The New York Times reported that on April 20th, 1881, "Mr. Ogden Goelet's new yacht, a beautiful schooner, named the Norseman, was launched from Poillon's ship-yard, at the foot of Bridgestreet, Brooklyn, yesterday. The keel of this yacht was laid on the 9th of December, 1880, and she has been ready to launch for over a month, but has been awaiting her owner's orders." The yacht was designed by William Townsend at the Richard & Cornelius Poillon shipyard in Brooklyn. Ogden Goelet, gilded-age real estate magnate, was the "younger son of Robert and Sarah (Ogden) Goelet, and was born into a prominent wealthy New England family in La Rochelle, New York on June 11th, 1846, and died August 27th, 1897 on board his yacht, Mayflower, at Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. He devoted himself in youth to the business interests connected with the Ogden family property. In 1877, he married Mary R. Wilson, eldest daughter of Richard T. Wilson. Ogden Goelet was member of the Union, Metropolitan and other leading clubs, and member of prominent scientific, artistic and patriotic societies. He was, however, during his life most prominently identified with yachting. He was long member of the New York Yacht Club and other institutions in this country for the promotion of the sport, and owned at one time the fine schooner yacht Norseman. In 1882, he gave to the club the Goelet Cups, which are annually contested for by sloops and schooners respectively, the possession of which are considered the chief prizes of the American yachting world." 

There were two trophies awarded, one for schooners, and a another for sloops, to be raced for in the month of August in Newport, Rhode Island. The 1883 Goelet Cup in was held in Newport on August 6th prior to the start of the annual cruise. For the first time International code flags were used to signal the course for the race, giving an option for three different courses. The wind was fresh from the west, and the course was a sixteen and half mile course to the "Sow & Pigs", with a hard beat home. The schooner Montauk, owned by Samuel R. Platt won for schooners, and Gracie, owned by Messrs. Flint and Earle won the sloops class."

Keith Clark, a student from the University of Sussex (UK), researched and surveyed the Norseman during the spring of 2007. Clark interviewed local retired (UK) ferryman Ray Sedgewick, who "supplied information" that the "Norseman built in 1847 did not appear in the registers. He suggested that the Norseman originated in America and was brought to the UK in the 1900s (Ray Sedgewick pers. com. May 2007). The Mercantile Navy List and the Lloyds Register of Yachts was inspected again and it showed that the Norseman was registered in London in 1917. This vessel was built by C & R Poillon of Brooklyn in 1881 as a Yacht. Contact was made with Ms. Nannette Poillon (a great-great-granddaughter of Cornelius Poillon fonder of the shipyard) by Keith Clark. Information from Ms. Poillon included that the Norseman was a keel schooner built for Ogden Goelet in 1881, and was the last yacht to be overseen by Cornelius Poillon. 

Ogden Goelet was a socially prominent building developer, and with Robert Goelet controlled the family fortune. Goelet joined the New Yacht Club in 1880 and provided a number of cups for local sailing competitions (see Goelet Cups above). Sometime after 1881 the Norseman was renamed Alsacienne." ((This date was 1905 as indicated from the historical record below and from Cozzens signature on this chromolithograph)) Ms. Poillon also supplied a photograph of the Norseman and hull plans from a book written by F. Chevalier and J. Taglang (1987)." 

Frederic Schiller Cozzens was born on October 11, 1846 in New York City. He was the son of Frederick Swartwout Cozzens (1818–1869), the humorist who sometimes wrote under the name Richard Haywarde, and Susan (Meyers) Cozzens. Cozzens attended the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 1864 to 1867, but did not complete the degree course; he was largely self taught as an artist. Apart from his marine painting, he was an illustrator for The Daily Graphic, Harpers Weekly, Our Navy magazine, and others.

After 1899, he worked mainly on private watercolor commissions, mostly marine subjects. He continued painting up to about 1918. Cozzens was one of the most prominent American maritime artists known for his watercolors of sailing ships, yachts and marine scenes. He worked primarily in watercolor, pen and ink and gouache. Many of his paintings were issued as fine chromolithograph prints as this one. His first portfolio, American Yachts, Their Clubs and Races (1884) was a series of 27 chromolithographs accompanied by a book written by Lieutenant James Douglas Jerrold Kelley where this chromolithograph derives. 

This publication proved so successful for Cozzens that he went on to produce four more series on maritime themes, including Typical American Yachts, also with text by Kelley. Cozzens contributed illustrations and yacht portraits to many magazines, most notably Harper’s Weekly. His works are in numerous collections including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the New-York Historical Society, the New York Yacht Club and the Museum of the City of New York. Recently as 2009, this series American Yachts, Their Clubs and Races, was featured on Antiques Roadshow and one of the series of these chromolithograph prints was appraised by Christopher W. Lane of The Philadelphia Print Shop West in Denver, Colorado for 1,800 dollars over a decade ago. You can view this appraisal online vis-à-vis their website, searching for 'Frederick Cozzens Yacht Chromolithograph'.

Generally very good, the colors bright and fresh. This chromolithograph is a prime candidate for restoration, hence the reduced sale price. The heavier toning occurs on this example at the top and bottom of print recto, where the framing by a gallery in Omaha, Nebraska post 1933 covered a portion of Cozzens's work. There are also minimal signs of wear, soiling, and paint loss which are clearly photographed in the listing. The original paper/backstamp (portion for Plate G) is still intact, verso issued by Charles Scribner’s Sons and Armstrong & Company. 

There is more history on both of these print firms as well. This was truly a discovery for staff members at Katerina Kollectibles and as the pictures indicate, there was a lengthy process undertaken in the removal of newspaper (included from 1890's) wood board planks and matte that was further damaging the print by our staff. Our museum-trained preservationist has isolated and conserved this print in acid-free housing and removed most of the damaging material. The original back board is still attached to the chromolithograph and there is some glue residue on the board--however the picture is not compromised. 

Our staff member did not feel comfortable in attempting to remove the chromolithograph from the board, so we decided to leave it intact for a professional restorer who specializes in this area of restoration. A professionally-trained paper conservator-restorer would be able to remove this from the backing, and restore most if not all of the damage (primarily in the toning) for a very reasonable price. We have considered restoration costs for the purchaser in lieu of the reduced investment cost. One may easily find a reputable professional vis-à-vis the American Institute for Conservation.

Full publication information: Charles Scribner’s Sons, Publishers, 743 and 745 Broadway, New York.

Brewington, Dorothy E.R. Dictionary of Marine Artists. Mystic, Connecticut: Mystic Seaport Museum, 1982. p. 96.

Kelley, James Douglas Jerrold and Frederic Schiller Cozzens. American Yachts: Their Clubs and Races. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1884. pp. 366-68 and pl. 22.