The Yachting Photography of Willard B. Jackson, with essay by Daniel Finamore (original) (raw)
Editor's note: The Peabody Essex Museum provided source material to Resource Library for the following article and essay. If you have questions or comments regarding the source material, please contact the Peabody Essex Museum directly through either this phone number or web address:
- 978-745-1876
- http://www.pem.org
The Yachting Photography of Willard B. Jackson
May 20, 2006 - January 21, 2007
Photographer Willard Bramwell Jackson (18711940) could often be found motoring his sleek white powerboat, Alison, rapidly around a sailboat in the waters off Marblehead, Massachusetts. In his work, Jackson captured the many dimensions of yachting with meticulous artistry -- from graceful boat designs to a sporting life of outdoor exhilaration, to the intimate affinity sailors share with their vessels at sea. Through January 21, 2007, the Peabody Essex Museumis featuring over 50 works from the museum's major collection of vintage photographs in the exhibition The Yachting Photography of Willard B. Jackson. Most of the photographs in the exhibition, some measuring 25 by 30 inches, were created from large-format glass-plate negatives, resulting in images of exceptional detail and richness.
"Jackson was a highly capable photographer who was also extremely knowledgeable about the boats he chose to shoot," said Daniel Finamore, the Russell W. Knight Curator of Maritime Art and History at the Peabody Essex Museum. "As a result, his photographs have great depth and tonality, while also emphasizing the finest and most engaging attributes of his boats."
Willard B. Jackson began working shortly after the introduction of dry-plate emulsion, which allowed photographic exposures to be measured in fractions of seconds instead of minutes-an essential development for a photographer of fast-moving yachts. He constructed most of his compositions from the platform of his own vessel, controlling the apparent motion of boat, water, and air. He adapted his photographic technique for the special requirements of the marine environment by manipulating reflections and contrasts, often backlighting sails to create the dynamic, rich photographs on view in the exhibition.
Jackson worked from 1898 to1937, the apex of competitive yachting and leisure boating in America. While he specialized in photographing great sailing yachts such as the famous designs of Edward Burgess, B. B. Crowninshield, and L. Francis Herreshoff, Jackson also trained his lens on motorized craft and speedboats, elegant pleasure cruisers, and the occasional working schooner. Additionally, Jackson's landscapes capture the narrow streets and colonial homes of old Marblehead, with a harbor dominated by elegant Gilded Age yacht clubs.
The Yachting Photography of Willard B. Jackson is accompanied by the publication of the first book on Jackson's work, featuring 100 prints with commentary by Matt Murphy and an introductory biography of Jackson by Daniel Finamore. The book was released by Commonwealth Editions in May 2006.
(above: Steam yacht Avenal, 1900, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Marblehead, Massachusetts. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978)
(above: Sailing dory Carratus in Marblehead harbor, 1932, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Marblehead, Massachusetts. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978.)
(above: Q class yachts Dorothy Q and Little Rhody II in Salem Sound, 1907, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Off Salem, Massachusetts. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978.)
(above: Eleanor, 1907, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978. )
(above: Sloop yacht Lady, 1909, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978. )
(above: Lady + Sally X, 1905, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978.)
(above: Schooner yacht Malay, 1929, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978.)
(above: Raceabout Start off Marblehead Neck, 1901, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Marblehead, Massachusetts. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978.)
(above: Schooner yacht Resolute, 1926, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978.)
(above: Tilly VI, Wannsee, Gluckauf IV (The German Contestants for the Roosevelt Cup), 1906, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Marblehead, Massachusetts. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978.)
(above: J boat Vanitie, 1929, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978.)
(above: Sonder class yacht Wolf, 1909, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978.)
(above: J boat Yankee, 1930, Willard B. Jackson. Gelatin silver print. Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978.)
Editor's note: The following essay was reprinted in Resource Library on August 11, 2006 with the permission of thePeabody Essex Museumand the author. If you have questions or comments regarding the essay, or wish to obtain a copy of the catalogue from which it is excerpted, please contact the Peabody Essex Museum directly.
The Yachting Photography of Willard B. Jackson
By Daniel Finamore
The Yachting Photography of Willard B. Jackson, opening May 20, 2006, draws from PEM's major collection of vintage photographs printed by Jackson, and from more than three thousand of Jackson's negatives --- many of which were rescued from a fire after his death. The selection of images was based primarily on artistic quality, which Jackson achieved through creative camera and darkroom technique, and on diversity of subject matter.
In a scene repeated thousands of times during the heyday of American yachting, a sleek white launch motored rapidly around a sailboat in the waters off Marblehead, Massachusetts. One indication of the boat's specialized purpose was the launch's unusual cockpit cover -- an elevated canvas tarp that protected the forward interior from direct sunlight, partially obscuring the helmsman's view. More distinctive, however, was the odd shape jutting from the cockpit in a precarious vertical fashion. Local sailors knew this to be an enormous bellows camera mounted on a tripod, with stooped torso and legs protruding from under a black tarp at the rear.
Almost as ubiquitous as a class race on a July Saturday was the presence of Willard Jackson photographing boats, particularly around the region's yachting capital in Marblehead. Any size or type of boat could become the focus of his lens, from tiny Swampscott dories owned by his neighbors to the smoke-belching steam yachts that belonged to Wall Street moguls.
Jackson was born in Boston in 1871 and raised for the most part a few miles north, in Salem.[1]Willard's father, Henry Bramwell Jackson, had emigrated from England and made his career representing Jessop & Sons, a steel company based in Sheffield, England, as manager for American sales. Willard's mother, Geraldine (Gardner), had grown up in Bristol, Rhode Island, in a family that was acquainted with Nathanael Herreshoff and others of the yacht-designing clan.
