Item Description

This vintage softcover volume is a curated collection of Clipper Ship Sailing Cards, specifically those presented by the State Street Trust Company of Boston. These cards were the "posters" of the mid-1800s, used to lure gold-seekers and merchants onto fast clipper ships bound for California.

The book serves as both a graphic design history and a maritime record, featuring vibrant, detailed reproductions of original woodblock and lithographic advertisements. It includes house flags of famous shipping lines—such as those of Donald McKay, the legendary shipbuilder—and cards for iconic vessels like the Bostonian.

Printed 1949

Product Details

• Format: Oversized softcover / Trade paperback.

• Content: High-fidelity black-and-white and color plates of ship advertisements.

• Key Features: Includes an appendix of House Flags (the distinctive flags flown by merchant ships to identify the owning company) and detailed schedules of historical voyages.

• Publisher: State Street Trust Company (historically known for publishing high-quality maritime and New England history monographs).