Robert B. Ross Collection of Maritime
Photographs and Other Material
Dates:
circa 1895-1961 ( inclusive )
1910-1942 ( bulk )
Quantity:
2 boxes (.84 cubic feet)
Location of Collection:
2b.4.2 (photographs and albums) 13.4.3 (papers) 1a.4.8 (oversize folder)
Collection Number:
1984.81
Summary:
The collection consists largely of
photographs of sailing ships, tugboats and steamships related to Ross's career
as Chief Engineer on various vessels.
Repository:
Museum of History &
Industry Sophie Frye Bass
Library
Robert B. Ross was born in Adelaide, Australia in 1867. In 1870 Ross's
family sailed on the Benjamin Amer to San
Francisco, and later that year to Port Madison on Bainbridge Island, Washington
aboard the barkentine William H. Gawley. Ross
began his maritime career in his teens, steamboating on Puget Sound in the
summer 1883 and working as a machinist in various Puget Sound ports in 1884.
In 1891, Ross began working for the Puget Sound Tug Boat Company,
serving as assistant or chief engineer on nearly all 14 deep-sea tugs
comprising the company fleet. In 1898, Ross conveyed the fleet of 12 Moran
Brothers river steamboats from Seattle to St. Michael, Alaska during the
Klondike gold rush. In 1903, he was chief engineer of the tugboat
Tyee when it towed the disabled freight steamship
Meteor from Dutch Harbor, Alaska to Seattle.
In 1917, Ross left the towing fleets and worked installing machinery
for the U.S. Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation, working on ships
including the motorship Alabama and the steamships
Mahaska, Nasika,
Yakima, Bosworth,
Delight and Gaffeny.
Around 1920, he worked aboard the steamship West
Jessup as chief engineer, and later serving on the steamship
Higho, on which he sailed from Seattle to Taku
Bar, China, during a stormy voyage in which the ship sustained some damage.
During his stay, Ross visited the Great Wall and various ports in China and
Japan. While working aboard the Higho, Ross also
visited ports along the east coast of South America and along the
Mediterranean, in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Northern Africa.
Other ships on which Ross served as chief engineer include the tug
Sea Monarch, the tug A.O.
Hermanson, the steamships Norwood and
Mahukona, as well as ferries of the Puget Sound
Navigation Company.
In 1930, Ross went to New York, where he became chief engineer of the
steamship Eastern Coast, renamed the
Diamond Cement. The vessel came west and operated
out of Seattle until 1933, when it returned to the Atlantic coast. Ross left
the ship in Boston and returned to Seattle, but came on again as chief engineer
when the Diamond Cement, of the Pacific Coast Coal
Company, returned to Seattle in 1935. He served continuously in this position
until his retirement in 1942.
Robert Ross died in Port Madison in December 1952.
Content Description
The collection is comprised largely of photographs, with 239 loose
photographs and 6 photograph albums. Most of the photographs depict ships and
include sailing ships, tugboats and steamships. The photographs appear to
relate to Ross's employment, with photographs of sailing ships apparently taken
from tugboats, though it is unknown whether they were taken by Ross, or during
the time he was serving on the tugboat. Photographs of tugboats depict ships
Ross is known to have served on, such as the Tacoma and other tugs of the Puget Sound Tug Boat
Company. The collection also depicts steamships on which Ross served as Chief
Engineer, notably the Higho and the
Diamond Cement, which operated for a time as an
ore carrier that shuttled between Seattle and View Cove, Alaska.
The collection includes a series of photographs taken during the time
Ross served on the Higho when the ship stopped in
ports in China, Brazil and Italy and includes images of the officers of the
Higho on tour visiting Pisa, Rio de Janeiro,
China's Great Wall and other attractions.
Papers include original writings about Ross's experience on and
knowledge of the tugs Tyee and
Tacoma, a small amount of work-related
correspondence and notes, and a file of clippings related to early vessels on
Puget Sound, other vessels and maritime personalities.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
The collection is open to the public by appointment.