This milieu undoubtedly had an impact on Willard's choice of lifestyle and professional pursuits. As a willful teenager he decided to stay in Marblehead, where his family summered, and board in the house of some friends.[2] Whether he was seeking something specific in the rock-strewn harbor town, or simply declaring his independence, the decision proved fateful: he was to reside in Marblehead for the rest of his life. By twenty-seven he had joined his father at Jessop as a regional sales agent, but his true passion was photographing traditional, progressive, and experimental marine architecture.
The artist nurtured his innate sensibilities for marine photography through an affinity for sailing. Although his interests developed at an early age, the area yacht clubs at the time were oriented toward large and expensive boats. Marblehead's Eastern Yacht Club didn't recognize boats as yachts if they were less than thirty feet long, and opportunities to race smaller boats were infrequent. In 1887, at sixteen, Jackson joined other "Headers" (local residents of the town) and summer residents to found the Pleon Yacht Club. Though there were no age restrictions, many founders were young, like Jackson, and the organization quickly evolved into and remains a club specifically for junior sailing. [3]
Jackson worked from 1898 to 1937, the apogee of competitive yachting and leisure boating in America. He photographed the creations of Burgess and Herreshoff, and racing machines by Boardman, Cox & Stevens, and Fife -- as well as cruising boats and smaller designs by Alden, Chamberlain, Crocker, and Crowninshield. The boats he shot were built in a hundred different yards and included famous names like America, Spray, and Resolute, but he also liked the knockabouts, sailing dories, and other small craft that rarely drew a photographer's attention.
During the first couple of years of the new century Jackson's young business had already blossomed and he was selling images to nationally distributed magazines. He was single, owned two boats, and actively fostered the sport of sailing as the Commodore of the Burgess Yacht Club and as its delegate to the Yacht Racing Association of Massachusetts.[4]
Jackson never attempted to market his work to the general public, and only after eleven years of maintaining a professional log did he list himself in the town directory as a photographer, with a marine specialty.
For thirty-eight years Jackson kept a numerical listing of his pictures to identify his subjects, cross-referenced with a number and name written on the negative plate. His listing occasionally included commentary, indicating that he thought a work was "poor," "fair," "good," "best" in a series, or the accolade he reserved for only his most successful work, "fine." He also included occasional technical comments.
Personal and professional life
Jackson also took many personal photographs on smaller-format glass plate negatives. His favorite subjects were his nineteen-foot keel sloop, Lucile, and a young woman named Mary Williams Hathaway.
Willard and Mary were married at St. Michael's Church, Dorchester, in 1903. They moved directly to 48 Washington Street, Marblehead, a house made famous by a previous occupant Elbridge Gerry, a Revolutionary War patriot, Supreme Court justice, and United States vice president. A year later, their only child, Alison, was born. The family eventually purchased a house at 16 Pickett Street, which remained Jackson's home for the rest of his life.
Jackson maintained a fisherman's shanty on Front Street, near Fort Beach, as an office for his photography business and possibly his darkroom. It was adjacent to the Beachcomber's Club, a group of his friends who sailed Beachcomber or Alpha dories. His associates were the old salts -- those with ancestral associations with Marblehead who frequented rough-and-tumble fisherman's shacks rather than Federal-period mansions. They were the type of "Header" for whom the town is famous, but who live today only in legend. Known by his neighbors as a loner, Jackson's unrefined character was in sharp contrast to the beauty of his photographs. He lacked social graces. And while some thought him rude, others thought him "rather gruff and taciturn, yet not unfriendly." He was apparently a perfectionist. One neighbor noted that Jackson "knew his pictures were good," and while photographing a ship he was heard by another neighbor to chastise the captain on his imperfect rigging. [5]
A new chapter
Few of Jackson's letters and no diaries aside from his numerical photo journal survive. Although his photos were widely disseminated in print, the press paid no attention to the reticent man behind the lens. Many facets of Jackson's life remain undocumented and elusive, but perhaps the greatest unsolved mystery involves a lengthy hiatus in his photographic work. He took an average of 260 photographs annually from 1898 through 1911, when he put down his camera for the next thirteen years. Why did Jackson suspend his photography, and what did he do during the intervening time? By the outbreak of World War I, recreational sailing in America was in temporary decline and so, presumably, were opportunities for photographic commissions. It is more likely that business and personal events impeded his ability to spend time on the water and in the darkroom. By 1913, when the steel business thrived in anticipation of a European war, Willard had assumed his father's position as manager at Jessop Steel. [6]
Jackson's numerical log picks up again in 1925, beginning with the newly launched John Alden-designed Malabar VI. By this time the 1920s were in full swing and elegant yachts were the rage once more. Perhaps of more importance to Jackson, however, was that he had retired from the steel industry and now had time to pursue photography full time. Sadly, four years after he returned to marine photography, his wife, Mary, died at fifty-two. He took no photographs that year, noting only in his photo journal for 1928: "Ill all Summer, Mother died." Although Jackson's photo log closes at the end of 1936, he produced additional photographs at least into 1937. These were among the last photographs he took, though Jackson continued to list himself as a photographer until his death in 1940, at age seventy-two.
W. B. Jackson's personal technique
"Instantaneous" marine scenes had been possible by the early 1880s, when David Mason Little returned from Europe with new rapid dry-plate equipment and began photographing yachts and crashing surf.[7] The world of art photography was still enamored of the Pictorialist aesthetic, with its soft focus and vignetted borders. The Boston Camera Club, however, which approached photography strictly as a fine art, embraced members' crisp and exciting marine portraits.[8] Jackson's interests were aligned with those of the sailing community, who wanted clear and detailed images conveying the elegance of a well-trimmed sailboat in competition.
Within just a few years, Jackson had developed a technique that combined specialized camera work in a difficult environment with sophisticated manipulation of exposures in his darkroom. Jackson created negatives with both subtle and broad ranges in emulsion density. His signature compositions appear deceptively straightforward, but often they are not so much portraits of boats as they are photos of people who sail.
