Joseph Henry - 1880

Welcome to the board, Christian. While I am not familiar with the JOSEPH HENRY in particular, in answer to your question the deck was most likely oak. My guess is that if it ever had any paint on it, it was soon worn off by freight being handled on the deck, many feet walking on it, etc. If you choose to paint it, 'most any color would do and you would stand a chance of being pretty accurate; boats change from year to year, and the colors of paint, if any, might be what was available at the time or at the whim of the owner, Captain or Mate.

We have two regulars on this board who are great sources of information on things like this: Capt, Alan Bates and John Fryant, and perhaps they will chime in. There have even been discussions on this subject before, though not pertaining specifiaclly to the JOSEPH HENRY. Good luck!

I met a guy who claimed he could "see" the colors on black-and-white photos. I didn't believe him then and I still do not. There were no color photographs as we know them in the days of the Joseph Henry, so your guess is as good as anyone's. Captain Reynolds is dead right when he wrote colors depended upon the whims of owners, captains, mates and what happened to be in the paint locker.
The Joseph Henry was a government-owned boat used by the Lighthouse Service. It is barely possible that some dedicated research will reveal a "standard" color scheme used on their boats and ships.
Some more or less favored colors are:
Main deck - dark red or natural wood
Cabin - white
Hull - white
Boiler deck - dark red (or any other color preferred by the officers)
Roof - black to represent asphalt imprgnated felt
Stacks, chimnies and guy lines - black
Shutters and blinds - buff (or any other color) Most were white.
Lettering - black with red shading. There was a prominent strip of white between the letters and the shading.
If you can find a color postal card that may be a guide.
If you cannot find such a list take comfort in the dictum that the burden of proof is on the accuser. This means that if someone criticises your choice of colors, challenge him or her to prove they were otherwise.

Chris: You probably already know that the U.S. Lighthouse tender JOSEPH HENRY was built at Jeffersonville, Indiana by the Howard Shipyard -- and that around 1903 she was sold at public sale to become the LOUISIANA for the Bluff City Excursion Company, running excursions from St. Louis to Alton during the World's Fair of 1904. She was renamed PATTONA in 1909 and became an excursion boat at Memphis. According to Capt. Fred Way, exposed wreckage of a boat, found at Memphis in 1967, was said to be the remains of the PATTONA. Here are several photos of her from the collection in case you haven't seen them previously. The third image is rather distant and appears to be taken at Memphis.

As Capt. Bob mentioned, Capt. Alan Bates and John Fryant are the steamboat model building experts on this forum (to which we welcome you!) and be assured that you can bank on their advice! Good luck with your project and please come visit us sometime at the Howard Steamboat Museum!

"Curator Keith"

Hi Chris and welcome to the board. Alan Bates pretty much said it all with regard to the colors on the Jos. Henry. If I were building the model I would probably make the main deck a red-orange color,perhaps weathered to the point of the wood showing through in places. I have always been under the impression that the boiler decks were painted some shade of gray, but like Alan and Bob have said, they could have been any color. Now, pardon my stupidity, but what does POF stand for in your post? Its a typo maybe? By the way I sell the Henry's plans, as you may know.

Keith, what's the sternwheeler in the distant photo? Interesting configuration with the stacks behind the pilothouse. Was this common in the early days?

Jon, even with the aid of a magnifying glass my 55 year old eyes can't make out the name of the boat, but it's possibly a ferry.

Christian,

Check this link out.

On the Water - Ship model, Lighthouse Tender Joseph Henry

They show a model in colored photos. the colors may be those of the builder rather than actual.

Hope that it's the same Joseph Henry!

Pete Baker
Mid-Hudson Valley

Pete, It is the same Jos. Henry and that's the Smithsonian's model, displayed in their "On the Water" exhibit in the newly refurbished American History Museum in Washington. It was built by Charles Fox probaably 30 or so years ago and he did a great job on it. However, the upper (hurricane) deck and also the roofs over the forward guards (where the lifeboat is) were probably black and the tops of the sidewheel housings were probably white.

Color Scheme - Joseph Henry

John Fryant;19201 wrote: Pete, It is the same Jos. Henry and that's the Smithsonian's model, displayed in their "On the Water" exhibit in the newly refurbished American History Museum in Washington. It was built by Charles Fox probaably 30 or so years ago and he did a great job on it. However, the upper (hurricane) deck and also the roofs over the forward guards (where the lifeboat is) were probably black and the tops of the sidewheel housings were probably white.

