Accession Number

991.017.006

Alternate Name

[BLANK]

Description

A black and white photograph of a seating area on the upper back covered deck of TSSY Dolaura, the wood plank deck with three groups of four high-backed wicker chairs, the first two groups placed on Oriental rugs, electric lights strung along the centre ridge beam of the cover, the ship's wheel close to the ship's stern.

Narrative

The TSSY DOLAURA was a private yacht built in 1908 for Hon. James Dunsmuir by the Fleming and Ferguson shipyard of Paisely, Scotland. It was named by combining the names of Dola and Laura Dunsmuir.

The next four owners were members of the New York Yacht Club. In 1920, the yacht was sold to Arthur Meeker and renamed the VICTORIA; from 1922 to 1924 the yacht belonged to James Shewan and renamed the PATRICIA; from 1926 to 1928 the yacht belonged to Russell A. Alger and was renamed the LAURENTIAN; from 1929 to 1936  the yacht belonged to George W. Childs Drexel and was renamed the ALCEDO.

From 1937 to 1939 the yacht belonged to John C. Sword of Britain and was renamed the VALENA; at the outbreak of WW2, the yacht was requisitioned by the Admiralty, named HMS VALENA and used to hunt enemy submarines until 1945.

VALENA was returned to Mr. Sword and then sold to Pontos Cia de Nav (J. Lavanos), Panama and used for passenger service in the Mediterranean. The yacht was scrapped at La Spezia, Italy on December 30, 1951.  

An aerial photograph of the HMS Valena can be seen here: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205017805

History of Use

In 1937, Englishman John Sword purchased the ALCEDO, had the yacht overhauled, and commissioned the taking of this and other photographs. 

Date

1937

Dimensions

15.6 cm x 20.9 cm

Photograph Type

Gelatin silver process

Medium

Photographic

Support

Paper, Photographic paper