Faster boats allowed Jackson to circle his subject and match the speed of a fast cruiser or racing yacht, emphasizing the sense of speed by capturing it clearly while the water remained blurred. With his camera mounted on a tripod in his open launch, Jackson would circle his subject to seek out her best attributes and to look for proper lighting and background. Backlit sails added considerable drama and highlighted the translucence of canvas, but often left decks and people in shadow and skies washed out.
Jackson's inability to control the lighting, background, or even distance from his race subjects presented artistic challenges not encountered in his yacht portraits, which were taken by appointment. Sometimes he shot from the race committee boat, leaving him powerless to reorient himself or his subjects in relation to the sun. Other times, he kept a seamanlike distance from the course, leaving the subjects less prominent. The more spontaneous approach often yielded sparkling water, shimmering decks, and a large field of view that set boats in context and heightened the dynamism of competition.
Jackson further manipulated his strong highlights and shadows in the darkroom using several different papers. Many of his final products were contact printed from his glass negatives, but he also enlarged some of them with no apparent loss of clarity to 25 by 30 inches for dramatic prints. He dodged and burned extensively to downplay dark areas and highlight less dense areas on his negatives, yielding unique effects. He printed the majority of his images full frame, cropping primarily in race scenes to reduce the sense of distance from his subjects. He was meticulous with his darkroom work, but unlike others of his generation, he never sandwiched negatives to introduce clouds or other elements. Jackson worked in an environment that provided ample opportunity to share techniques. Marblehead was awash with spectators during the big summer racing events, many of which were featured in illustrated reports by the East Coast press. Jackson's personal photo collection included yachting images by Thomas E. Marr of Boston and Frederick B. Litchman, a friend and fellow Header.[9]Whether Jackson interacted with other photographers, his work maintained distinction.
An evolution
In 1930, after taking only eleven shots during the sailing season, Jackson adopted five-by-seven-inch celluloid film. He had continued to use traditional glass plate negatives long after most photographers had moved to simpler and more versatile flexible negatives, and he undoubtedly appreciated the classic formality and atmosphere that his older method created. His first subject with film was, appropriately, the power launch Manatee rocketing at top speed. Jackson most likely continued to use a tripod, but supplies for a day's work were far lighter without the large box of silver nitrate-coated glass sheets.
Unfortunately, illness dampened what should have been an exciting moment of technical discovery. He took only nine photos with his new equipment before noting in his journal: "Ill remainder of Summer." Perhaps he was motivated to give up on glass plates to reduce labor, or perhaps he decided that the uniform density and clarity of celluloid film better served his purposes. Whatever the reason, in his final six years of work Jackson appears to have exchanged tonal depth and contrast for more interesting and varied skies.
During the 1930s, Jackson donated 171 photographs of Marblehead people and street and harbor scenes to the town historical society, and several photographs of unusual craft, such as Joshua Slocum's Spray, to PEM--but the bulk of Jackson's negatives and prints were preserved only through fateful coincidence. In 1942, two years after her father's death, Jackson's daughter, Alison, moved back to Marblehead, near where she had grown up. When a fire wrought serious damage to her house in the 1960s, family friend Russell Knight, helping her clean up, noticed boxes of her father's negatives and prints that had survived relatively undamaged. Knight, a PEM trustee, was well aware of the trove's historical and artistic importance. He eventually convinced Alison to send to PEM for preservation the negatives and more than 1,200 vintage prints that had been created by Jackson in his darkroom. The assemblage became a gift upon her death in 1978.
Notes
1 This essay draws heavily on research conducted by Jean Rees, who, as a volunteer in the Peabody Essex Museum Photography Department, has spent two decades chasing countless tenuous leads for information about this elusive man.
2 Recorded interview with Ray Bowden, June 5, 1986.
3 Fowle, Leonard. "Noting Its 75th: Founding of Pleon Y.C. Called Happy Accident." Boston Sunday Globe, June 17, 1962.
4 Burgess Yacht Club Annual, 1901.
5 Recorded interview with Ray Bowden, June 5, 1986; Russell W. Knight to Tony Peluso, April 22, 1986. Personal communication with Gerald Smith, Natalie Woods, Russell W. Knight, 1985-6. Peabody Essex Museum Photo Department files. See also A. J. Peluso, 'Heaven's Broad and Simple Sunshine: The Marblehead Marine Photographers," Maine Antiques Digest, August 1986, pp. 38-C.
6 It is possible that the elder Jackson was traveling for the company, opening a new steel office in Lockport, New York, but no corroborating documentation has been found. Photography Department files, Peabody Essex Museum.
7 Little, David Mason. Instantaneous Marine Studies Taken by David Mason Little. Cupples, Upham, and Company: Boston, 1883.
8 Catalogue of the Seventh Annual Competitive Exhibition by the Members of the Boston Camera Club, The Boston Camera Club, 1895. One member who created crisp marine views was Horace Latimer.
9 A photo album in the Marblehead Historical Society includes one photo by each artist. Marr's is dated 1901. Litchman was also a co-founder of the Pleon Yacht Club along with Jackson.
_Resource Library_wishes to extend appreciation to Colette Randall of the Peabody Essex Museum for her help concerning permissions for reprinting the above text.
Wall Labels
Introduction
Willard Bramwell Jackson (18711940) began photographing yachts near the turn of the 20th century, during the apex of yachting in America and in the region where it flourished most_Marblehead, Massachusetts. Shooting primarily from his powerboat Alison, Jackson was a familiar sight on the waters off the North Shore, jockeying his craft into position to capture the beauty of sailing. He photographed famous boats like America and Resolute, as well as the knockabouts, sailing dories, and other small craft that rarely drew the attention of other photographers.
