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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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138 results for: Maritime

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Image of Slo-Mo-Shun IV hydroplane, built in 1929 and rebuilt in 1956

Slo-Mo-Shun IV hydroplane, built in 1929 and rebuilt in 1956

The Slo-Mo-Shun IV hydroplane (rebuilt with a model of the engine) brought unlimited hydroplane racing to Seattle with her Gold Cup win. The unlimited hydroplane is an example of aerodynamic design in boat building, and it is best remembered by the estimated 200,000 exhilarated spectators on Lake Washington's shoreline as it sped to a new world record in the 1951…
ID Number:1959.1701
Date:1929
Image of Ashtray made from the engine room bell of the USS OREGON, ca. 1893

Ashtray made from the engine room bell of the USS OREGON, ca. 1893

The USS OREGON battleship launched in 1893 for the United States Navy and served during the Spanish-American War (1898), the Philippine-American War (1899-1902), and WWI before she was decommissioned in 1919. In 1925, she was lent to the state of Oregon to serve as a floating monument and museum in Portland. Her stripped hulk was later used as an ammunition…
ID Number:1959.1816.3
Date:Circa 1893
Image of Diver's helmet and shoulder gear used by Henry Finch, 1890 - 1920

Diver's helmet and shoulder gear used by Henry Finch, 1890 - 1920

This copper and brass diver’s helmet relied on its weight (about 40 lbs) to keep the diver’s body submerged. The helmet was made by A.M. Morse & Sons of Boston, and used by Henry Finch, who dove in Elliot Bay and was known nationally in his time as the “King of Divers” because of his diving expertise and knowledge about…
ID Number:1959.1816.7
Date:1890-1920
Image of Program on silk ribbon for the arrival of the Miike Maru steamship in Puget Sound, 1896

Program on silk ribbon for the arrival of the Miike Maru steamship in Puget Sound, 1896

On August 31, 1896, the Miike Maru docked in Elliott Bay, beginning a regular run between Seattle and Japan. The steamship carried a cargo of silk and tea, and was owned by the Nippon Yusen Kaisha (Japanese Steamship Company).
ID Number:1960.1818.15
Date:1896
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
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Land Acknowledgement

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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