Mayday; May 3, 1934

What does may day mean to you?
The term “Mayday” as a distress signal originated in 1923.
May Day the holiday is celebrated May 1st, for varying reasons.
In some cultures, it is a celebration of Spring and the coming Summer, times when the elements are less threatening.
Not always so, as proven by these excerpts from “Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard” shipwreck chart by Bill Brooks of NW Limited…History in Vogue^TM:
“Tokuyo Maru -5/3/1921- Steamer: Unknown fire 60 miles SW of Columbia river; total loss - 8 die”
“Childar -5/3/1934- Norwegian MS: After a remarkable refloat on north Peacock Spit 4 still drown “

MS Childar as she appeared in 1934, photo by Marty Bollinger, used by permission
A southwesterly gale drove the 377′ ship onto the treacherous spit, a grim reminder that even in the first days of May, the Pacific Graveyard could turn deadly.
If the MS Childar used a “may day” to call attention to her situation, it did not prevent the loss of four lives on that blustery May day.

As a side note, the wrecked MS Childar was towed to Vancouver and subsequently rebuilt as the Aakre (click for image), and later as the Sovietskaya Latvia (click for image), which was one of five ships used by Stalin’s KGB to move prisoners to the Kolyma Gulag, only accessible by sea. Many prisoners died en route, as conditions were horrible.
“Sovietskaya Latvia was deleted from register in 1967.” (from and thank you to: Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945)
To purchase a copy of NW Limited’s shipwreck chart, please call 503-338-6056 or email bill@nwlimited.com

Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard shipwreck chart

The “Pacific Graveyard” has been claiming victims ever since man endeavored to set sail over these treacherous waters. 
Ships, boats, men and cargo have been lost over centuries.
Bill Brooks spent the better part of four years researching this chart, and fine-tuning every aspect. 
There were literally oceans of material to sort through and condense into what you see before you, “Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard.” 
Dead Reckoning is a gathering of unprecedented proportions, a gift of local maritime history.

Here is a preview  (click for slideshow and to hear the radio ad currently running) of what you’ll receive if you purchase one for yourself (click on the image and you’ll be able to almost read the text and get a better idea of the infinite detail in these handsome lithographs):

Framed version #3 of 500  ”Framed tube” $225 Lithograph-$50
           $500. 

Much of this region’s history revolves around the sea.
Even before Lewis & Clark’s arrival, there are records of shipwrecks, and of their mysterious circumstances; tales of treasure, heroic survival and tragic losses.
Within this one document you will find the stories of hundreds of Oregon and Washington shipwrecks.
Enough to whet your intellectual appetite, and quench your thirst for American history as well as staunch your cravings for a visual feast for they are truly a work of art.

Available now through NW Limited…History in Vogue^TM
call 503-338-6056 

Wreck of the Lupatia - Jan. 3, 1881

An excerpt from NW Limited’s ‘Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard’ chart reads:
“Lupatia -1/3/1881- British bark: A south-easterly gale throws Lupatia onto Tillamook reef; a dog survives -16 dead”

One can imagine her final hours. A bleak, January night with the wind and surf shattering her against the rocks mere weeks before the Tillamook Lighthouse, a/k/a “Terrible Tilly” was to be lit.
The crew working on construction of that lighthouse saw Lupatia’s running lights as she approached.  In the near-miss incident,  they could hear Lupatia’s crew shouting orders of “Hard apart!” as they scrambled to keep her off the rock which so desperately needed a light as warning. 
 The construction crew kindled fires, and used lanterns to try and assist the captain as he navigated the rock-strewn reef.   Narrowly missing the rock itself, she disappeared into the darkness.
Lupatia’s debris littered the rocks below the nearly complete lighthouse the following morning.  16 lives lost…
 Would her fate have been the same had her captain had that light to use as guide?
 Unlike the Peter Iredale, or the George L. Olson, nothing remains of the Lupatia, no structure to climb and explore, no resting place to visit.
NW Limited’s historic achievement of the most detailed and complete shipwreck chart to date, immortalizes her.
The lithograph alone is a great place to start when looking for shipwreck history, but the framed and matted version  (left) is an adventure of its own with its photographs of shipwrecks, United States Coast Guard insignia and USPS stamp, the lost fishing vessels and more, all displayed within a high-quality, hand-finished frame.

Each chart is custom-built by Bill Brooks of NW Limited in Astoria, Oregon and no two will be exactly alike.
While you can’t take home the George L. Olson,
or the bowsprit of the Peter Iredale, you can
have “Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard,” your own magnificent gathering of maritime history in the Pacific Northwest.
bill@nwlimited.com or 503-338-8215

Fishing for words?

If you’re in town for the 11th annual Fisher Poet’s Gathering, you might come on up to NW Limited…History in Vogue^TM and have a look at our newest offering of Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard, featuring a list of the lost fishing vessels from the region. We are just two minutes from downtown on the hillside overlooking the Columbia River. Call for your appointment: 503-338-6056
The commercial fishing industry is a dangerous one, and while many of the boats on the list went down without a life lost (and often thanks to the heroic United States Coast Guard), there will always be those vessel names associated with the sudden loss of peers.
The list of fishing vessels is featured on handmade paper, and printed using an antique letter press; giving a tactile depth to the dates and the names which are so evocative of a way of life on the edge.
This is just one aspect of this magnificent gathering of maritime history, one which encompasses the lives of those we lost while working on the sea, and the memories we all share as part of this community. 
The list of lost vessels in itself speaks volumes of the ultimate price paid for the living made on the sea.  Where words fail, all that is needed are the dates and the names…most of us know the rest.
Custom tributes within this run of 500 matted, framed charts are more than welcome, since each framed chart is hand-built and assembled right here in Astoria, Oregon.
Call or email Bill to see how we can immortalize your memories. 503-338-6056

Shipwreck Discoveries Continue to Intrigue Beachcombers…

Shipwrecks as history are in vogue, for they are in the news frequently of late. 
Public interest is obvious in the flocks of visitors to see the mystery shipwreck which recently appeared in the Coos Bay area.
  More previously-lost bits of ships are turning up. The unprecedented churning of December’s big storms may be partly to blame.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 In December 2007, a partially-burned shipwreck piece washed ashore near Ocean Shores, Washington.  No identity has been determined for that wreck.  Could it be a vessel previously unidentified, or is it a part of a known shipwreck?