Widely published in The Rudder and Yachting magazines and The Boston Globe, Jackson enjoyed a solid reputation among his peers and clients, some of the wealthiest yacht owners in America. He composed his photographs with great care, obtaining images of remarkable quality that are a testament to his artistic vision and his technical skills as cameraman and printer. His photographs remain a compelling chronicle of American yachting, yacht clubs, and yachtsmen. This exhibition of Jackson's work is from the Peabody Essex Museum's collection of more than 4,000 prints and negatives, and confirms his stature as one of the premier yachting photographers of his day.
Camera Work
Schooner yacht Columbia, 1903
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J1646
Jackson had the ability to produce a still image of a moving vessel. This photograph is a classic example of his artistically composed portraits, the product of careful planning for the perfect angle. He has depicted the yacht slicing through a bow wave, while also backlighting the finely trimmed sails.
Columbia Designed by A. Binney | Built by George F. Lawley & Sons, S. Boston, 1895 | 60_ Length overall, 40_ Length waterline | Owned by Frank Lovitt
J-boat Vanitie, 1929
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J4369
It is often difficult to realize the sheer enormity of some of the yachts that Jackson photographed. This image is of the 118-foot Vanitie, winner of the Cleopatra's Barge Cup in1926. By framing her in a vertical format, with the huge mast at a diagonal, seemingly ready to pierce the frame, he emphasized Vanitie's size.
Vanitie Designed by William Gardner & Co. | Built by George F. Lawley & Son, S. Boston, 1914 | 118_ Length overall, 75_ Length waterline | Owned by Gerard B. Lambert
Schooner yacht Malay, 1929
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J4422
This dramatic image of Malay cruising through open water required that Jackson pay particular attention to conditions of light, wind, and water to achieve his desired results. In order to backlight the sails, he needed to orient the sun diagonally in front of the camera. Although this arrangement could usually leave the deck in shadow, Jackson avoided that effect by capturing the schooner heeling to starboard.
Malay Designed by W. J. Roue | Built by Shelburne Ship Builders Ltd., Shelburne, Nova Scotia, 1924 | 45.3_ Length overall, 34.5_ Length waterline | Owned by Raymond W. Ferris
Sloop Chewink III, 1902
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J1416
Jackson's signature compositions, like this serene photograph, appear deceptively straightforward. However, it was a challenge to capture the reflection of the boat on the water, requiring careful focus on both. From one moment to the next, shifting winds could produce ripples on the water, or clouds could obscure the sun.
Chewink III Designed by W. Starling Burgess | Built by D. Fenton, Manchester, Mass., 1902 | 53_ Length overall, 25_ Length waterline | Owned by Frank G. Macomber, Jr.
Marblehead Harbor, Aug. 15, 1925
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J3951
M27755.J3952
This two-plate panorama reveals the time that elapsed between one photograph and the next. After taking the picture on the left, Jackson had to remove and store the glass plate negative, put a new plate into his camera, and then set up for the second shot. In this time, the small boat under sail in the foreground of the first shot has coasted and dropped her sail in the second photograph.
Sloop Sally VII, 1903
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J1557
Maintaining sky, sea, and sail in clear focus, Jackson also depicted the small crew of Sally VII struggling to set the spinnaker. The headsail is blown full but appears to be caught in a line and is almost dipping into the water. This photograph probably satisfied the photographer far more than the client, since it does not portray seamanship at its best.
Sally VII Designed by Frederic D. Lawley | Built by George F. Lawley & Son, S. Boston, 1903 | 58_ Length overall, 24.5_ Length waterline | Owned by Laurence F. Percival
Knockabout Malillian II, 1902
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J1051
When photographing a fast cruiser or racing yacht like Malillian II, Jackson could travel on his powerboat at a speed equal to that of his subject. This enabled him to photograph his subject and her occupants clearly.
Malillian II Designed by Bowdoin B. Crowninshield | Built by J. E. Graves, Marblehead, Mass., 1902 | 30.3_ Length overall, 17.3_ Length waterline | Owned by F.L. Woods
Sailing dory Sunny Jim, 1907
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2549
Among Jackson's many talents as a photographer was his ability to capture the expressions and demeanor of the people aboard a yacht. His images are portraits of boats as well as photographs of
the people sailing them. Even though most of Sunny Jim's crew have their backs to the camera, the photograph still conveys a strong sense of the sailors' involvement in their tasks.
Sunny Jim Designed by Charles D. Mower | 21_ Length overall, 15.6_ Length waterline | Owned by Sidney T. Doane
Powerboat Manatee, 1930
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J3N
In 1930, Jackson moved away from glass plate negatives, which he had used longer than most other photographers of the time, to 5_ x 7_ celluloid film. Fittingly, the first subject taken with his new modern camera, which had a faster shutter speed, was this photograph of a powerboat.
Manatee 51_ Length overall, 50_ Length waterline | Owned by Laurence F. Percival
Sloop Good Hope, 1937
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J702N
When he shifted to celluloid film, Jackson exchanged the tonal depth and contrast of his earlier glass plate works for the density and clarity of emulsion, seen here in the variegated sky. Good Hope, a custom design for B. Devereux Barker, then Commodore of the Eastern Yacht Club, is one of the few boats surviving from the era pictured in this exhibition and is the only owner-operated, classic pre-war charter vessel in the Caribbean today.
