MARINE ART
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Sketch for "Angel with H orn, " ship uncertain (Courtesy Peabody Essex Museum)
"Scanning tlie Foaming Deep Before": Jolin W. Mason, Shipcarver by Adelbert Mason
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overeign of the Seas, Witch of the Wave, Witchcraft, Sea Serpent, Challenge, Flying Cloud, Herald of the Morning-t heir names evoke the drama that surrounded the clipper ships built in the middle decade of the 1800s. Speed, power, wealth, romance, beauty and glory we re their reputation, and they flourished when rapid delivery to the far corners of the world became paramount and the new steamers co uld not yet compete with finebowed, heavily sparred ships sailed by harddriving captains and expert crews. T he race to get tea and other commodities from China co ntributed to their development, and the discovety of gold in California and Australia pushed rhem to their limits before economic depression and more rational des ign factors brought about rhe end of rhe clipper ship era just before the Civi l War. Ar the peak of the vessels' popularity, holiday crowds feted the arrivals and the leave-takings of the American clipper ships
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SEA HISTORY 96, SPRING 2001