Restrictions on Use :
The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in
the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research,
publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI
before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to
all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may
require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Preferred Citation :
Robert B. Ross Collection of Maritime Photographs and Other Material,
Museum of History & Industry, Seattle
Administrative Information
Arrangement :
Arranged in series:
Photographs
Photographic postcards
Albums
Papers
Writings
Correspondence
Ephemera
Acquisition Information :
Gift of the estate of Robert B. Ross via William O. Beaton, August
1984.
Processing Note :
Glassine dividers between album pages were removed and album pages
were interleaved with archival tissue.
Numbering of photographs begins with number 19; numbers 1 through 18
are assigned to collection artifacts held by the Collections Department at
MOHAI.
Separated Materials :
Several books that were received with the donation were transferred to
the book collection of the Sophie Frye Bass Library.
These materials are part of a donation that also included a number of
artifacts. These artifacts are cataloged and stored separately by MOHAI's
Collections Department.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Photographs
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Robert B. Ross
circa 1940
Box/Folder
1/1
19: Robert B. Ross on the tug
Tacoma
circa 1900
1/1
20: Robert B. Ross on ship at sea,
probably the Diamond Cement
circa 1940
1/1
21: Robert B. Ross on the
Diamond Cement
"Latest picture at sea"
1940
1/1
22: Man on ship, probably Robert B.
Ross on the Diamond Cement
negative;4" x 6"
circa 1940
Sailing ships
Photographs of sailing ships were probably all taken from the
deck of a tugboat; tugboat deck and tow lines are visible in several of the
photographs.
circa 1891-1917
Box/Folder
1/3
24-54: Sailing ships
Ships being towed to port from sea
Abner Coburn
George E. Billings
Idaho
Klickitat
Manila (Japanese
schooner)
Marion Chilcotte
Schooner Maud
Meteor
Robert Rickmos (?), a
German ship
circa 1891-1917
1/4
55-60: Sailing ships
Admiral
Alexander McNeill
Revenue cutter Grant
Helene
circa 1891-1917
1/5
63-74: Sailing ships, probably from
tug Tacoma
5" x 7"
Includes images where the Tacoma
and crew are visible
Gatherer
Glenesslin
Okanogan
Silo
circa 1891-1917
1/6
75-79: Sailing ships
3.5" x 3.5"
Glenesslin
Schooner Helene
circa 1891-1917
1/7
80: Ship Pinmore listing starboard
"Salv[ag]ed by Tyee from sholes
north of Grey's Hbr and towed to Puget Sound"
1901 October 29
1/7
81: Ship Roanoke
"American wooden sailing ship of the Sewell fleet"
circa 1891-1917
1/8
82: Barkentine
Gardner City
circa 1891-1917
1/9
83: Sailing ship
Spartan
hand-colored
"Ship Spartan after being cast
off by Tug Tacoma at Cape Flattery. Coal ladened
for San Francisco"
circa 1891-1917
1/10
84: Man with figurehead of sailing
ship Glory of the Seas
Muirhead Photo (photographer)
1911
85-90: Sailing ships
negatives;5" x 7"
Tugboat from which photograph was taken is visible in two of
the images
circa 1891-1917
Tugboats
Date range is estimated based on the years Ross is known to have
worked on tugboats; some photographs may be later
circa 1891-1917
Box/Folder
1/2
23: Tug Politkofsky in Port Blakely harbor
Note signed by R.B. Ross on verso: "Tug Politkofsky formally [sic] a Russian gunboat came under
the American flag with the purchase of Alaska by the U.S.A. The Politkovsky towed the Bkn.