Good Hope Designed by Belknap & Paine, Inc. | Built by George F. Lawley & Son, Neponset, Mass., 1937 | 63.3_ Length overall, 44_ Length waterline
Sonder boat Lady, 1909
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J3100
Lady Designed by Edwin Augustus Boardman | Built by D. Fenton, Manchester, Mass., 1909 | 34.1_ Length overall, 19.7' Length waterline | Owned by R. de B. Boardman and Charles W. Foss
Powerboat Brownie, 1931
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J51N
Brownie Designed by Samuel H. Brown, Jr. | Built by William H. Brown, Marblehead, Mass., 1931 |
25_ Length overall, 24.4_ Length waterline | Owned by Frederic L. Woods
Darkroom
Steam yacht Remlik, 1908
Glass plate negative
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
This glass plate negative of Dr. Willis Sharpe Kilmer's yacht illustrates how Jackson created negatives with both subtle and broad ranges in emulsion density. Initially, he used 8_ x 10_ or smaller glass negatives, but in 1903 he upgraded to 10_ x 12_ size, which were more unwieldy but provided even greater clarity and detail. Later, Jackson selected among various sizes depending on his subject and the effect desired. Like the inverted image of this negative, Remlik is the reverse of her owner's name.
Remlik Designed by W. S. Bailey | Built by Cook, Wetton & Gemmell, Hull, England, 1903 | 199_ Length overall, 166_ Length waterline
Willard B. Jackson's sloop yacht Lucile, 1903
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
While many of Jackson's photographs were composed with attention to light and weather conditions, they were enhanced by manipulation in the darkroom. In this experimental print of his yacht Lucile, Jackson has heavily dodged the sky to lighten it, marked by the faint border that outlines the boat's mainsail. This technique involved moving an opaque object, often a card or a hand, over the area to be lightened while developing the print.
Lucile Designed by Willard B. Jackson | Built by J. Love, Marblehead, Mass., 1896 | 19_ Length overall, 17.5_ Length waterline
Sloop Carina II, 1905
Marblehead, Mass.
Gold toned gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2010
Jackson utilized several different types of photographic paper depending on the purpose of his final print. For his finest work, he used gold toned gelatin silver paper, which offered a great range of subtle tonal variations and produced a robust, almost three-dimensional image, as seen in this photograph.
Carina II Designed by Frederic D. Lawley | Built by George F. Lawley & Son, S. Boston, 1900 | 39_ Length overall, 25_ Length waterline | Owned by C. B. & H. S. Wheelock
Raceabout Oivana, 1900
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J498
Oivana is a good example of an early Jackson yacht portrait. He draws attention to the vessel by placing it in the center of the frame and increasing the brightness around the periphery of the image. This approach is reminiscent of the way earlier maritime photographers created streamlined vignettes of their subjects.
Oivana 37_ Length overall, 23.6_ Length waterline | Owned by R. Boardman
Sloop Fritter off Marblehead Neck, 1904
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Caleb Loring, 1952
M8007
While many of Jackson's photographs were contact printed from glass negatives, he also enlarged some of them for dramatic oversized prints. Although these images could be as big as 25_ x 30_, Jackson's crisp and dense negatives allowed for increasing the size with little loss of clarity.
Fritter Designed by Burgess & Packard | Built by Burgess & Packard, Salem, Mass., 1904 | 30.9_ Length overall, 18_ Length waterline | Owned by Caleb Loring
Business
Auxiliary ketch Odysseus, 1907
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2599
The artist held this photograph, with its backlit sails and brooding clouds, in high regard. In his professional log, Jackson rated some of his images "poor," "fair," "good," or "best" in a series. He reserved "fine" for his most successful works, like this photograph, which he printed even after the glass negative cracked.
Odysseus Designed by Cox & Stevens | Built by Purdy & Collison, City Island, N.Y., 1906 | 44_ Length overall, 30.6_ Length waterline | Owned by John Hayes Hammond Jr.
Sloop Heron, 1906
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2258
No diaries and few letters belonging to Jackson exist today, so many facets of his life remain undocumented. His professional log in the museum's collection provides a glimpse of how he viewed his own work. From this journal, we know that he rated this photograph of Heron as "good."
Heron Designed by J. R. Purdon | Built by W. B. Stearns, Marblehead, Mass., 1900 | 53.5_ Length overall, 34.8_ Length waterline | Owned by Walter I. Badger
Tilly VI, Wannsee, Gluckauf IV, 1906
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2416
In this photograph, which Jackson rated "best" of a series, he portrayed the three German entrants that vied for the Roosevelt Cup in 1906, the first time German and American yachtsmen competed against each other in the United States.
Tilly VI- 32.8_ Length overall, 21.7_ Length waterline | Owned by Consuls General Dollman & R. Krogmann
Wannsee Designed by Max Oertz | Built by Max Oertz, Hamburg, Germany, ca.1906 | 32.5_ Length overall, 20.6_ Length waterline | Owned by the Seglerhaus Yacht Club, Berlin
Gluckauf IV Designed by Max Oertz | Built by Max Oertz, Hamburg, Germany, ca.1906 | 32.5_ Length overall, 20.6_ Length waterline | Owned by Gustav Stinnes
Willard B. Jackson's powerboat Alison in Marblehead Harbor, ca. 1906
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
This photograph of Jackson's sleek white powerboat, named after his daughter, was probably taken on her launching day. Jackson took photographs of yachts on the water from this boat for most of his career. Though not visible here, the boat generally carried an elevated canvas tarp forward of the cockpit to protect his large bellows camera from sun and spray.
Alison 36.6_ Length overall, 34_ Length waterline
Sailing dory Carratus in Marblehead Harbor, 1932
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J183N
A small number of dedicated clients supported the majority of Jackson's business. One of his primary patrons, Charles Henry Wheelwright Foster, is shown here in one of the smallest of more than 60 pleasure boats he owned during his lifetime. Foster, a Marblehead yachtsman, assembled a collection of nearly 1,700 yachting photographs in albums that he kept in the lobby of his Marblehead Hotel.
Sonder boat Wolf, 1909
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Lent by Samuel Vaughan
Jackson sold individual prints to the designers and owners of the yachts he photographed, such as this image of Wolf, owned by Caleb Loring. The photograph depicts Augustus P. Loring, Sr., with two of his children_Caleb at the bow and May at the helm. The designer of this Sonder boat, W. Starling Burgess, became Augustus P. Loring's ward at the age of 12. Burgess would go on to design many vessels for Loring's children.
