After I saw this postcard online of a vessel at the Creque Marine Railway, I thought I would share a recent discovery I made about it.

Creque Family Photo Collection

In our family’s collection, I found two faded photos of this identical schooner!

They were 8×10’s, mounted on yellowing card stock.

On the right-hand corner in pencil was scrawled the name Taylor.

I couldn’t see the name of the vessel at first, but fortunately, I found another photo taken from a different angle.

With a magnifying glass, I was able to make out the faint letters, V E N T U R E, and in smaller letters, St. Maarten.

Our ancestors saved many of the documents from the Creque Marine Railway, so I searched through the old files.

Little did I know that there was a bigger story behind this popular postcard.

I surmised that the original photograph must have been taken between July 11-19, 1912.

This was the week she was brought in for repairs.

The photographer was Clare E. Taylor.

Our forefather must have been quite proud of this particular hauling, because he submitted the photograph to the New York Nautical Gazette.

The story was featured in their September 25, 1912 issue.

At the time, she was the largest vessel he had lifted at the Railway, since purchasing the property in 1910.

This Schooner’s Photograph Became a Popular Postcard ~ 1912