Typical New Bedford Whaler of about 1850
CC-C-15-64
Arthur H. Clark Collection
Prints, paintings, plans, and half models documenting European and American ship design in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
Arthur H. Clark (1841-1922) was a ship captain, marine insurance representative, and collector of maritime art and ship design materials. Son of a Boston merchant and ship owner, Clark went to sea as a teenager and quickly worked his way to command. In addition to captaining merchant sailing ships and steamers along the American and Chinese coasts, Clark was also a yachtsman, crossing the Atlantic in the yacht Alice in 1865. He retired from the sea in 1877, representing the Boston Board of Underwriters in London, and then Lloyds of London in New York.
The Arthur H. Clark Collection consists of some 1,400 pieces of marine art, including prints, lithographs, etchings, engravings, photographs, and paintings. Materials date from the seventeenth to the 19th centuries. European shipbuilding and American and British vessels are primary subjects. The collection also includes about 300 plans, including several for clipper ships, and 16 half models of 19th century craft. Approximately 400 books related to ship design, maritime law, and yachting are held by the MIT Libraries.
Title: Captain Arthur H. Clark Collection
Creator: Arthur H. Clark, collector
Dates: 1541-1947
Extent: 2,146 items
Language: English, French, Dutch, and Spanish
Repository: MIT Museum
Access: Open for research by appointment and online
Copyright: Some restrictions may apply
Credit: MIT Museum; Bequest of Captain Arthur H. Clark, 1921
