1884 Cozzens / Scribner Chromolithograph American Yacht Signal Chart

American yachting!

This scarce 1884 chromolithograph by maritime artist Frederick S. Cozzens presents a compendium of American yacht signals on the eve of the pivotal 1885 America's Cup. Centered on the graceful sailing yacht Yolande and surrounded by brilliantly colored code, yacht-club, and night-signal flags, the chart captures the pageantry and technical sophistication of Gilded Age yachting as American sailors prepared to defend the Cup against Britain's Genesta.

A Closer Look

The chart centers on an illustration of the small sailing yacht Yolande and is surrounded by three sections of flags. Flags B through W represent Code Signals. Flags 2 - 66 are Club Signals. And Flags I - VI are Night Signals. A digital image of the chart key is included for reference, but we do not have the original key.

American Yachting

American yachting flourished in 1884 as both an elite pastime and a proving ground for naval architecture, particularly in the harbors and summer resorts of New York, Boston, and New England. The New York Yacht Club stood at the center of the sport, organizing cruises and regattas while defending the international prestige established through the America's Cup. Wealthy industrialists commissioned increasingly sophisticated racing and steam yachts, encouraging experimentation in hull design, sail plans and marine engineering. With the next America's Cup challenge approaching in 1885, the 1884 season marked a formative period when competitive sailing, conspicuous leisure, and American technological ambition became closely intertwined.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Often, the process would start with a black base coat, on which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired product. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color produced by chromolithography made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

The chart was drawn by Frederick S. Cozzens and printed in multi-color chromolithography by Charles Scribner's Sons to supplement U.S. Navy Lieutenant James Douglas Jerrold Kelley's American Yachts: Their Clubs and Races. Note: The chart was not published in the volume, but rather as part of an accompanying portfolio of watercolor sketches by Cozzens. Uncommon.

Cartographers

Frederick Schiller Cozzens (October 11, 1846 - August 28, 1928) was an American marine artist and yachtsman active in the late 19th and early 20th century. Cozzens was born in New York City, the son of the humorist Frederick Swartwout Cozzens (1818 - 1869). From 1864 to 1867, he studied at Rensselaer Polytechnic in Troy, New York, but did not attain a degree. Cozzens is best known for his marine paintings, but also worked as a freelance illustrator for The Daily Graphic, Harpers Weekly, and Our Navy, among other publications. He also worked with James Douglas Jerrold Kelley to issue the chromolithograph prints for the 1884 American Yachts: Their Clubs and Races.   Further Details...

Charles Scribner's Sons (1846 - present) is an American publishing house founded in 1846. The firm was initially a partnership between Charles Scribner I (1821 - 1871) and Isaac D. Baker (1819 - 1850), publishing under the imprint of 'Baker and Scribner'. Baker died young in 1850, and the firm was renamed Charles Scribner. The firm reorganized in 1870 as Scribner and Company. When Charles Scribner died in 1871, the firm was renamed Charles Scribner's Sons, and was managed in turn by each of his three sons, John Blair Scribner (1850 - 1879), Charles Scribner II (1854 - 1930), and Arthur Hawley Scribner (1859 - 1932). Scribner merged with Atheneum in 1978, and then merged into Macmillan in 1984. In 1994, Macmillan was bought by Simon and Schuster.   Further Details...

Source

Kelley, J. D. J., American Yachts: Their Clubs and Races, (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons) 1884.    

Condition

Good. Even toning. Minor surface abrasions.