Wolf Built by W. Starling Burgess, Marblehead, Mass., 1909 | 33.7_ Length overall, 19.3_ Length waterline
Steam yacht Beth, 1908
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Augustus P. Loring III, 1952
M27756.J2746
Jackson used an alpha-numerical system to identify his subjects and track his photographs. In the lower left corner of his negatives, he inscribed the vessel name or race description, followed by a number. This system makes it relatively easy to identify his work today, since the inscriptions can be cross-referenced with his professional log to identify the year the picture was taken.
Beth Designed by W. Starling Burgess | Built by Burgess & Packard, Marblehead, Mass., 1908 | 45.6_ Length overall, 45_ Length waterline | Owned by Charles P. Burgess
Photographing Famous Yachts
Schooner yacht Resolute, 1926
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J4077
Jackson photographed Resolute, a highly successful and expensive yacht, in a serene sea that contrasts markedly with her reputation for speed. Though she carries a schooner rig in this image, Resolute was originally designed as a gaff sloop for the 1914 America'sCup, which was postponed to 1920 because of World War I. Resolute won the cup, and when E. Walter Clark purchased her in 1925, she was converted to a schooner and continued to be a successful racer.
Resolute Designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff | Built by Herreshoff Mfg. Co., Bristol, R.I., 1914 | 106.3_ Length overall, 75_ Length waterline
Sloop Violet, 1907
Gold toned gelatin silver print
Gift of Willard B. Jackson, 1939
M4820
Violet was the second boat built by the famous yacht designer Nathanael Greene Herreshoff. Soon after she was launched in 1866, the teenage Nathanael sailed Violet in a trial race against his father, Charles Frederick Herreshoff, and lost. Enraged by his poor performance, Nathanael destroyed the half-hull model used to build the boat. Violet wasalso the site of the founding of the Boston Yacht Club. Jackson photographed this important yacht at the end of her career, a year before she burned in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
Violet Designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff | 36.6_ Length overall, 33_ Length waterline | Owned by H. J. McKee
Sloop Gloriana, 1908
Gelatin silver print
Bequest of B. B. Crowninshield, 1950
M27757.J2813
The Gloriana revolutionized yacht design in the late 19th century. Built in 1891 by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, Gloriana's graceful spoon bow and lengthened waterline represent a departure from boats with sharp angled stems, allowing her to achieve greater speeds and stability. Within one season, her bow became the talk of the yachting world. New boats were designed with this innovation, and existing craft were rebuilt in her image.
Gloriana Designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff | 71_ Length overall, 46.6_ Length waterline | Owned by Gordon Abbott
J-boat Yankee, 1930
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J4489
J-boats were the foremost designs under the American Universal Rule of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Yankee was the strongest contender for the right to defend the America's Cup in 1930. However, when the final series of cup trials off Newport was cancelled due to poor weather, the New York Yacht Club's racing committee chose Harold Vanderbilt's Enterprise over Yankee, believing that the former sailed better in light weather. Ironically, Jackson's photograph shows Yankee in a calm sea that does little to convey her speed.
Yankee Designed by Paine, Belknap & Skene | Built by George F. Lawley & Son, Neponset, Mass., 1930 | 126_ Length overall, 85_ Length waterline | Owned by John S. Lawrence, Charles Francis Adams, and Chandler Hovey.
Seawanhaka Cup winner Manchester, 1905
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Lent by the Manchester Yacht Club
The word scow usually evokes the image of a slow, broad-hulled barge used to haul freight or garbage. However, early 20th-century racing scows like Manchester were very fast when heeled over. Jackson captured the speed of Manchester in 1905, the year she competed for the Seawanhaka Cup, an international racing tournament for small boats that is second in prestige only to the America'sCup. She broke several records en route to victory.
Manchester Designed by Edwin Augustus Boardman | Built by D. Fenton, Manchester, Mass., 1905 | 39.1_ Length overall, 24.8_ Length waterline | Owned by J. L. Bremer
Schooner yacht Elena, 1911
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J3646
Jackson photographed Elena in a familiar position_ahead of her competition. This sleek vessel was rarely defeated in her first season of racing, a harbinger of her great career. Within three years, Elena won the most important races in America_the Clark Cup, the prize for the Eastern Yacht Club's invitational race around Cape Cod, three years in a row; the Puritan Cup, awarded during the Eastern Yacht Club's Annual Regatta to the yacht with the best corrected time, twice; and the Astor Cup for schooners, given to the winner of an annual New York Yacht Club race, once. [88]
Elena Designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff | Built by Herreshoff Mfg. Co., Bristol, R.I., 1911 | 136.6_ Length overall, 96_ Length waterline | Owned by Morton F. Plant
Sloop Spray, 1905
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Willard B. Jackson, 1939
M27759
Jackson's photograph of Spray shows no sign of a crew. This was not unusual, since Spray sailed most of the time with her wheel fastened and her captain, Joshua Slocum, below deck. From 1895 to 1898 Slocum made the first known solo circumnavigation of the globe on Spray. His narrative of the voyage, Sailing Alone Around the World, is still in print today.
Spray 36.9_ Length overall
Sonder boat Vim, 1906
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Lent by the Eastern Yacht Club
At the turn of the 20th century, there was increased interest in establishing an international yachting event between the United States and Germany. In 1906, the Roosevelt Cup was created, to be raced in boats conforming to the German Sonder class rule. Vim was one of the new American Sonders built for the race, and she had an advantage over her competition_she possessed a full-time boat keeper, a professional skipper, and two paid crewmen.
