Museum Collections
Lee Shore by W.A. Coulter (SAFR 5332)
NPS photo
Our nation's maritime history is reflected in the museum collections of San Francisco Maritime NHP. The collections represent the endeavors of people making their living from the sea, from the immigrant seaman to the head of a maritime corporation, from the naval architect to the sailmaker. Letters, documents, photographs, books, charts, maps, plans, parts of large vessels, small craft, fine art, tools, clothing, and personal effects all help to tell the story of America's maritime heritage. Objects: The museum object collection numbers approximately 35,000 items. It runs the gamut from large parts of sailing vessels rescued from an undignified demise, to fine art created for the documentation and admiration of such vessels. There are items from the everyday lives of people making their living at sea, and of those who became wealthy from their maritime endeavors. The object collection is a treasure trove of the iconic to the practical, containing tangible links that help bring maritime history to life. Archives: The Archival Collections concern the history and achievements of seafaring Americans primarily of the Pacific Coast of North America covering the span of history from the California Gold Rush era to the recent past. They include paper records (such as manuscripts, naval architecture and marine engineering drawings), photographs, film and video, and audio records on tape and digital media. The major subjects encompassed in the archives are oceanic and coastal trade, the San Francisco Bay and river systems, marine harvesting, marine business, labor and shore-based support activities. Library: The Library Collections consist of over 34,000 book and periodical titles dating from 1536 to the present, 50,000 pieces of ephemera, over 3000 maps and charts covering the Pacific Basin and the West Coast of the United States dating from 1850 to the present, audio, and video materials in multiple formats. Small Craft: The Park also holds more than one hundred traditional and significant small craft, providing a fine introduction to boatbuilding and maritime trades, in its Small Craft Collections. Research Guides and Pathfinders:
Bibliographies of holdings compiled by Park staff:
In Our CollectionsA sampling of items from our Collections |
Full Fathom Five, down deep in the collections
Collections FAQ
Did You Know?
19th century San Francisco was a hard drinking town. The sailing ship Balclutha helped quench that thirst by delivering cargoes containing Scotch whiskey, Dutch bitters, French vermouth and ales and liquors of all kinds. More...