Paddle Wheel Collection

LOUISIANA: STEAMBOAT, 1865. Through the Bayou by Torchlight. Lithograph, c1865, by Currier & Ives

Paddle Steamer Leith 1837
The paddle steamer Leith arriving at Grantham Pier, Edinburgh. Built by R.Menzies & Sons for the General Steam Navigation Co 1837 and used by GSNC for coastal service between Leith and London

Riverboats at Shreveport, Louisiana, 1870s
Stevedores loading barrels at the Red River levee at Shreveport, Louisiana, 1870s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Paddle steamer Natchez on the Mississippi River, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

First Atlantic crossing by steamship, 1819
American paddlewheeler " Savannah, " the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, 1819. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

St. Louis on the Mississippi River, 1870s
Steamboat traffic on the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri, 1870s. Hand-colored engraving of a 19th-century illustration

STEAMSHIP: AFRICA. The Cunard Line steamship, SS Africa. Engraving, American, 1889

Jonathan Hulls steamboat, 18th century
Jonathan Hulls steamboat, historical artwork. A patent for this steam-powered towboat was taken out by the British inventor Jonathan Hulls in 1736

The "Fairy Queen" Paddle-Wheel despatch-boat for General Garibaldi, 1860
1577530 The "Fairy Queen" Paddle-Wheel despatch-boat for General Garibaldi, 1860; (add.info.: The "Fairy Queen" Paddle-Wheel despatch-boat for General Garibaldi)

The Great Western, right, and the RMS Campania, left, in the 19th century
3083204 The Great Western, right, and the RMS Campania, left, in the 19th century.; Private Collection; (add.info.: From The Century Edition of Cassell's History of England, published c. 1900).

Illustration of an ox-powered paddle-wheel boat. 15th century (manuscript based on a description in 4th century)
528019 Illustration of an ox-powered paddle-wheel boat. 15th century (manuscript based on a description in 4th century anonymous Roman military treatise on war machines 'De Rebus Bellicis')

The Australian Twin Steamer "Bunyip", 1858. Creator: Unknown. The Australian Twin Steamer "Bunyip"
The Australian Twin Steamer "Bunyip", 1858. Our Engraving represents one of a class of vessels now becoming general on the Murray and other rivers in South Australia

The "Fairy Queen" paddle-wheel despatch-boat for General Garibaldi, 1860. Creator: Unknown
The "Fairy Queen" paddle-wheel despatch-boat for General Garibaldi, 1860. A new steamer...constructed by Mr. Mare, of Millwall

Paddle wheel steamboat on river, New Orleans, between 1920 and 1926. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Paddle wheel steamboat on river, New Orleans, between 1920 and 1926

Steam-ships of the Allied Fleet searching for Infernal Machines off Cronstadt... 1854. Creator: Unknown
Steam-ships of the Allied Fleet searching for Infernal Machines off Cronstadt - from a sketch by W.O. Brierly, 1854. Crimean War

Steamship Stanley - E. A. Tilly
History of Africa. Steamship Stanley. It was built for the journey of Henry Morton Stanley on the Congo River. Engraving by E. A. Tilly

Eagle from Paddle Wheel Cover of "Island Home", c. 1937. Creator: Alfred H
Eagle from Paddle Wheel Cover of " Island Home", c. 1937

The Leviathan (engraving)
2771566 The Leviathan (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Leviathan. Illustration for The Illustrated Times)

The Iron Steam Ship Great Eastern 22, 500 tons, pub. Currier & Ives, c
1123839 The Iron Steam Ship Great Eastern 22, 500 tons, pub. Currier & Ives, c.1858 (colour litho) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

View Looking Aft from the Port Paddle-box on the Deck of the Great Eastern... 1865-66
View Looking Aft from the Port Paddle-box on the Deck of the Great Eastern: Showing the Trough for the Cable, etc. 1865-66

View, Looking Aft, from the Port Paddle Box of the Great Eastern, Showing the Trough for the Cable, etc. 1865-66

Isambard Kingdom Brunel beside the Great Eastern, c1857. Artist: Robert Howlett
Isambard Kingdom Brunel beside the Great Eastern, c1857. Brunel (1806-1859) proposed to the Eastern Steam Navigation Company the construction of a steamship five or six times the size of any then in

Steam clock Ariadne, St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands. This steam powered clock on the waterfront of St Helier was built to commemorate the Ariadne

The Marly Machine, 18th century. Louis XIV of France had this machine constructed on the banks of the Seine to pump water from the river to his chateaux at Versailles and Marly

