In the mid-twentieth century Seattle's aerospace giant, The Boeing Company, saw a market in fast ferries. The company began adapting many systems used in jet airplanes for passenger-carrying waterjet-propelled hydrofoils. Boeing Marine Systems (BMS) built their first hydrofoil at the Renton plant in 1960, and manufactured about 8 hydrofoils for the U. S. military, and 28 that were used in commercial ferry services around the world. The last BMS hydrofoil was launched in 1985, but another 15 were built under license by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. in Kobe, Japan, between 1994-1998.

In this image, photographer Josef Scaylea turns a 1978 test run for a Boeing hydrofoil into a artistic photo. Scaylea (1913-2004) worked for 35 years as chief photographer for the Seattle Times, winning over 1000 awards for his photographs highlighting the scenery and people in the Pacific Northwest. He donated a collection of his photographs and photography equipment to MOHAI in 1993.

Handwritten on image: Josef Scaylea.
Handwritten on verso: 11-78. Test Run, Boeing Hydrofoil in Elliott Bay, by Josef Scaylea.