Wm. H. Gawley from sea to Port Madison Jan 1871
and our family was passengers on the Gawley. Later converted to a Tug and used by Port Madison and Port
Blakeley [sic] Mill Cos."
undated
Tug Tacoma
circa 1891-1917
folder:oversize
OS
91: Tug Tacoma
circa 1891-1917
Box/Folder
1/4
61: Three men on tug
Tacoma: J.F. Primrose, Charles Rasmoson, and John
Stromberg
circa 1891-1917
Box/Folder
1/6
77: Crew on tug
Tacoma
circa 1891-1917
Box/Folder
1/11
92: Robert B. Ross, Sue Phillips
and Etta Alexander on tug Tacoma
cyanotype
circa 1891-1917
Box/Folder
1/11
93: H.H. Morrison, Sue Phillips
and Etta Alexander on tug Tacoma
cyanotype
circa 1891-1917
Tug Tyee
circa 1891-1917
Box/Folder
1/12
94: Tug Tyee at sea
Handwritten on verso: "Was built at Ludlow by the Union Iron
Wks., S[an] F[rancisco] Cal[ifornia]"
circa 1891-1917
1/12
95-96: Robert B. Ross on tug
Tyee
Handwritten on verso: "Tug Tyee. R.B. Ross Engr."
circa 1891-1917
1/12
97-99: Tug Tyee
circa 1891-1917
1/13
100: Tug Lorne
circa 1891-1917
1/13
101: Tug Sea
Lion
Handwritten on verso: "Tug Sea
Lion rammed and sunk by Schr Oceana Vance off Race Rocks in fog.
Sea Lion was built by John Dialogue at Camden,
N.J. Was a speedy vessel and very hanson [sic]."
circa 1891-1917
1/13
102: Tug Pioneer
circa 1891-1917
1/13
103: Tug Wanderer
circa 1891-1917
1/13
104: Tug boat towing sail
boat
circa 1891-1917
1/13
105: Tug Reliance
circa 1891-1917
1/13
106: Tug Wyadda
2 copies
circa 1891-1917
Tug Tatoosh
Box/Folder
1/14
107-108: Launching of tug
Tatoosh at Moran Brothers shipyard,
Seattle
1900 February 2
1/14
109: Tug Tatoosh flying ten different flags
circa 1900-1917
1/14
110: Tug Tatoosh at sea
Anders B.
Wilse (photographer)
3 copies
circa 1900-1917
Box/Folder
1/15
111-113: Motorship Alabama on ways and launching
Note on verso indicates that the machinery on the
Alabama was installed by Robert B. Ross
circa 1891-1917
Steamships
S.S. Higho
Ross served as Chief Engineer aboard the steamship
Higho.
Photographs depicts the steamship Higho, and Ross and other officers visiting ports in
China, Brazil and Italy.
1919-1920
Box/Folder
1/16
114: S.S. Higho in Portland
1919 June
1/17
115-119: Officers of the S.S.
Higho
5 photographs
3 of the images depict 8 officers on the deck of the Higho:
1st Mate Meadows, 2nd Mate Phillips, Chief Engineer Robert B. Ross, 1st
Assistant Engineer H.O. Halvorsen, 2nd Assistant Engineer R. Billings, 3rd
Assistant Engineer B. Hubble, and an unidentified Radio Operator and 3rd
Mate. 2 of the images depict 4 of the officers listed above.
1920
Hong Kong and China
tours
1920
Box/Folder
1/18
120: Chinese men unloading coal
from the Higho in Honk Kong
1920
1/18
121: Chinese junks in Hong
Kong
1920
1/18
122: Junks and sampans in Hong
Kong
1920
1/18
123: Great Wall
1920
1/18
124: Great Wall and city of
Shan-Hai-Kuan
1920
1/18
125-126: Streets in
Shan-Hai-Kuan
1920
1/18
127: Five men from the
Higho, including R.B. Ross, in front of tower on
top of Great Wall
1920 April
1/18
128: Five men from the
Higho, including R.B. Ross, and 8 Chinese men near
temple built on top of Great Wall
1920
1/18
129: Prison with Great Wall in
background
1920
1/18
130: Higho officer Hubble standing with Chinese
family
1920
1/18
131: Chinese man
squatting
1920
1/18
132-134: Chow puppies
1920
Brazil tour
1920
Box/Folder
1/19
135: Engineering crew on deck of
the Higho
"Panama Canal, July 5, 1920, S.S. Higho" Identifications on verso. Left to right: Chief Engineer
Robert B. Ross, 1st Engineer H.O. Halvorsen, 2nd Engineer R. Billings, 3rd
Engineer B. Hubbel
1920 July 5
1/19
136: Man on deck of
Higho with Rio de Janeiro and Sugar Loaf Mountain
in distance
Identified on verso as L. Weltgen
1920
1/19
137: Two men on deck of
Higho with Rio de Janeiro and Sugar Loaf Mountain
in distance
Identified on verso as D. Brunea and L. Weltgen
1920
1/19
138: Two men on deck of
Higho
Identified on verso and Robert B. Ross and "McCurdy"
1920
1/19
139: Higho officer "Sparks" in front of hotel in Santos,
Brazil
1920
1/19
140: Hotel in Santos,
Brazil
1920
1/19
141-143: Train tracks between Santos
and Santa Paula
1920
1/19
144: Statue and pond in Santa
Paula
1920
1/19
145-150: Horse racing track in Santa
Paula
1920
1/19
151-153: Robert B. Ross, H.O.
