History of Henry J. Gielow, Incorporated
business trip.
Henry J. Gielows’s successor was Joseph A. MacDonald. MacDonald joined Henry J. Gielow, Inc. shortly after World War I and became its top salesman and eventually president of the company after Gielow’s death. The years between 1923-1929 were one of the wealthiest periods of U.S. history and Gielow, Inc. took the opportunity to sell large private yachts to wealthy clients. MacDonald, like Henry J. Gielow, succumbed to a fatal heart attack, passing away on January 11, 1935. The next president of Gielow Inc. was W. M. Rice, who turned the company over to a new prospect: floating power plants as America’s wealthy were no longer interested or capable of purchasing the ornate vessels of the past.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Records of Henry J. Gielow, Incorporated are arranged by series as described below. The collection was loosely organized originally and as much as possible of that organization has been maintained, especially in series 5, 6 and 7. The remainder of the papers have been arranged chronologically within series that represent different groups of items found throughout the collection.
Series 1: Business correspondence. 1937-1970
Series 2: Vessel descriptions. 1929-1970
Series 3: Brochures and catalogs. 1935-1970
Series 4: Newspaper clippings. 1935-1992
Series 5: Manuscript drafts. 1968-1969
Series 6: Lists/Notes of yachts, dates, owners, and addresses. 1920-1948
Series 7: Notebooks/Journals. 1927-1946
Series 8: Stock certificates, ledgers, and proposals. 1920-1957
Series 9: Vessel drawings. Undated
Series 10: Henry J. Gielow, Incorporated portfolios and stationary. Undated
Series 11: Miscellaneous papers. 1929-undated
Series 12:: Volumes. Undated
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Available for use in the Manuscripts Division
Restrictions on Use
Various copying restriction apply. Guidelines are available from the Manuscripts Division.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the G. W. Blunt White Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Persons:
Gielow, J. Henry, (1855-1925)
MacDonald, A. Joseph
MacDonald, A. Joseph, (1895-1935)
Rice, W.M
Corporate Bodies (Including Vessels):
All Alone (Yacht)
Caroline (Yacht)
Hi Esmaro (Yacht)
Subjects:
Mobile Floating Power Plants
United States. Navy. World War, 1939-1945
Yacht building
Yachting
Yachts
Occupations:
Naval architects–United States
Yacht designers–United States
Return to the Table of Contents
Administrative Information
Coll. 345, Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
| Series 1: Business correspondence. 1937-1970 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Miscellaneous; 1937-1969 (14 pieces) | |||||||||||
| 2 | U.S. Army/ Navy; 1944-1954 (10 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Mobile Floating Power Plants; 1944-1955 (17 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Mobile Floating Power Plants; 1945-1955 (43 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Mobile Floating Power Plants; 1953-1954 (6 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Mobile Floating Power Plants; 1953-1955 (2 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 7 | MacDonald research; 1967-1968 (10 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 8 | MacDonald research; 1968 (42 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 9 | MacDonald research; 1968-1969 (31 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 10 | MacDonald research; 1968-1969 (71 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 11 | MacDonald research; 1968-1970 (45 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 12 | MacDonald research; 1969 (2 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 13 | MacDonald research; 1975 (18 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| Series 2: Vessel descriptions. 1929-1970 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 14 | CAROLINE (Yacht); 1931 (25 pieces) | |||||||||||
| 15 | CAROLINE (Yacht); undated (7 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 16 | HI-ESMARO (Yacht); 1929-1970 (68 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 17 | HI-ESMARO (Yacht); 1929-1967 (25 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 18 | SYLVIA (Yacht); 1930 (9 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| Series 3: Brochures and catalogs. 1935-1970 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | “The Marine News”; 1935 (1 piece) | |||||||||||
| 2 | Chris-Craft Freedom Fleet; 1955 (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Henry R. Hinckley & Company Comparison; 1955 (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 4 | The Matthews Company; 1955 (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 5 | “Yachting”; 1966-1968 (70 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 6 | “Yachting”; 1970 (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Charles Hardy, Inc. Albatross; undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 8 | ALL ALONE (Yacht); undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 9 | CAROLINE (Yacht); undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Lone Star Boat Manufacturing Company; undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Southwest Manufacturing Aluminum Motor Boats; undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Surrette Marine Batteries; undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| Series 4: Newspaper clippings. 1935-1992 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 13 | “Joseph A. MacDonald”; 1935 (6 pieces) | |||||||||||
| 14 | “B.I.W.-Built Aletes (Hull 138) Converted DIesel Yacht, Made Fine War Record With Royal Navy” and “The Meeting Place”; 1946-1992 (3 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| Series 5: Manuscript drafts. 1968-1969 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 15 | Joseph A. MacDonald; 1968 (5 pieces) | |||||||||||
| 16 | Joseph A. MacDonald; 1969 (45 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 17 | Joseph A. MacDonald; undated (2 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 18 | Joseph A. MacDonald; undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| Series 6: Lists/Notes of yachts, dates, owners, and addresses. 1920-1948 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 19 | Yachts designed by Henry J. Gielow, Inc. over 100 ft; 1920-1931 (1 piece) | |||||||||||
| 20 | Miscellaneous; 1922-1932 (10 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 21 | Yachts and owners; 1925-1935 (6 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 22 | Miscellaneous; 1927-1929 (10 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 23 | “Lloyd’s Register of American Yachts Addenda”; 1947-1948 (3 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 24 | Name of yacht, length, and owner; undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 25 | Miscellaneous; undated (10 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 26 | Passenger and cargo vessels; undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| Series 7: Notebooks/Journals. 1927-1946 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | Miscellaneous; 1927 (9 pieces) | |||||||||||
| 2 | Names and addresses; 1928-1929 (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Miscellaneous; 1930 (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Henry J. Gielow, Inc. expenses; 1934 (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Henry J. Gielow, Inc. expenses; 1942-1946 (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Miscellaneous; undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Yachts; undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| Series 8: Stock certificates, ledgers, and proposals. 1920-1957 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 3 | 8 | Henry J. Gielow, Inc. stock ledger; 1920-1929 (2 pieces) | |||||||||||
| 9 | Papers concerning stock certificates and list of yachts designed by Gielow, Inc.; 1920-1957 (7 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Henry J. Gielow, Incorporated stock certificates; 1926 (2 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Gordon Marine Corporation stock certificates; 1932 (2 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Stock proposal; undated (5 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| Series 9: Vessel drawings. Undated | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 3 | 13 | CAROLINE (Yacht); undated (7 pieces) | |||||||||||
| 14 | Ford Tug; undated (1 piece) | ||||||||||||
| 15 | Twin Screw Steel Diesel Yacht; undated (2 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| Series 10: Henry J. Gielow, Incorporated portfolios and stationary. Undated | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | Portfolios; undated (3 pieces) | |||||||||||
| 2 | Portfolios; undated (3 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Stationary; undated (6 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| Series 11: Miscellaneous papers. 1929-undated | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 4 | 4 | Loan pledge; 1929 (1 piece) | |||||||||||
| 5 | Narrative; undated (10 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Court brief; undated (5 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Henry J. Gielow, Inc. preliminary design study and report; undated (18 pieces) | ||||||||||||
| Series 12: Volumes. undated | |||||||||||||
| Volume | |||||||||||||
| 1 | Book of Henry J. Gielow, Incorporated stock certificates; undated (1 volume) | ||||||||||||