SS United States Pennant, Donated by The Mariners' Museum of Newport News, VA
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Conservancy Receives Major Donation of Over 600 Artifacts
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The SS United States Conservancy is proud to announce that The Mariners' Museum of Newport News, VA, together with the Dr. Sarah E. Forbes Collection, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hunnicutt III, and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, have generously donated more than 600 artifacts to our growing curatorial collection.
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| | One of the hundreds of items - a packet of needles and a needle threader branded with an image of the SS United States steaming full speed ahead. |
"The Mariners' Museum continues to be a wonderful partner in our efforts to save the
United States," said Susan Gibbs, Executive Director of the SS United States Conservancy. "These original items from the ship represent irreplaceable examples of her innovative design features, and they also pay tribute to the people who made this ship a global Ambassador for our nation."
"After reviewing the entirety of our SS United States collection, we felt that these donated artifacts would better serve the SS United States Conservatory in telling the story of this historic ship," said Elliot Gruber, President and CEO of The Mariners' Museum.
Many of the donated items from the SS United States had originally been displayed at the renowned Windmill Point Restaurant located in North Carolina's Outer Banks and owned by Newport News physician, the late Dr. Sara E. Forbes. The Forbes collection was donated to The Mariners' Museum in 2008.
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| Among the artifacts in the Forbes Collection are advertisements like this one encouraging travelers to take "The Route of the Unrushables."
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"We felt the best way to honor Dr. Forbes' legacy was to reunite a large portion of her SS United States collection with the ship she loved so much", said Jeanne Willoz-Egnor, Director of Collections Management at The Mariners' Museum. "I know she would be thrilled to hear about the exciting plans being made for its future."
Other highlights from the hundreds of items include glassware donated by Mr. and Mrs. Hunnicutt, photographs taken during the ship's top secret trial runs, and one of the commemorative medallions William Francis Gibbs gave to crew members after the ship's record-breaking maiden voyage. A full press release on the acquisition is available here. |
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| Humans of New York Followers Love the SS United States |
On Sunday, April 3, the immensely popular site Humans of New York (HONY) shared this photo and the accompanying text below:
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Image courtesy of Humans of New York.
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"We met in our early twenties on a boat called the SS United States. We were sailing to France for study abroad programs. We met in the third class bar. I kept getting seasick and hadn't slept. He had hair like Che Guevara. Curly lumps of it. I wish I had a picture. And he was wearing one of those little scarfs. He had to look more French than the French."
The HONY Facebook page has over 17.3 million "likes" from around the world. Over a hundred followers of the page have since shared their personal stories about the SS United States. Check those out here!
It's a treat to read about the lasting memories people carry with them from their encounters with America's Flagship. HONY, we thank you for bringing this attention to the legacy of the SS United States through the enduring love between this couple.
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Farewell to Renowned Artist and Conservancy Champion
Donald Stoltenberg
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We are saddened to report that Don Stoltenberg, artist, teacher, author, model builder, and dear friend of the Conservancy, passed away peacefully at his Cape Cod home on March 26 at the age of 88.
Stoltenberg's work is held in hundreds of private collections, corporate collections, and permanent public collections and has been exhibited by many prestigious museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Art Institute of Chicago, and Boston Institute of Contemporary Art. His primary subjects were bridges, buildings, sailing vessels, steamships, and ocean liners.
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Watercolor broadside of the SS United States by Donald Stoltenberg,
courtesy of the estate of Donald Stoltenberg.
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His fascination with ships began in childhood. Following a transatlantic crossing on Cunard's Franconia in 1955, Don developed a fondness for passenger liners. This 2014 interview conducted in his Cape Cod studio showcases some of his artwork. Always a lover of American vessels, Stoltenberg was thrilled to assist with the Conservancy's founding in 2004 by contributing handmade replicas of the famous Gibbs medallions. These medallions were given to officers and key crew members following the SS United States' maiden voyage. In a fitting twist of fate, one of the original medallions is now part of Conservancy's collection, thanks to the recent Mariners' Museum donation. The replicas Stoltenberg created were given to former members of the SS United States crew who were present at the Conservancy's launch event at the Windmill Point Restaurant in Nags Head, NC.
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Gibbs Medallion replicas by Donald Stoltenberg,
image courtesy of Richard Rabbett.
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Don Stoltenberg generously donated the use of his SS United States imagery to the Conservancy for their fundraising efforts on behalf of the Big U. We can't express the extent of our gratitude; he will be tremendously missed. Here's wishing him fair winds and following seas! An obituary for Donald Stoltenberg, compiled by Richard Rabbett, can be found here.
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Help spread awareness of America's Flagship.
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