Halverson and R. Billings on auto road along beach outside Rio de
Janeiro
Note on 153: "Drive along cliffs out of Rio de Janeiro.
This road was built to entertain King Albert of Belgium."
1920
1/19
154: Sugar Loaf Mountain, Rio de
Janeiro
1920
1/19
155-157: Cable cars at Sugar Loaf
Mountain
1920
Italy tour
circa 1920
Box/Folder
1/20
158-162: Leaning tower at
Pisa
Includes images of the tower from the ground and views
from the top of the tower. Robert B. Ross appears in some images, along with
"McCurdy" and "Daniellson."
circa 1920
1/20
163-165: Pisa Cathedral
circa 1920
1/20
166-170: Higho officers, including Robert B. Ross, in
Pompeii
circa 1920
1/20
171: "Weltgen" at café table in
Genoa
circa 1920
1/20
172: Columbus House,
Genoa
circa 1920
1/20
173: Steamship
This photo was together with the Higho tour photos but the location of the steamship is
unknown
undated
The Diamond Cement
Dates are estimated based on the dates that Ross served as
Chief Engineer on the Diamond Cement.
circa 1930-1942
Box/Folder
1/21
174-175: Diamond
Cement loading ore at View Cove, Alaska
circa 1930-1942
1/22
176-177: Seattle waterway bridges (?)
open for passage of Diamond Cement (view from deck
of Diamond Cement)
circa 1930-1942
1/23
178-180: Stormy sea from the
Diamond Cement showing water on deck, views
forward and aft
"S.S. Diamond Cement with 6500
tons lime rock cargo in Hekita Straits"
circa 1930-1942
1/23
181: Diamond
Cement discharging cargo in Seattle
circa 1930-1942
1/23
182: View of deck and water from
bridge of Diamond Cement
circa 1930-1942
1/23
183: View of Laurada (?) Channel
from Diamond Cement
1940 April 29
1/23
184: View of Principe Channel,
B.C. from Diamond Cement
1940 April 30
1/23
185: Men on deck near
lifeboat
"Fire drill on the S.S. Diamond
Cement"
1940 May 3
1/23
186: Man near winch on deck
circa 1930-1942
1/23
187: Robert B. Ross, Joe Brugger,
S.M. Anderson, 2nd mate Larsen and two female passengers on deck
circa 1930-1942
1/23
188: Robert B. Ross and young girl
passenger on deck
circa 1930-1942
1/23
189: Radio operator "Bears" on
deck
circa 1930-1942
1/23
190: 2nd Officer Clark, 1st Office
Peterson and Chief Engineer Robert Ross on deck
circa 1930-1942
1/23
191: Captain Guptill, Chief
Engineer Robert Ross and six passengers on deck
circa 1930-1942
1/23
192: Robert B. Ross on
deck
1940 May 3
1/23
193: Captain Einer Thomsen on
deck
1940 May 3
1/23
194: 2nd Assistant Joe Brugger on
deck
1940 May 3
1/23
195: 1st Officer Delbert Kelly on
deck
1940 May 3
1/23
196: Robert B. Ross and "Biers" of
S.S. Diamond Cement standing near cactus on San
Marcos Island, Mexico
circa 1930-1942
1/24
197-201: Limestone quarry at View
Cove, Dall Island, Alaska
Showing quarry, power plant, crusher house, wharf, and
conveyer.
