“The Spotless Fleet”
By Stephen J. Card
This new 224-page book, published by Carmania Press, contains 85 mostly full-page ocean liner paintings and 23 drawings by artist Stephen Card. Every painting is accompanied by substantial text that describes the scene, gives historical data about the ship, and often explains how the vessel fits into Holland America Line’s long history. The settings vary and frequently include recognizable backgrounds, other ships, ferries, excursion vessels and tugs. Holland America Line passengers will recognize some of these works as many were specifically commissioned to be exhibited aboard the current fleet.
The STATENDAM (IV) of 1957 passes beneath the then brand-new Verrazano-Narrows Bridge c.1964
with the Moran tug PETER A. MORAN in the foreground, the Holland America Line freighter AMSTERDYK
to the left and the inbound Italian liner SATURNIA in the far distance.
The VEENDAM (II) of 1923 is passing the Battery and the Whitehall Building en route up the North River to berth in Hoboken.
A McAllister tug accompanies her and the Staten Island-bound ferry TOMPKINSVILLE slips past the stern.
The STATENDAM (III) of 1929 is moving ever so slowly up the North River on a summer evening in 1939
with the Day Line steamer PETER STUYVESANT downbound and the Barclay Street Lackawanna ferry ELMIRA
heading to the Hoboken’s Lackawanna Terminal just south of where the STATENDAM will tie up.
The ROTTERDAM (V) of 1959 is being assisted by two Moran tugs to berth at her Hoboken pier
while the outbound WESTERDAM (I) of 1946 makes her way down river to begin a winter crossing to Rotterdam.
The setting will be familiar to those who have seen the film “On the Waterfront”, also the inspiration for the artist.
The RYNDAM (II) of 1951 is outbound in Upper New York Bay in 1953 passing the bound Italian liner CONTE BIANCAMANO
and a Meseck Line tug. Several of the other vessels seen are the Staten Island ferry KNICKERBOCKER
leaving the Whitehall Street terminal, the twin-stacked excursion steamer CITY OF KEANSBURG passing the Battery,
the United Fruit’s QUIRIGUA docked at Pier 3 and a McAllister tug assisting a barge.
We make this single exception to a New York setting to show the NIEUW AMSTERDAM (II) of 1938 leaving Wilhelminakade,
in Rotterdam bound for New York. Over her bow is the N.A.S.M. towered headquarters, today the Hotel New York,
and just ahead of and behind the ship is the V.N.S. freighter MUIDERKERK.
This painting graces the book’s dust jacket and forms the right-hand section of the centerspread
that also shows the berthed STATENDAM and MAASDAM.
For inquiries: North America: Purple Mountain Press -
http://www.catskill.net/purple/
Europe & the Rest of the World: Mainmast Book -
http://www.mainmastbooks.co.uk/
Book notice edited by Theodore W. Scull largely from the book’s text.