Vim Designed by William Gardner | Built by George F. Lawley & Son, S. Boston, 1906 | 35.6_ Length overall, 19.2_ Length waterline | Owned by Trenor L. Park
Racing
Start 18 footers, E.Y.C., 7-2-04
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J1774
Jackson's racing scenes, like this shot of an 18-foot class race, were a challenge for the photographer. Yacht portraits were made by appointment, allowing Jackson to wait for the proper lighting and weather conditions, but he had no control over these elements during a race. Still, this photograph accurately captures the intensity of the competition, as described by The Boston Globe: "The 18-footers were all in a bunch going across the starting line, so close that it was difficult to tell which had the advantage."
Just After Start, Sept. 6, 1906
Marblehead, Mass.
Gold toned gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2442
During races, Jackson often photographed from committee boats or in his own boat at a distance from the course. This enabled him to capture the racing boats during the height of competition, as in this photograph taken during the third race of the Roosevelt Cup series.
Start Third Race For "Roosevelt" Cup, Sept. 6, 1906
Marblehead, Mass.
Gold toned gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2444
The photograph provides a clear depiction of tacking_moving a boat's bow through the wind in order to bring the wind to the other side of the vessel. Tacking turned out to be the main story of this race. While tacking, the forestay of the American Sonder Auk caught the end of Vim's boom. This unintentional foul knocked Vim off course. In an act of good sportsmanship, Auk, captained by the famed helmsman Charles Francis Adams, immediately pulled out of the race, allowing Vim to win.
Lady and Sally X, 1909
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J3095
Here Jackson has taken advantage of the spontaneous nature of the sport, which often provided a large field of view to set boats in context. He heightened the drama of this competition by positioning his camera at the stern of the two boats, creating a unique vantage point of the race.
Lady Designed by Edwin Augustus Boardman | Built by D. Fenton, Manchester, Mass., 1909 | 34.1_ Length overall, 19.7_ Length waterline | Owned by R. de B. Boardman & Charles W. Foss
Sally X Designed by Bowdoin B. Crowninshield | Built by James D. Graves, Marblehead, Mass., 1909 | 35_ Length overall, 19_ Length waterline | Owned by Laurence F. Percival
Start Dory Class, C.Y.C., Aug. 10, 1905
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Lent by the Corinthian Yacht Club
This photograph illustrates the attraction of one-design racing, as a group of Corinthian Yacht Club X-dories race past Marblehead Rock and toward Cat Island. One-design refers to a racing class where all the boats conform to one model, limiting experimentation and reducing the cost of the craft, thus making a sailor's skill the determining factor in the outcome of a race.
X-dories Designed by Charles D. Mower | 21_ Length overall, 15.6_ Length waterline
Start 25 foot Class, Hull, 7-31, 1903
Hull, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J1543
Raceabout start off Marblehead Neck, 1901
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J878
Q-boat Eleanor, 1907
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2565
Eleanor Designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff | Built by Herreshoff Mfg. Co., Bristol, R.I., 1907 | 38.3_ Length overall, 30_ Length waterline | Owned by F. W. Fabyan
A Photographic Gallery
Sloop Zaza, 1901
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J889
Some of Jackson's photographs are not so much portraits of boats as they are images of people sailing them, such as this image of Zaza. He has caught the enthusiasm of these boaters, out for a day's sail, as they gesture to the camera.
Zaza Designed by G. P. Shute | Built by G. P. Shute, Malden, Mass., 1900 | 35_ Length overall, 21.8_ Length waterline | Owned by G. P. Shute
Steam yacht Avenel off Marblehead Neck, 1901
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J864
Many of Jackson's photographs portray recently launched yachts, but_Avenal_ was 13 years old in 1901. Grand steam yachts, with lavish interiors and dramatic clipper bows that rivaled commercial liners, were popular among American millionaires from the 1880s to the early 20th century.
Avenel Designed by Theodore Durand | Built by Theodore Durand, Brooklyn, 1888 | 138.4_ Length overall, 112_ Length waterline | Owned by William S. Spaulding & John T. Spaulding
Fishing schooner Helen B. Thomas competing in the Lipton Challenge Cup, 1907
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2613
Although best known for yacht images, Jackson also occasionally photographed commercial and naval vessels. Here, Helen B. Thomas is competing in the Lipton Challenge Cup Fishermen's Race, a one-time event held off Boston in August 1907. She was one of five of the fastest fishing vessels in New England to compete, all designed by Thomas McManus. The race trophy was donated by Scottish tea tycoon and yachtsman Sir Thomas Lipton. Helen B. Thomas arrived at the race shortly after offloading a morning catch.
Helen B. Thomas Built by Oxner & Story, Essex, Mass., 1902 | 92_ Length overall | Owned by Captain William Thomas & Cassius Hunt
Boston hooker Mollie, 1908
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Willard B. Jackson, 1939
M27758
Jackson himself donated some prints to the museum, mostly of unusual boats such as Mollie. She is a Boston hooker, an evolution of the Galway hooker mixed with American craft design. Throughout the last quarter of the 19th century, Boston hookers were used primarily for fishing. When Jackson took this photograph, hookers were obsolete as working boats, and many had been converted for day sailing.
Cowhorn Roaring Bessie, 1911
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Willard B. Jackson, 1939
M27760.J3616
Roaring Bessie is a type of Block Island boat often called a "cowhorn," since the hull's profile resembles a pair of horns. Jackson took this photograph shortly after the boat was launched, and a year later yachting reporter Winfield Thompson commented in Rudder magazine: "In every marine picture of which she formed a part she looked like a section of an old Dutch paintingIt is not unreasonable to say, therefore, that Roaring Bessie, with her rig three centuries old at least_for it was old when painted in 1642_was the most striking American yacht of 1911."
