed and painted the end of a dowel, but since I had been working out of our apartment living room, I hadn't been able to trim it down. Once we figured out the right length, Corey got a hole drilled into the top of the cat, and we glued it down.


As I mentioned in previous posts, Corey so kindly agreed to fabricate the wheels, since metal work is well out of my comfort zone. Little did he know what he was agreeing to! All of the pieces for the wheels were custom made, and it turns out, they gave him (or at least his equipment) a run for his money. Thirty or so saw blades later, and after many many hours of work, he came out with wheels that were perfect for the cat-- exactly what I was hoping for.

We installed the wheels on a threaded metal rod, which required enlarging the holes we had previously drilled. Corey had to drill holes through spacers and through the metal wheels.

All together! (and the wheels even spin!)

Done!!!

Inspiration

Making a cat look like a reasonably accurate version of Fulton and Livingston's first practical steamboat, the North River Steam-Boat of Clermont, is harder than it sounds. You see, despite all the technical drawings made by Fulton, and all of the illustrations of the boat made during the 19th and early 20th centuries, there is not an accurate image of the boat as it looked when it first sailed up the Hudson.

To complicate matters further, Fulton and Livingston made changes to the boat almost immediately after its first voyage. Even Fulton's patent drawing images are not of the first boat-- instead, they reflect the early changes made in the boat.

Our best knowledge of the actual appearance of the North River comes from a variety of sources, taken together: Fulton's drawings and sketches, Fulton and Livingston's letter's, written accounts, etc. All of those sources were used by Randy Decker to create a wonderful model of the North River for the exhibition "Bobs' Folly" in 2007. The model took over 750 hours of labor, and, at the time of its creation, was the most accurate known model of Livingston and Fulton's boat in 1808 (after the first voyage, when it had been enlarged). Here are some images:

View of the bow:

The paddle wheels:


The boiler:

I wish I could achieve that level of detail and accuracy on the cat! Alas, the material I'm using for the cat (and time and skill!) don't allow it. Randy used special scaled lumber, laid board by board, and hand-crafted many of the other elements. For the cat, I am looking for special small nails for the rivets-- any suggestions on where I can find some would be greatly appreciated!

After the exhibition's conclusion in 2007, the model has remained on exhibit in Clermont's visitor's center- go check it out! (Soon, it will also be joined by a working model of the steam engine.)

A bee in my bonnet... (and a Cat in my Living Room)

I've been so busy with painting the cat, that I've neglected to actually put up new photos. So, here goes:

First, some working photos... The bottom of the cat (the water), will feature quotes from the 19th and early 20th centuries about the steamboat. In these photos, I am painting on the quotes (a time consuming process!)

"The whole country talked of nothing but the sea-monster, belching forth fire and smoke." From Great Fortunes, and How They Were Made by James D. McCabe 1870

"An ungainly craft looking precisely like a backwoods' sawmill mounted on a scow and set on fire." From Robert Fulton and the Clermont by his Granddaughter Alice Crary Sutcliffe, 1909

"A curious looking thing that... would frighten some of the Old Dutchmen half out of their wits. They will conclude the enemy is coming in earnest with a machine to blow them all up!" Catherine (Mrs. Samuel Latham) Mitchill to Margaret Miller 17 August 1807

"Bob has had many a bee in his bonnet before now, but this steam folly will prove the worst yet!" Jonathan Swift Livingston about Chancellor Robert Livingston

And some progress shots...

He looks so much more lively with eyes:

I get by with a little help from my friends...

While I am not always good at delegating tasks, I have never been afraid to ask for help when needed. My work on this cat has been no exception! I've been feeling a little out of my element as I've worked on the painting of the cat (after all, my concentration in college was photography, and I didn't even take painting), but I know I'll make it through. The fabrication of the paddle wheels and the smoke stack, on the other hand, is entirely out of my realm of experience, and certainly more than I thought I could muddle through.

That's where the having good friends comes in. I began to panic-- how am I going to do this! Who do I know who works with metal?!? Who welds? Could I ask the maintenance guys at work? (probably, but maybe not the best choice) My friend, the auto body repair person? (again, would probably work) Finally though, I had the answer-- my friend Corey Fong, who's concentration was in metal work!

I met with Corey on Monday, and he graciously agreed to help me with the wheels, and gave me some ideas to get started on the smokestack (as usual, my idea of how to do it was way more difficult than necessary!). We sat and bounced around ideas about how the wheels should be constructed, so they will look good, will not be too easily tampered with, they will be safe, and will not be too terribly difficult to build. Both Corey and his dad had great ideas about how to make the different parts and get them all together.

