Patterson-McDonald Shipbuilding Co. was founded during World War I by Adam Patterson and Alex M. McDonald. According to the Seattle Daily Times, the company went into bankruptcy in 1920 due to protracted legal battle with the Government of Australia over the cancellation of part of a contract to build nine steamships. The shipping company was also idle during the Seattle General Strike from January 21 through April 14, 1919.
This panoramic photograph shows the launching of the wooden steamship Bellata, one of the ships contracted by the Australian government, at the shipyard at 5971 E. Marginal Way. The Bellata is the third ship from the left of the frame, the other three are in various stages of completion and are unidentified in this image.
Handwritten on image: Launching of the Steamship "Bellata" by the Patterson-MacDonald Shipbuilding Co., Seattle, U. S. A., April 17th 1918. Photographer's number: 113
Caption information source: "Australia Ends Appeal," The Seattle Daily Times, October 6, 1924, p. 22; "One More Steel Ship Plant Here," The Seattle Daily Times, April 18, 1919, p. 17.
Physical Description: 1 photographic print : b&w ; 26.5 x 8 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
Credit: MOHAI, 1982.34.1, photo by Frank H. Nowell
