Loudon G. Wilson collection

Collection

Identifier: GLMS-0071

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

This collection documents the history of commercial sail on the Great Lakes through Wilson's research, photographs, clippings from publications, and original artwork. These images record changes in vessel technology from the Viking era of c. 1000 to boats of 1988. Comparisons can be made between rigging specifications for sailing vessels of different centuries. Wilson concentrated heavily on sailing vessels, but also obtained images of steamships. The history of marine art can also be examined through Wilson's selections of art reproductions clipped from publications. Commentaries on style and technique appear in notes made by Wilson, a marine artist himself. Two principal series are of the greatest interest. The Annual Log is a subject file of design developments accessed through a chronological index. Subject notebooks filled with photographs and research notes on vessels provide detailed and technical information compiled by Wilson.

Dates

Creation: 1822-1988

Extent

15.5 Cubic Feet (4 record storage cartons, 5 letter manuscript boxes, 1 half letter manuscript box, 1 legal manuscript box, 1 half legal manuscript box, 14 card file boxes, 1 slide box, and 1 flat file box)

Creator

Wilson, Loudon Guthrie (Person)

Scope and Contents

Loudon G. Wilson's lifetime fascination with marine vessels and art has produced a unique collection of pictorial images documenting changes in vessel design from the Vikings to the present. This mixture of photographs, clipped painting reproductions, and Wilson's original artwork offer the viewers an opportunity to study the technical aspects of vessel design from hull construction to rigging specifications. The manner in which ships have been depicted in marine art has also been chronicled by a practicing marine artist.

The materials cover in terms of subject matter the period from 1000 A.D. to 1988. This should not be taken to mean that documents are as old as the subjects to which they refer. Material on the Viking era is in the form of articles clipped from publications. The compiled articles and illustrations permit comparison of 16th century vessels with the sailing fleets of the 19th century to afford insights into transportation developments on the Great Lakes and the ocean. Sail vessels predominate in the collection, but steam ships are also well represented. Maritime historians, model builders, and anyone interested in the history of maritime transportation would delight in examining Loudon G. Wilson's perspective on marine art and vessel technology.

Two principal series are of the most interest. The Annual Log is a subject file of developments in sail and steam vessels that can be accessed through a chronological index. Comparison of rigging from the 1770s to the 1870s can easily be accomplished. The subject notebooks filled with photographs and research notes on vessel design offer a wealth of information, often of a detailed and technical nature, compiled by Wilson in pursuit of preparing paintings and ship models.

Smaller nuggets also appear in the form of the negative file. Nearly 500 negatives of photographs, most not appearing in the Annual Log or Notebook subject file, are present. The vessel traffic in the Province of Manitoba is documented in the Red River Negatives on vessels operating on the Red River and the lakes near Winnipeg and Selkirk.

Publications have been separated from the collection for inclusion in the Institute's main catalog. One sound recording, Treasures of the Great Lakes Vol. I, contains ballads regarding the Great Lakes and has been added to the HCGL's audio visual materials. Also separated are the preserved sails used for Wilson's model, the HURON BELLE.

Biographical Sketch

Loudon Guthrie Wilson was born on September 29, 1903 in Kilsyth, Scotland. The Wilsons lived near the River Clyde and it was here that Loudon Wilson first developed his interest in water transportation. Wilson's mother, Agnes Loudon Dykes Wilson, shared her admiration for the fleet Clyde steamers with him and helped foster the seed of his lifelong enthusiasm for such vessels.

The year 1910 marked several momentous events in Loudon Wilson's life. Agnes Wilson died in that year. This shock was followed by the failure of Loudon's father's business. Enough money was available to fund the emigration of the Wilsons to Canada.

The Wilsons headed west in Canada to settle in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Here Loudon began sketching vessels on the lakes and rivers. These boats of the Red River trade provided material for a budding artist to paint and draw. These Red River vessels appear frequently in the photographs compiled later in life by Wilson.

In 1923 Wilson left Winnipeg for Detroit, Michigan to pursue his career in commercial art. Remaining a Michigan resident until retiring to California in the 1970s, Wilson worked for such advertising firms as Brigdon's, Evans and Brisbois, and the Handy Organization. A service providing pictorial images to Great Lakes researchers was begun by Wilson that led to the development of this collection.

In 1926 Loudon Wilson married Grace Florence Harrington. The Wilsons raised four sons: Alan L., Craig H., Gary A., and Thomas J. Wilson.

As a correspondent with numerous Great Lakes experts such as Herman Runge, John Thurston, Ed Carus, William Shea, and Louis McLeod, Loudon Wilson developed an information network for sharing research results regarding Great Lakes shipping topics. In refining his knowledge of lake vessels, Wilson built numerous models and a 12-foot scow, the GRACE ANNE, in his Royal Oak, Michigan basement. This expertise permitted Wilson to publish in Model Craftsman, Steamboat Bill, and other literary sources pertaining to marine issues.

Loudon Wilson continued his interest in marine art into his retirement at Santa Paula, California. Illness in the last years before his death on November 19, 1988 prevented additions to his wonderful legacy to marine researchers.

Conditions Governing Access

Box 35 restricted due to the physical deterioration of negatives.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Separated Materials

A large batch of photographs that was included in this collection was separated and interfiled into the main photograph collections at the time of donation.

Related Materials

For a book utilizing Wilson's illustrations, see Windjammers: Songs of the Great Lakes Sailors by Ivan H. Walton and Joe Grimm, which is available via the library catalog.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The files of Loudon G. Wilson were transferred to the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes after the signing of the instrument of gift on March 24, 1989.