 At left,  one of many featured photos from the framed, matted version of Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard, depicting the Frank W. Howe, which ran aground on North Head.  Two lives were lost as well as the ship and cargo of lumber.

On Presidents Day, two cannons were discovered near Arch Cape, Oregon.
They are believed to be from the USS Shark, a war ship/survey schooner which attempted to cross the Columbia River bar in 1846, and sank there.
The ship is listed in her rightful place on Dead
Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard which is the most detailed, most beautiful shipwreck chart created to date by Bill Brooks of NW Limited…History in Vogue^TM.

Bill’s contribution to local history, as well as local culture are commendable for the sheer volume of information available here. 
It must be seen to be believed!

(detail below of the mouth of the river portion of Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard, showing the USS Shark among the multitude of others)

She may have been wrecked at the mouth of the Columbia, but where the USS Shark’s cannons ended up were a secret which the elements chose now to reveal….
or is it the beginning of another saga, the story of another shipwreck altogether?

The discoveries of these wrecks and their wreckage are significant in that these events are the story of all of us, of communities, places and people.  They are a part of our past, present and future.  History. In Vogue!
This quote from the the Oregonian Oregon Blog Live site illustrates well the concept of how shipwrecks have far-reaching effects:
“After it wrecked, part of the ship’s wreckage came ashore near Hug Point. A trio of carronades was among the wreckage. At the time, a Navy sailor was sent to recover the wreckage but he was able to reclaim only one of the cannons. He moved it to higher ground, but it eventually was covered in sand and disappeared until 1898 when it washed ashore. That cannon later became the namesake of Cannon Beach. “
Archaeologists are requesting that visitors leave the relics where they lie, and not disturb them so that they can better determine their origin. You can, however, have your very own shipwreck chart, which is even better with all the “extras” you will receive in the framed version. (click this link for a preview of this amazing piece of history)
$50 for the lithograph in a tube, and $500 for the framed, matted, intensively detailed version.  There will be 500 of each available. 
Call 503-338-6056 or email bill@nwlimited.com  to find out more.

KGW News: Hands off historic cannons near Cannon Beach, archeologists say
OPB News: Beachcombers Find Cannons on Oregon Beach
Pair of Cannons Found on Oregon Coast Could Be From 1846 Ship
Mystery Ship Revealed in Deep Sand Near Coos Bay, OR

Welcome to 2008

NW Limited…History in Vogue^TM has had a busy year in 2007.  We were at Sunday Market through monsoons and heat waves, and will be there again in 2008.  NW Limited could be found at the Astoria-Warrenton Crab and Seafood Festival as well as various other local and regional events.  More importantly, our History in Vogue^TM line has been expanded greatly this past year.

2007 saw the final phases of  “Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard” shipwreck chart.  The Beatles, the Jamestown, Virgina map (a celebration of the quadricentennial), Star Wars, Yoda, and Jimmy Stewart have joined the lineup also. Whew!
The Lewis & Clark maps, all three variations, are nearing the end of their availability.  DC and Marvel comics are still available with many new events included in their respective editions. The Beatles pieces continue to be extremely popular.  American Motorcycle just keeps getting better, and the USS Ronald Reagan is also still available for purchase.
2008, however, has brought the shipwreck chart full circle, and it is now complete, and ready to be presented to the public after four years of research and development.  The  lithographs are ready to go right now.  A substantial 33″ long by 17″ wide, the chart is the largest piece to date. 
They will be shipped in a 4″ tube along with a letter signed by the creator, Bill Brooks. 
Contact Bill at bill@nwlimited.com to find out how you can score one for yourself, though they also make a stellar gift. 
“Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard” is the ultimate representation of north coast and lower Columbia River history, spanning the earliest years of maritime history on up to present day.  500 of these beautiful charts are available as lithographs. 
For the serious enthusiast, the framed, matted and custom version of Dead Reckoning will be available very soon for purchase.  When framed, they will be an impressive 44″ X 22″ of unparalleled maritime history.  (click to see detail area of the prototype)
We are taking reservations for those, now.  There will only be 500 framed to go around as well, for a total of 1000 in the first printing. 

To see our Hollywood-related pieces, you can go to Video Horizons in Astoria.  While you’re looking for a couple hours’ entertainment to rent, take home a piece of Hollywood history forever.  There are Star Wars, Yoda and Jimmy Stewart currently on display as well as the Easy Rider variation of American Motorcycle. 
Don’t forget that NW Limited pieces  include USPS first-day-issue stamps and postmarks.  A postmark is only available once in a lifetime.  We always start with high-quality or rare images, and (in some instances) vintage memorabilia.  They are completely unique in that they encompass a wide range of collectability as well as being singularly beautiful displays.
Some of these editions will have authentic, original autographs available, so if you’re looking for something special in these categories, contact Bill Brooks.
These tributes are the epitome of History in Vogue^TM!

Thank you for visiting.
Come back frequently to stay abreast of developments, new releases, and where you can find NW Limited…History in Vogue^TM to experience the WOW for yourself. 

(Underlined links are clickable so you can see examples of these pieces.  Some are still available,though in many cases they have been sold.  Inquiries are always welcome!)