The Diamond Cement carried
loads of limestone between the View Cove quarry and Seattle for the Pacific
Coast Coal Company.
circa 1930-1942
1/25
202: Diamond
Cement in Inside Passage from Alaska to Puget Sound
"Built at Portland-famous for performances as ferry between
Seattle & Tacoma for many years"
undated
1/26
207: Steamer Michigan loaded with passengers, Port
Blakely
Peiser (photographer)
"Jas Nugent owner. Wm. Primrose master"
undated
1/26
208: Steamer Egremont at dock, Seattle
1912
1/26
209: Steamer Zephyr with passengers at dock
Stereograph
undated
1/26
210: Steamer Beaver near coast
"Beaver first steam vessel on
the Pacific Ocean"
undated
211: Steamship at sea
negative;5" x 7"
undated
1/27
212: Crew of steamer
Hyak
Studio portrait of 4 men in uniform. Left to right: Ole
Hansen, Engineer; Alfred Welfare, Mate; Gus Johnson, Purser; Henry Hansen,
Captain.
circa 1910
Wrecks
Box/Folder
1/28
213-214: Men and women posed on top of
wreck of the tug Lorne
undated
1/28
215: Men near wreck of the tug
Lorne
undated
1/28
216-217: Wrecks of the tug
Lorne and sailing ship America
undated
1/28
218: Wrecks of the tug
Lorne and sailing ship America with tugs Prosper
and Tyee in background
undated
1/28
219: Figurehead on wreck of the
sailing ship America
undated
1/28
220: Steamer Ohioan aground near Seal Rocks, San
Francisco
undated
1/28
221: Remains of S.S. Islander near Juneau, Alaska
The steamship Islander of the
Canadian Pacific Steam Navigation Co. Pacific sunk in 1901 after hitting an
iceberg. Repeated salvage efforts have failed to yield strong boxes of gold
bullion that were expected to be on board.
"S.S. Islander after being raised
from bottom of sea after being under water about 25 years."
circa 1934
1/28
222: Buildings at Observation Point
(now Prospect Point), Vancouver, near the site of the steamship
Beaver's remains
The steamship Beaver, owned by
the Hudson Bay Company, was run aground off Prospect Point, then called
Observation Point, Vancouver, in 1888. The wreck site is currently used to
train divers in underwater archaeology techniques.
undated
Cartes de visite
undated
Box/Folder
1/29
223-224: Captain Tug Wilson of the
Tidal Wave
Vaughan's First Premium Photographic
Gallery, San Francisco
Runnels & Co., San
Francisco
"Captain [of] Tidal Wave-sailing
between Port Madison [and] San Francisco"
undated
1/29
225-226: Captain Jeremiah Farmham of the
Northwest
Vaughan's First Premium Photographic
Gallery, San Francisco
circa late 1800s
1/29
227: Alec Wood, former captain of
the West Seattle ferry
Includes postcards written between Robert B. Ross and his family
and friends
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box/Folder
1/31
231-235: Sailing ships
5 postcards
Numbers 231-233:
O. Beaton (photographer)
Includes bark Everett G. Griggs,
the Horzogin Cecelie, and the barks
St. Paul and Star of
Finland
circa 1912; undated
1/31
236-240: Tugboats
5 postcards
Number 236:
O. Beaton (photographer)
Includes the Tatoosh, the
Pioneer, the Tyee and
the Lorne.
"Tug Lorne--British tug and one of
the Puget Sound Tugboat Cos. fleet. Wrecked on San Juan Island and later salved
and repaired."
circa 1912; undated
1/31
241-249: Steamships
9 postcards
Numbers 241-242:
Renfeld's
Photo (photographer)
Includes the Harvard, the
Northwestern, the H.B.
