Model of Medium Clipper Ship <i>Reporter</i>
date: label: date made
content: ca 1860
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: <i>Reporter</i> was built at East Boston by Paul Curtis in 1853 and launched on 3 September of that year. It measured 207 feet 6 inches in length, 39 feet in beam, and 24 feet 7 inches in depth of hold and was originally built for the cotton trade from New Orleans to England. On October 13, 1853, it left on its maiden voyage from Boston to New Orleans, and it was the first clipper-built ship to successfully cross the mouth of the Mississippi River. From New Orleans it sailed to Liverpool in 30 days, the fastest trip made at that time. However, it was not profitable in the southern cotton trade on account of its size, and in November 1855 was sold to W. F. Weld & Company for use in the Cape Horn run. It made several profitable voyages to California through early 1862. The ship was lost during a severe gale off Cape Horn on August 17, 1862 on a voyage from New York to San Francisco. Only four crew were saved; the captain and 31 others were lost.
label: Description
content: Built by an unknown 19th century craftsman, this model was acquired in 1962 by the Insurance Company of North America from a New York antique dealer.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Maritime
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
label: See more items in
content: Transportation
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of CIGNA Museum and Art Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0279.093
label: accession number
content: 2005.0279
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0279.093
objectType: label: Object Name
content: ship model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 27 in x 40 1/2 in; 68.58 cm x 102.87 cm