NYC Whiteout, Vivienne Gucwa from her book NY Through The Lens | Tumblr
A sad sight at the South Street Seaport today, as the merchant vessel named Peking, whose four towering masts – which have become a staple of the Downtown skyline, arguably just as much as its skyscrapers – is gone after 41 years in NYC.
Built in 1911, the Peking was one the last generation of windjammers used in the nitrate trade and wheat trade. Transporting among other products bird droppings, from South America to Europe, the ship navigated some of the most and violent waters in the world.
In 1929 she was filmed in a now famous sail training video during a trip around Cape Horn by Sail Training pioneer Irving Johnson who documenting the extreme and dangerous journey.
In 1975 the vessel was sold to the South Street Seaport museum where it became a landmark on the skyline, occupying a site with a rich maritime history which was once one of the busiest ports in the world. In need of repairs and maintenance, neither the museum or city could produce the funds needed. Fearing she would be scrapped, the German government offered to take the Peking back to its original port in Hamburg where they are investing $30 million for a complete restoration. In place of the Peking the 1885 wrought-iron sailing ship Wavertree has been undergoing a $13 million dollar city-funded restoration in Staten Island and will take the Peking’s place in the Seaport. The Wavertree is one of the last surviving ships of its kind and will be a nice addition to the Seaport, however is a shame that the city was unable to produce the needed funds, especially when you take into account the price tag of the WTC Oculus which has turned into a massive Westfield mall over the past month. (at South Street Seaport Manhattan)
axlaru