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Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

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133 results for: Maritime

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Image of Brass knuckles, ca. 1900

Brass knuckles, ca. 1900

Oscar Fredericks, the master of the four-masted schooner Winslow, owned these brass knuckles which were a lethal weapon for fistfighting.
ID Number:1960.1858.3
Date:Circa 1900
Image of Reversible bench used on a sailing ship, 1860-1890

Reversible bench used on a sailing ship, 1860-1890

Although it is unknown which ship this bench belonged to, the furniture piece has a noteworthy and unusual component. The bench has a swinging and alternating back which pivots on the two end seat rails. The back reversed when the ship changed tack and heeled the opposite way. Ben Wilcox, a member of the US Revenue Cutter Service since 1911…
ID Number:1960.2005.1
Date:1860-1890
Image of Bedstead brought to Seattle by Captain Renton ca. 1850s

Bedstead brought to Seattle by Captain Renton ca. 1850s

Captain William Renton and his family sailed from the East Coast, around Cape Horn, and up to San Francisco in 1850. The family then moved to the Puget Sound where he owned a sawmill until 1863, when he relocated to Blakely harbor on Bainbridge Island and established the Port Blakely Mill Company. He was a major investor in the coal…
ID Number:1960.2014.4
Date:Circa 1850
Image of Spike from Imperial Russian Navy sidewheel gunboat, the POLITKOFSKY, ca. 1850s

Spike from Imperial Russian Navy sidewheel gunboat, the POLITKOFSKY, ca. 1850s

Built by the Russians in Sitka, the POLITKOFSKY came under United States ownership in 1867 when Russian Alaska was sold to the US. The gunboat was then sold into civilian service as a tugboat, Polly, working the northwest coast of North America until 1896. It was then converted to a schooner barge and carried eager gold seekers to Alaska during…
ID Number:1961.2194.1
Date:Circa 1850
Image of Pitcher made for the Pacific Steamship Co., with Admiral Line emblem, 1924

Pitcher made for the Pacific Steamship Co., with Admiral Line emblem, 1924

The Admiral Line (also American Mail Line, and later Admiral Oriental Line) was a steamship company based in Seattle which operated five ocean liners sailing from Seattle to Japan and China. In 1916 it purchased the vessels of The Pacific Coast Steamship Company, another local company which had begun in 1867 under the name of Goodall, Nelson and Perkins. The…
ID Number:1961.2313.1
Date:1924
Image of Cup made for the Pacific Steamship Co., with Admiral Line emblem, ca. 1920

Cup made for the Pacific Steamship Co., with Admiral Line emblem, ca. 1920

The Admiral Line (also American Mail Line, and later Admiral Oriental Line) was a steamship company based in Seattle which operated five ocean liners sailing from Seattle to Japan and China. In 1916 it purchased the vessels of The Pacific Coast Steamship Company, another local company which had begun in 1867 under the name of Goodall, Nelson and Perkins. The…
ID Number:1961.2313.3
Date:Circa 1920
Image of Spike from Imperial Russian Navy sidewheel gunboat, the POLITKOFSKY, ca. 1850s

Spike from Imperial Russian Navy sidewheel gunboat, the POLITKOFSKY, ca. 1850s

Built by the Russians in Sitka, the POLITKOFSKY came under United States ownership in 1867 when Russian Alaska was sold to the US. The gunboat was then sold into civilian service as a tugboat, Polly, working the northwest coast of North America until 1896. It was then converted to a schooner barge and carried eager gold seekers to Alaska during…
ID Number:1961.2403.4
Date:Circa 1850-1860
Image of Drawing of USS Decatur,

Drawing of USS Decatur, "Seattle-1855," by Hewitt Jackson, ca. 1961

Hewitt Jackson (1914-2007) was a seaman, marine draftsman, and artist. He is best known for his maritime drawings of ships that sailed the Puget Sound and Pacific Northwest. The MOHAI collection contains seven of Hewitt's works. This particular drawing features the USS Decatur which was an armed vessel anchored in Elliott Bay during the "Battle of Seattle" that took place…
ID Number:1961.2441.1
Date:1961
Image of Life preserver ring from sailing vessel Fantome, ca. 1930s-1950s

Life preserver ring from sailing vessel Fantome, ca. 1930s-1950s

The schooner Fantome was built in 1927 and was moored in Portage Bay from the late 1930s until the 1950s. She changed ownership many times, belonging to the Guiness family during most of her time in Seattle.
ID Number:1961.2489.6
Date:Circa 1930-1950
Image of Ship's bell from the SS Victoria, formerly the passenger liner Parthia, 1870

Ship's bell from the SS Victoria, formerly the passenger liner Parthia, 1870

The Parthia was built at Dunbarton-on-the-Clyde, Scotland, in 1870, and was a London-New York passenger liner for her first ten years. She continued as a passenger service in various parts of the world until 1892, when she was renamed the "Victoria." At that time, she served passage to and from Asia and Tacoma, Washington. In 1904, the ship was sold…
ID Number:1962.2514
Date:1870
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MOHAI stands on the historic and contemporary lands and shores of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, and other Coast Salish Nations. We acknowledge the forced displacement of Native Communities from this land while honoring the endurance of the Duwamish people who still live here.
Address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Phone: 206 324 1126
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