Kennedy and two images of the Congress near
Coos Bay during and after a fire on board. One image shows the
Congress being towed by the tugs
Tyee, Oneonta and
Granger.
Albums of ship photographs, depicting sailing ships, tugs and
steamers.
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box/Folder
2/1
258: Album 1
6
photographs 3.25" x 3.25"
Six photographs of sailing ships: the Santa Clara, Gatherer, and
unidentified ships. The photographs were probably taken from a tugboat; the end
of a tugboat is visible in one of the images.
undated
2/1
259: Album 2
34
photographs 4" x 5.5"
31 photographs of sailing ships,2 photographs of steamships, and
1 photograph of a tugboat. Includes sailing ships
Highland, Griffiths, and
Admiral and the steamer Victoria. Photographs probably taken from a tugboat.
undated
2/2
260: Album 3
48
photographs 3.5" x 3.5"
Sailing ships depicted include the Eclipse, Wm. J. Rotch, Occidental, Drenna, Lamorna, Okanogan,
Nokomis, Spartan, Angerona, Eric, Tanner, Grant, Mayflint, Vidette, Glendoon,
Trongate, Coryphene, Manila, Harry Morse, Colbert, Highland Light, Honoipu,
Quickstep, J.M. Coleman and Imberhorn. Tugs depicted include the J.E. Boyden,
Wallula, and Puget Sound Tug Boat Co. tugs Pioneer, Sea Lion, Tacoma, and Holyoke. Steamships depicted include the Victorian,
Mayflower, Prosper, Bloemfontein, Angeles, Milos, Glenogil, Flyer, Sehome,
Walla Walla, survey steamer Pathfinder, and
transport ships Sheridan, Lawton and
Victoria. Other ships: hospital ship Iroquois. Photographs probably taken from tugs, with tug or tow line
visible in some
undated
2/2
261: Album 4
60
photographs 3.5" x 3.5"
Sailing ships depicted include the Inca, Wm. H. Smith, Courser,
Highland Light, John A. Briggs, J.M. Griffith, Drenna (a German ship),
St. Robert, Eric, Florence, Rickmers, and
Colorado. Tugs depicted include the Tyee,
Walula and Puget Sound Tug Boat Co. tugs Pioneer and Tacoma. Steamship depicted include the Prosper,
Queen City, Victorian, Mayflower, Morgan City, Angeles, and
Discovery. Also includes images of Neah Bay; the Skagway waterfront showing
the Pacific Coast Co. dock; Fort Wrangel; a view from Ross's home of a sandspit
at Port Madison; people atop a large rock at Tracyton; men and horses on a
logging road; people at a cabin; Crystal Springs; women and children with
horses; a large house ("home, sweet home"); a horse and buggy on a dirt road;
women and children on house steps ("coming home from school"); women posed on
porches, on a dock, and in other outdoor scenes; and a cemetery. Images of Port Madison depict the Port Madison Hotel, a Port
Madison stable, cookhouse and mill, a cabin, and McClallam House in Port
Madison. Two cyanotypes depict the Port Madison Post Office, Masonic Hall and a
store; and a schoolhouse in Port Madison.
undated
2/3
262: Album 5
48 photographs
Sailing ships depicted include the Spartan, Reaper, Silo, Occidental, Okanogan, Expansion,
Mermaid, Portland, Santa Clara, Gatherer, Meteor, Emilie, Abner Coburn, W.H.
Smith, May Flint, Tanner, Helene, Standard, Honoipu, Maggie Russ, J.M.
Griffith, News Boy, Battle Abbey, Admiral, Benicia, Isaac Reed, Robert R. Hind,
Monitor, Brinhilda, General Banning, Inca, Florence and
Fred D. Sander. The Tug Tacoma is visible towing
ships J.D. Peters, Pengwern, Expansion and
Yola.
undated
2/4
263: Album 6
48 photographs
This album consists of the same photographs as Album 5, arranged
in a different order.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