After we settled on a design, we drilled the holes for the wheels. This was important because now I can fix my design (which was slightly mis-aligned-- although surprisingly close given my measurement methods!) and really get painting.

On the way home from Corey's, I stopped to pick up a wooden dowel, which I will be using for the smoke stack. This was Corey's idea too-- as I said, I was thinking way more difficult that I needed to. My plan had been to use a copper pipe, which would somehow need to be closed off at the top (so rain wouldn't pour down in the cat). With the dowel, not only do I not need to worry about welding, but I can actually include the rivet detailing on the stack, which I thought I was going to need to leave out.

All said, I'm feeling a lot better now about how things will all go together. Thanks Corey!

A special message for Ainsley and Megan...

Dear Ainsley and Megan,
Hello from the north! I hope you are enjoying the beginning of Spring down in the warm south!

I heard that Ashley was making another cat for Cat-N-Around Catskill, and I just had to make the trip down from Saratoga Lake for a visit to check it out (and to visit with Ashley, Geoff, Theodore, Tiger, and the fishes!).

Here's me with the cat (we call him Bob):


And here's a group shot:



Having an afternoon chat:

Checking out the city of Hudson-- not quite as nice as my view of the lake, but its a good place for people watching on a nice warm day like today!

Bob hopes you'll come to visit this summer when Ashley is finished decorating him, and he is out strutting his stuff on the streets of Catskill-- and of course I can't wait until you come to visit me at the lake!

Love,
Floppy
OXOXOX

Cat arrives, and adding some color

My Mom was kind enough to pick up my cat from the Heart of Catskill office, and I was able to get it from her house last Saturday. It seemed odd to bring the Catskill Cat across the river to Hudson, but since I will be doing a lot of painting for 10 minutes and then waiting for stuff to dry (as well as a lot of trying to squeeze work on the cat in after work at Clermont), it seemed best to have it near by.

Its times like these that I wish I had a studio- The cat and his accouterments take up a lot of space in our little tiny living room! It does mean that I can ignore him- I am a big time procrastinator, but having the cat in the living room makes it really hard to forget how much work I have to do.

I worked on my 2007 cat in my Cooperstown apartment-- luckily my roommates were very accommodating to the mess (and it didn't hurt that they are both big time cat lovers too!). They nicknamed that cat Felix, which was nicer that always referring to him as "that cat" or by his official name, "Historic House Cat." I think the 2009 cat should have a nickname too ("North River Steam Cat" is awfully cumbersome!), so from now on, I'll call him Bob, in honor of Robert R. Livingston and Robert Fulton.

After filling some holes in Bob with epoxy, it was finally time to add some color. I'm going to have to drill some holes for the metal components (the wheel and the steam pipe), so I'm not doing any intricate painting at this point. I did, however, need to get the sky and water down, so that I could sketch the boat, and get all the proportions right.

The sketching process went pretty well, considering it was one of the parts of the project I was quite worried about. I used Bobs' Folly (http://http//www.amazon.com/Bobs-Folly-Fulton-Livingston-Steamboat/dp/0615235182/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237151205&sr=8-1) for reference, especially the model of the North River that was created for the 2007 exhibition at Clermont. I had to use some artistic licence-- after all, I'm making a cat that looks like a steam boat-- but I am trying for as much historical accuracy as possible.

Not working in a studio requires some creativity in how you work-- here's how I did the sketching:

Welcome!



I'm about to embark on the process of creating the "North River Steam Cat," my design for Cat'n Around Catskill 2009. (http://http//www.cat-n-around.com/) This is the third time Catskill will host a bright round of decorated kitties, and this time, in honor of the 2009 Quadricentennial, the cats will be based on the Hudson River, Henry Hudson and his Halfmoon, and Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston's North River Steamboat. Since I work at Clermont "the home of the steamboat" (http://www.friendsofclermont.org/), I decided that it would be fitting to create a cat that looks like the first practical steamboat (which was NOT originally called "The Clermont" as some would say!).



I'm very excited and honored to be participating in Cat-n-Around Catskill again. I also created the "Historic House Cat" for the 2007 celebration:




I really enjoyed the process-- I learned a lot about Catskill's history (I love local history!). I wish though, that I had done a better job documenting the process... and thus a blog was born!