DESCRIPTION: Very rare and desirable antebellum trade card for Pilot Boat No. 11, the George W. Blunt (G.W. Blunt) of the New York harbor pilots. Named after one of three sons of Edmund Blunt, who was one of the most important figures in U.S. nautical cartography during the first half of the 19th century. This scarce Civil-war era artifact should have strong interest for collectors of 19th-century maritime nautical cartography, the history of New York harbor, or civil-war era nautical artifacts.
The George W. Blunt was a 76 ton wooden schooner for the New York Pilot Commission, acquired by the U.S. Navy and commissioned in December 1861. She served with the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron through mid 1864. This trade card dates to before 1861 when the Pilot Commissioners' office was located at 69 South Street, Corner of Pine Street. In 1875 the G. W. Blunt was lost on the Long Island shore about thirty miles from the Sandy Hook light vessel (1).
G. W. Blunt, the third son of Edmund M. Blunt was born in Newburyport, Mass in 1802 (2). The elder Blunt prepared and composed a work entitled "The American Coast Pilot" which described every port on the coast of the United States, the publication went through 18 successive editions beginning in 1796.
George W. Blunt served as a member of the New York Board of Pilot Commissioners, from 1845 to 1877. and owned the New York pilot boat Moses H. Grinnell (3). At his death G.W. Blunt held the office of Secretary of the Board of Pilot Commissioners.
(1) Pilot lore; from sail to steam. United New York and New Jersey. Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Associations. 1922. Online.
(2) http://nyscu.org/Archives/Universalist%20Memory%20Garden/Universalist%20Memory%20Garden%20BA-BL/Blunt,%20George%201883.pdf
(3) Cunliffe, Tom. ed. Pilots: Pilot Schooners of North America and Great Britain. Wooden Boat Publications. Brooklin, Maine. 2001.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1860
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: United States
BODY OF WATER: New York Harbor
CONDITION: Fair.
Pinhole at top center. Dirty with light stains.
COLORING: N/A
ENGRAVER: Unknown
SIZE: 3
" x
2 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 0
PRICE: $500
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