Craigdarroch Castle : Artwork : photograph [991.017.012]

Artwork

Accession Number

991.017.012

Alternate Name

reprint

Description

A black and white photograph of a small simply furnished bedroom aboard TSSY Dolaura, along the back wall a single bed with arched headboard and footboard with finials, the bed's surface covered in a white or light-coloured woven counterpane, above the bed is a framed portrait, beside the bed a small side table, above it an electric lamp on a wall-mounted shelf, at lower left an upholstered armchair, at the foot of the bed a simple wooden with curved cane seatback, the sloping side wall of painted wood panels, at the top, three small windows with short curtains made from fabric matching the covering of the upholstered armchair.

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