Description

175 Historic Photographs 1935-2005

By William H. Miller, Jr.

A vibrant profile of New York harbor, this illustrated chronicle traces the great port’s history from its heyday in the 1930s to the present. Great Ships in New York Harbor captures the bustling excitement of the busiest marine terminal in the world. This book is a voyage of nostalgia, a steamboat excursion down Memory Lane beginning in 1935 when there were one hundred active shipping piers jutting out from Manhattan. Four-hundred tugs serviced an endless armada of oceangoing ships that traded to the farthest corners of the earth as well as exciting events like the immortal, thoroughly magnificent Normandie’s gala maiden arrival. Great Ships ranges from the elegant sophistication of the ships in the uptown piers known as Luxury Liner Row to the commercial hubbub of the downtown docks and their freighters, tramp steamers, tugs and barges. There have been many excellent books written about maritime New York however very few have been able to capture the feel of its busiest era which is, sadly past. Its informative text, complemented by 175 vintage photographs conveys fascinating details in an informal conversational tone, making it as interesting to read as it is to browse. Much of what is described and illustrated so eloquently has disappeared. Superb black and white photos. Softcover. 9 X 12 inches. 112 pages.