Ohio River at New Albany, Indiana, 1870s
New Albany, Indiana, viewed from the Ohio River, about 1870. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Buffalo Bayou, which became the Houston Ship Canal, 1870s
Steamboat loading cotton on Buffalo Bayou, connected to the Gulf of Mexico, Houston, Texas, 1870s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Paddlewheel steamship Scotia of the Cunard Line, 1800s
The " Scotia, " last of the Cunard Lines paddlewheel steamers. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Paddlewheel steamship Arabia of the Cunard LIne
Royal Mail steamship " Arabia" of the Cunard Line, 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Walk-in-the-Water steamboat on Lake Erie, 1818
Lake Erie steamboat " Walk-in-the-Water, " 1818. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Boats on the lower Mississippi River, 1850s
Steamboats and a raft passing a sugar plantation on the Mississippi River, 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

STEAM TUG BOAT, 1840s. The paddle wheel steam tugboat Archimedes used in the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in the 1840s. Watercolor by W.E.S. Trowbridge, 1902

The machinery of Robert Fultons first steamboat, the Clermont, 1807
ROBERT FULTONs CLERMONT. The machinery of Robert Fultons first steamboat, the Clermont, 1807

Robert Fultons steamboat, Clermont, built in 1807. Wood engraving, 19th century
ROBERT FULTONs CLERMONT. Robert Fultons steamboat, Clermont, built in 1807. Wood engraving, 19th century

Steamboats on the Mississippi at St. Louis, Missouri
City of St. Louis from the Mississippi River, 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Boston in 1854
Busy Boston harbor and skyline, topped by the Massachusetts State House, 1854.t Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century newspaper masthead

US Navy base in Memphis, Tennessee, 1850s
Navy Yard in Memphis, Tennessee, on the Mississippi River, 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Fultons steamboat Clermont on the Hudson River
First voyage of Fultons steamboat " Clermont" on the Hudson River, 1807. Hand-colored halftone reproductioin of a 19th-century illustration

EVCW2A-00113
Sinking of the ironclad USS Monitor in a gale off North Carolina, 1862, crew making for the USS Rhode Island. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

Steamboat passing a raft on a river
Men steering a raft past a riverboat and its passenger excursion barge, early 1800s. Color halftone reproduction of an Arthurs illustration

Tennessee, Memphis. Memphis city skyline and riverboat port area from Mud Island River Park

Mississippi, Natchez. Port area of Natchez along the Mississippi River. Traditional paddlewheel boat, now a floating casino

MISSISSIPPI: RIVERBOAT, 1936. Ferry and river men in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Photograph by Walker Evans in February 1936

FITCHs STEAMBOAT, c1787. John Fitchs steamboat on the Delaware River, c1787. Lithograph, 1856, after John Franklin Reigart

ROBERT FULTON (1765-1815). American engineer and inventor. Fultons first experiment with paddle wheels, attached to a small fishing boat on the Conestoga River, Pennsylvania, summer 1779

MISSISSIPPI STEAMBOAT. A steamboat landing off the Mississippi River. Oil over a photograph, 1906

LOUISIANA STEAMBOAT, 1876. Loading bags of rice onto a river boat in Louisiana. Wood engraving, American, 1876

The Fairy Queen Paddle-Wheel Despatch-Boat for General Garibaldi, 1860 Engraving

Perspective view of a Patouillet, from Diderots Encyclopaedia (engraving)
XIR158179 Perspective view of a Patouillet, from Diderots Encyclopaedia (engraving) by French School, (18th century); Private Collection; French, out of copyright

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"Paddle Wheels: Navigating the Waters of History" Step back in time to Louisiana, 1865, as we embark on a steamboat journey through the Bayou by torchlight. Witnessed through a captivating lithograph, this paddle wheel vessel showcases the ingenuity and power of early steam-powered transportation. Traveling further back in history, we encounter the Paddle Steamer Leith of 1837. This remarkable riverboat serves as a testament to the advancements made in maritime engineering during that era. Fast forward to Shreveport, Louisiana in the 1870s, where bustling riverboats with their iconic paddle wheels dominate the Mississippi River landscape. These vessels were not only vital for transportation but also served as symbols of progress and prosperity. Among these majestic riverboats was the renowned Paddle Steamer Natchez gracefully gliding along the mighty Mississippi River. Its grandeur and efficiency epitomized an era when steam-powered ships reigned supreme. However, our exploration doesn't stop there; let's delve into significant milestones such as the first Atlantic crossing by a steamship in 1819. This groundbreaking achievement forever changed global travel and paved the way for future maritime endeavors. Moving upstream to St. Louis during its booming years in the 1870s, we witness how paddle wheelers like no other dominated commerce along America's great waterways. Their presence symbolized economic growth and connected communities across vast distances. Venturing beyond American shores brings us face-to-face with SS Africa - an impressive Cunard Line steamship from 1889. With its sleek design captured beautifully in an engraving, it represents both technological marvels and luxurious transatlantic travel experiences. While progress soared high aboard these magnificent vessels, it is essential not to forget those who suffered beneath their decks. The image of black slaves loading cotton onto steamboats at New Orleans reminds us of a dark chapter intertwined within this narrative of innovation.