Roaring Bessie Designed by Martin C. Erismann | Built by George F. Lawley & Son, S. Boston, 1911 | 34_ Length overall, 30_ Length waterline | Owned by Martin C. Erismann
Schooner Mattie J. Alles, 1929
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J4475
Coastal schooners, especially the three-masted varieties like the Mattie J. Alles, were a common sight in Salem well into the 20th century. At the time this photograph was taken, wood for home construction was in great demand and can be seen piled high on the schooner's deck.
Mattie J. Alles Built by Hutchins & Stubbs, Yarmouth, Maine, 1883 | 120.1_ Length overall | Owned by William F. Ogilvie
Sloop yacht Athene, 1901
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J838
Athene was built in 1899 by Nathanael Herreshoff for William O. Gay of Boston, and drew 11 feet of water. Around the time that Jackson took this photograph, Herreshoff constructed four similar yachts that drew 15 feet of water; these became the 70-footers of the New York Yacht Club. When Gay asked Herreshoff if his Athene could beat these new boats in a race, Herreshoff replied, "Yes, where there is less than 15 feet of water."
Athene Designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff | 102.6_ Length overall, 70_ Length waterline
Unidentified yacht, n.d.
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
Cabin launch Davy Jones, 1906
Marblehead, Mass.
Gold toned gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2231
Davy Jones Designed by Small Brothers | Built by G. B. Loring, E. Braintree, Mass., 1906 | 39.4_ Length overall, 35_ Length waterline | Owned by Richard Hutchinson
Schooner yacht Shiyessa IV, 1911
Gelatin silver print
Lent by the Boston Yacht Club
Shiyessa IV Designed by Frederic D. Lawley | Built by George F. Lawley & Son, S. Boston, 1906 | 90_ Length overall, 60_ Length waterline | Owned by Alfred Douglass, Commodore of the Boston Yacht Club 19091912
Powerboat Spindle, 1927
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J4292
Spindle Designed and built by George F. Lawley & Son, Neponset, Mass., 1926 | 68_ Length overall, 67.8_ Length waterline | Owned by Frank J. Fahey
Scow Massachusetts, 1910
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J3441
Massachusetts Designed by Edwin Augustus Boardman | Built by D. Fenton, Manchester, Mass., 1910 | 42_ Length overall, 25_ Length waterline | Owned by the Manchester Yacht Club syndicate
Schooner yacht Indra, 1907
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2543
Indra Designed by Frederic D. Lawley | Built by George F. Lawley & Son, S. Boston, 1900 | 72_ Length overall, 45.1_ Length waterline | Owned by I. L. Merrill
Sloop Tayac, 1903
Marblehead, Mass.
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J1608
Tayac Designed by Burgess & Packard | Built by David Fenton, 1903 | 37.8_ Length overall, 21.8_ Length waterline | Owned by William H. Joyce
Objects in Cases
Willard B. Jackson's Photographic Album, ca. 1906
Lent by the Marblehead Museum and Historical Society
In addition to his professional work, Jackson also took photographs of his friends and family, as well as Marblehead views for himself. This album is open to images of his own sailboat, the 19-foot keel sloop Lucile, which Jackson designed.
Yacht Racing Association of Massachusetts Racing Rules, 1901
A. T. Bliss & Co.
Boston
Gift of Francis B. Lothrop
GV 823.Y3 M3 1901
Though he photographed a wide variety of watercraft, Jackson did not market his work to the general public. Instead, he advertised in specialist publications. His "yacht photographs taken by appointment" were targeted to a small number of dedicated clients.
Annual Catalogue 1907, Yachts for Sale and Charter
Thomson & Co.
New York
1060 M338 1907
One of Jackson's important clients throughout his career was the yacht designer B. B. Crowninshield, who also ran a brokerage firm based in Boston and New York. He used Jackson's photographs in his annual sale catalogs, as well as in his classic book Fore-and-Afters, published the year of Jackson's death. Crowninshield also purchased Jackson's prints of his own boats and those he had designed.
Program, First Grand International Yachting Festival, 1906
N. Allen Lindsey & Co.
Marblehead, Mass.
FP 797.6 K1
Jackson's photographs appeared in the program for the First Grand International Yachting Festival held in Marblehead, known as the Roosevelt Cup. During pre-race negotiations between the Americans and the Germans, Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm suggested that President Theodore Roosevelt give a prize to the winner of the series. Instead, Roosevelt offered to sponsor the event by lending his name to the trophy, recognizing that the racing series was important to international diplomacy.
Glass Positives
Dorothy Q and Little Rhody II_, M.Y.C., Jul. 13, 1907_
Glass positive
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2568.1
Jackson used an unusual photographic technique to produce this dramatic image of two Q-boats racing in Salem Sound. He layered together three pieces of glass_a gelatin silver transparency sandwiched between the cover glass and a section of etched glass_to produce a translucent glass positive. When placed in a window, the image appears three-dimensional due to the backlighting.
Dorothy Q Designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff | Built by Herreshoff Mfg. Co., Bristol, R.I., 1907 | 37_ Length overall, 25_ Length waterline | Owned by Hollis Burgess & Frederick L. Gay
Little Rhody II Designed by G. Owen | Built by Hodgdon Bros., E. Boothbay, Maine, 1907 | 37.6_ Length overall, 25.6_ Length waterline | Owned by Charles F. Tillinghast
Start Third Race For "Roosevelt" Cup, Sept. 6, 1906
Marblehead, Mass.
Glass positive
Gift of Alison H. Jackson, 1978
M27755.J2445.1
Jackson's glass positives were created to enhance the three-dimensionality of his photographs. He took this image from a higher vantage point than usual, probably from atop the cabin of a race
committee boat. In the foreground, the German Sonder boat Tilly VI tacks in front of another German competitor, Wannsee. In Jackson's professional log, he noted "Foul" next to the entry for this photograph. Tilly VI had knocked into Wannsee's forestay, setting both boats off course. Wannsee protested after the race to no avail.
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