John,

Thanks! I appreciate all comments to my posts. Compared to most of you I am new, since 2005, to the World of steamboats. Although my focus has been on the North River I enjoy reading most of the threads.

Working on the North River and Fulton Engine project I have learned that color schemes are difficult to pin down. My guess is that the Joseph Henry had a rather dab color scheme as it was a work boat. If it was for paying passengers I suspect the colors would have been a little bright.

I have also learned that many artists and modelmakers take liberties with their subjects. They seem to want realistic renderings but also appealing to the eye.

In closing, I think the Smithsonian writeup said that Fox built his model in 1962.

America on the Move | Sidewheel steamer Joseph Henry (model)

Thanks to you and Shipyard Sam for comments on my posts.

Pete

Colors Differ

John Fryant's colors for the JOSEPH H. -- white atop the wheel houses and tar paper black on the Hurricane, boat deck, and roof are as close as you will get. Wouldn't you suspect, though, that the HENRY was immaculately maintained, being a government boat? On the same link is a photo of the model of the U. S. GREENBRIAR, the U. S. Lighthouse Service steamboat commanded by Captain / Chief Engineer Arthur J. “Red” Schletker, the fine gentleman who introduced me to steamboating and helped me get my first job on one, the AVALON, over half-a-century ago.

Captain Red loved the GREENBRIAR and he often told how spotlessly-clean it was with the bilges kept freshly painted and the paddlewheel maintained a gleaming white.The Smithsonian model, (that I saw during a visit to the national muse many years ago) though photographed in black and white, sports a dark, probably red paddlewheel, although I have recently seen a photo of the GB wearing a white wheel as Cap'n Red had said. So, even a steamboat model from a relatively recent era can still have differences with the colors varying between the model and the actual boat.

An odd play on the color subject between an actual boat and its smaller clone is the case of the FLAMINGO / GRAND VICTORIA II casino boat. When the FLAMINGO came up the river to Indiana from New Orleans, she was trimmed in pink-- even the huge double, staggered sternwheel was painted passionate pink, but a carefully detailed model of the gamlin' boat, built as the QUEEN OF NEW ORLEANS, that was included with the sale and trimmed in maroon with the paddlewheel painted the same. When the new owners revamped the primary vessel's color scheme, the big boat was repainted in the colors of the model-- a most unusual reversal of roles. Eventually, the paddlewheel was painted a traditional "paddlewheel red" with white go-faster stripes on the circles.

See: Willie and Buster's Whirlwind Tour of the World - Little GV II

1. U. S. GREENBRIAR
2. GV2 with Maroon Wheel
3. GV2 with Red Wheel and White Stripes

Joseph Henry info response

John:
Thank you for your welcome and I appreciate all the helpful information. I will reply to all that responded as soon as I learn to navigate this forum. I hope this is the way to reply.
Regarding the abbreviation POF, it stands for 'plank on frame', a method a building a ships hull. This method was a real challenge on the Joseph Henry because the bottom is flat and a shallow draft. This form of construction comes from my building tall ships of the 1750 to 1850 era. The other hull construction methods are 'Plank on Bulkhead' (POB) and solid. I went POF because I didn't want to carve a solid hull - too easy and not accurate. Not that POF is correct (I didn't know) but I thougt it would be close to correct. I wasn't aware of this forum and site until the historian at Mystic Seaport gave me the website address.
What started this whole thing was my asking Mystic what provisions were used on the riverboats to direct rainfall from the cambered decks into the river. On sailing ships, this was accomplished by the 'scuppers' - an opening, usually round and spaced around the ship at deck level. Perhaps you can help me with this. It may be on the set of the Joseph Henry prints I ordered on this website. I assume some oprnings of some kind were provided for the main and prominade decks.
Thank you for your help and I apologize for my slow response to your post.

Chris Stevens

Joseph Henry response

Bob:
Thank you for your welcome and the information of who to contact for additional help. My apology for not responding sooner. Most of my modeling experience has been with tall ships of sail. The 'Joseph Henry' is my first attempt at a riverboat and is presenting its own type of challenges. Again, thank you.

Chris Stevens

Alan:
As with all the other responses to my post, I thank you for your help with the color scheme options available to me. It will all be duly noted and stored in my ever growing files. As with the others, I apologize for not responding sooner.

