The Republican journal., 1911-11-02
Figureheads.
The Carving OF Them is Almost a Lost
Art
New York Times.1

has disappeared an art that once en-.
ployed many skilled men, the carving of
fgureheads. In the old DAYS six firms
in this city alone were in the business
principally of carving figures, allepori-
cal or otherwise, for the bows of the
great windjammers which filled the
docks of every port. Today there is not
one.
D. B. Dearborn, dean of the Shipping
men of this city, who has been actively
in the business since 1849, said that
when he came here in the year that gold
was discovered in California, the East
river, from the battery to Corlears hook
on the Manhattan-then the New York
side, and from the navy yard to the
Buttermilk channel, on the Brooklyn
side, was forest of masts. The bow
spirits stuck out over the streets fronting
the docks, and the wondrous works of
the carvers' art looked down from the
bows on passers-by. All this has passed.
Until few years ago ships chand-
Ter in South street, near Wall street,
had an old figurehead-rumor said it
was from the clipper ship Andromeda,
which figured in the slave trade-as a
sign of his trade outside his warehouse.
But that is gone, as is another that was
with an eye to drawing trade from the
sailormen, and used instead of the more
familiar Indian. This marine tobacco
sign represented eewhiskered, chubby
faced person, maybe the owner of ship
long since forgotten.
Down in the Erie basin, the hospital
and morgue for Anticipated ships, rotting
and forgotten, are figureheads of several
big ships. One, figure of Aphrodite,
has lost leg, and the appraised hand,
which pointed the way over the waves,
also has disappeared. Another is a
draped figure, about seven feet high, but
the features long since have been oblit-
Grated.
Gustave Guiterman, who 40 years ago
was one of the principal fgurehead
carvers in the country, is still living in
retirement over in New Jersey. He
says that 'like the fgurehead, he is a
back number" and while he has not
touched mallet or chisel for 20 years, he
occasionally comes over to Manhattan to
visit old friends on the Maritime Ex-
change, or to stroll along South street
and dream of the past.
"You see mighty few figureheads on
ships today" he said yet in the old
days no vessel was considered complete
without one. Several steamships carry
an ornamental plate on their bows, but
the plates are of metal, and lack the in
dividuality OF the wooden figures.
II don't know who first used figure
heads, but l have an idea that it was
Noah. unless it be that Adam used to go
sailing. 1t was the Unborn belief in
omens that led to their use, and, while
that belief has not lessened with the ad-
vent of steam, it was emphasized in the
days of the sailing ship, through the
romance that naturally is associated with
the winds and waves.
"In a steamship the seaman does not
depend on the elements, good or bad as
! they may be. He goes from port to
port working on schedule that is al
most as infexible as a railroad time table.
But when the sailor had to depend on the
| wind and tide it was natural that he
should hope for good weather, and this
hope crystalized IL the emblem of good
luck on his bows. That's why the use of
/ the fgurehead continued, though its
genesis dates from primitive times.
| Savages of all lands have been wont to
| paint figures of their gods on the bows
of the canoes, to lead them to victory or
! to safety. The Indians of Alaska do this
/
their galleys with their deities, and
when Christianity came the practice con-
tinued.
'You know, mythology tells how ia
son, while on his search for the Golden
Fleece, took limb from the talking oak
of Dodona and from it carved a figure
which he carried with him on his jour
ney in the Argo. 1t was the advice of
this figure, so it is said, that saved the
Argo Then there were the Norsemen.
The bows of their ships bore hideous
heads of animals or birds, which they
painted in bright colors, to strike terror
into their enemies.
when ships and men turned to more
peaceful pursuits the tigurehead was re-
tanned, though, as was natural, it lost its
warlike aspect. The gods of the sea
were favortes with older builders, bu,
many a shipowner's pride led him tc
have his own efigy placed at the bow of
his favorite craft There were styles in
figureheads as in everything else, anc
for time an etfgy in stove-pipe hat anc
mutton chop whiskers was first choice
Some owners wanted animals carved.
have in mind whole fleet, each ship OF
which bore horses head. The bark
Charger today has such head. Former
ly she was the Louise and carried E
Greek goddess on her bows, but wher
her name was changed the goddess was
removed and the horse substituted.
''The swift sailing ship Glory of the
Seas, which holds many sailing record,
carries beautiful draped figure of {
woman looking and stepping forward
1t is masterpiece.
'On the Kate Davenport is the figure
of woman that is said to be that of hel
sponsor. The British bark Elginshir,
carries the figure of an angel. The sail
ing ship Americas bow is adorned will
the figure of Liberty, while on the Brit
ish clipper ship Kensington, which wa.
wrecked few years ago, was groul
representing Father Neptune leading hi!
horses: 1t was one of the most elabo
rate figureheads ever carved, and 1t al!
ways attracted great attention.
Il know of one man who owned fiv,
whaling ships that used to hail from New
Bedford, and On the bow of each was tn.
:. figure of member of his family. On,
had figure of his wife, another his so,
and three others his daughters. Eacl
ship bore the name of the one who's,
figure she bore. 1t was strange thing,
too, that within few weeks after hi!
wife died the ship bearing her name was
lost at sea, and that under similar cir
cumstances the one named for the sol
and two named for the daughters wer,