Topic starter
18/12/2007 1:03 pm
Greetings From New Orleans ,
This is a great shot of the Str.'s Delta Queen and the Sprague , as the DQ was making her approach to land alongside the Sprague , as she would so often to when making her Vicksburg stop . Check out the size of the Sprague's wheel in relation to the DQ , and just imagine the power that this great wheel had inorder to handle and control the Sprague and her tows ! This shot had to be taken in the very early 70's prior to the Sprague's fire and when the DQ would tie off to the Sprague while in Vicksburg . I will always remember just walking through the Sprague and imagining what it must have been like to have been a crew member and to have witnessed and experienced those times and events that were to make the Sprague a living legend . Hopfully the Delta Queen will not go the way of the Sprague , but when you have to depend on the greed of corporate America and the wisdom of the US Congress , I am not to optomistic ! It was in these times and with these men and on these steamboats , that I first came of age and became intimately acquainted with the river and its way of Life .
Smoothe Sailing !
Ted Davisson
19/12/2007 1:37 am
I suspect the photo was taken during the time when Jim Stanfield of the National Geographic was working on a story (notice helicopter) during the Summer of 1970 when the end was near for the then exemption to run out. The "electric blue" and grey stack band was in honor of the 20th Century Limited-all Pullman New York-Chicago-Pride of the New York Central Railroad.
19/12/2007 4:57 am
Jim
Was that the guy who was with us quite often? Wonder what happened to the footage he took? Also wonder if he is still around and how to get in touch with him. That was certainly in the summer of our youth.
21/12/2007 1:00 pm
James L. Stanfield did all of the photography for the book The Mighty Mississippi, authored by Bern Keating and published by National Geographic in 1971. The dust jacket has a wonderful view of the DQ underway and there are great photos within of the SPRAGUE at sunset, St. Louis waterfront at night featuring the ADMIRAL, GOLDENROD SHOWBOAT and BECKY THATCHER, etc. Also included are scenes of Memphis, Rosedown Plantation, Windsor Plantation ruins, New Orleans, etc. This great book is always available on EBAY. Just type in THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI in the search window. Bookfinder.com is also a good source for river books, as well as flea markets and library sales.
I, too, wonder where all of the photos that were NOT used in the book are now archived. It would be a wonderful collection to peruse! Stanfield is world renowned as a photographer.