Chris Stevens

Joseph Henry response

Keith:
Thank you for your welcome and for the history and pictures of the 'Joseph Henry'. Until this build, all my previous projects have been tall sailing ships. I consider historical information that you supplied a very important part of modeling - both for accuracy and background of the life of the vessel. To me, modelling is more than building, it is also learning learning it's place and impact on history. You can be sure I will visit the Howard Steamboat Museum in the near future. My apology for not responding sooner.

Chris Stevens

Joseph Henry response

Pete, John, sam:
Thanks for the welcome and the great pictures and the link. Accoding to the color pictures in the link, I made a good guess in leaving the main deck a natural shade. I just finished planking this deck. Now it's all upward ond onward. I'll feel better about this build when I get the set of prints I ordered from this site. Again, thank you all for your help and my apologies in not responding sooner.

Chris Stevens

Chris,
on the typical sidewheelers the guards (the main deck outboard of the hull) sloped inboard at about 1/4" per foot. Just outboard of the gunwales holes or slots through the deck allowed water to drop into the river. There were no scuppers with hinged doors, etc.

Joseph Henry

Christian Stevens;19230 wrote: Pete, John, sam:
Thanks for the welcome and the great pictures and the link. Accoding to the color pictures in the link, I made a good guess in leaving the main deck a natural shade. I just finished planking this deck. Now it's all upward ond onward. I'll feel better about this build when I get the set of prints I ordered from this site. Again, thank you all for your help and my apologies in not responding sooner.

Chris Stevens

Chris,

Please post photos of the "in process" & finished product.

If you, or any of the other members, ever get to the Mid Hudson Valley of NY please plan on a visit to the Clermont Historic Site in Germantown. There's a 7' model of the North River of Clermont built by Randy Decker. Next May the Fulton Engine Project that I spearheaded should also be on display. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able put together the team of volunteers that I have. NYS has also really embraced the project through monies and services provided. Refreshing!

Pete

Alan:
Thanks for the input on the channeling water off the decks. I suspected as much and will follow your suggestion of slots on the sides.

Chris

Joseph Henry model photos

Pete:
I am trying to upload pictures my model Joseph to date but it doesn't seem to do it. It just stays on saying that it is uploading. The pictures are compressed JPEG. Is there any problem with compatability? I have selected the files from my Documents with the 'browse' funtion on the upload page. Any ideas?

Chris

Posting Images

Hi Chris,

Most sites have restrictions on image uploads to prevent overloading the system. In Steamboat.org's case it's 156.3 KB and 550 max wide x 550 max high. See one of my image uploads. The second one is for a little bit of humor!

If you hold you cursor over the file it will indicate ithe image size. If it's more than 550 in either hr=eight or width it will not up load. The same goes if it's more thaan156.3 KB.

You can upload a max of 3 images per message. There is apparently a max folder size for each user as well (the red/green bar at top).

Check your photo size. Upload the ones you want and then click the upload button. It may take a minute or two. When done your files will be listed at the bottom of the "manage upload" window. If they'r listed you can close the upload window. I usually preview my message next. If you like the preview click "post".

If you need more help contact me. I'll see what I can do.

Pete

Captain Frank

Pete, how did you get hold of the picture of the next Master of the DQ, had MAL survived? He was a perfect fit for their image department!

Picture uploads

Pete:
Thanks for that information. I will make sure I work within those parameters. How do you handle ongoing model building projects when there are more than 3 per post and/or over an extended period of time? I finally posted an up-to-date group of photos for the J.H. last night but the only way I could see to do it was 3 pictures in the opening new thread and 3 each in subsquent replies to my own post. Seems rather cumbersome. Is there an alternative?

Chris Stevens

Inspiration for Capt Frank

Hi Judy,

"Capt Frank" is a poke at a friend in TX. He started a Yahoo Pop-Pop steamboat group a few yous ago to stimulate new interest with the little Pop-Pop boats that many of us played with years ago as kids.

I tried to get Frank to post his picture but he refused. I poked him a little by posting the "Capt Frank" pix found with Google.

Frank is in his 80's, loves his Mac and had an extremely active mind suggesting many inovative ideas for safer Pop-pop's for kids..

3 image limit per post - How? & Why?

Chris,

I know your frustration. You explantion is the only method by which you can add more than 3 images on the same subject.

I would suggest that you contact Franz, STEAMBOATS owner, and ask him why the posting is set up the way it is.

[email protected]

I must say, the restriction is not only on Steamboat.org. I have seem it elsewhere as well.

Pete