The ferry’s name refers to the
earlier spelling of Sausalito, which
was taken from the original
Mexican land grant named “Rancho
Saucelito.” The Saucelito ferryboat
was manufactured on the East Coast
and shipped in pieces by rail to
the San Francisco Bay where it was
assembled. Through research, the
museum staff discovered that the
Saucelito was built alongside her
sister, the San Rafael, by Benjamin
C. Terry of Keyport, New Jersey
beginning in 1870. These ferries
were the only two ferries to reach
the West Coast in this manner. Bard
also created a portrait of the San
Rafael, which now resides in a private
collection.
It is not known if James Bard
travelled to the Bay Area to paint
the two ferries once they were
assembled. Records indicate he
travelled infrequently due to his
modest means, which suggests he
may have painted the ferries while
they were still in pieces in the
shipyards.
Unfortunately, the Saucelito was
short-lived—it burned on February
24, 1884 while docked at the San
Quentin wharf. A second Sausalito
ferry was built 12 years later for
the North Pacific Coast Railroad
and was designed to carry narrow
gauge railroad cars in addition to
passengers.
Ferry Painting Restored
The Saucelito painting was fully
conserved in 2009 thanks to a
$3,000 federal grant to the Marin
History Museum from the prestigious
Institute of Museum and Library
Services.
Sebastopol-based conservator
Antoinette Dwan successfully
returned the painting to its original
beauty, despite the delicate and
compromised condition of the paper.
The museum’s painting is the only
known color image of the ferry in
existence, so Dwan’s efforts not
only restored a beautiful painting
but also brought a previously little-
known image to the attention of the
maritime community.
Previous Condition
of the Painting
As stated in Dwan’s notes: “The
painting was disfigured by staining,
[was] distorted, and [was] attached to
a poor quality mount. The painting
was also framed touching the glass
on the front and hiding the edges
and signature. The painting has
been poorly lined with a backing
paper that distorts [it].” With so
many complicating factor s, and all
the difficulties associated with each
one, Dwan needed to apply her
conservation efforts carefully and at
a measured pace.
The result is a stunning example of
maritime art and a rare glimpse at a
beauty that sailed the San Francisco
Bay for only seven years. MC&A
The Marin History Museum is located
at 45 Leveroni Court, Novato;
415.382.1182; marinhistory.org
Cole Porter In Paris,
The Lost Songs
A documentary showing
the re-creation of a
musical review, La Revue
des Ambassadeurs, first
premiering in Paris in 1928
and performed for the 2 nd
time in the United States
in Marin on June 3 rd , 2014
to a sold out audience at
the Marin Center. Come
backstage with us!
Featuring local artists, Noah
Griffin, Grammy nominated
Desiree Goyette-Bogas,
Deborah Winters, Patrick
Leveque, Amanda King and
others. This performance
benefits The Cole Porter
Society, bringing the Great
American Songbook to kids
through the genius of
Cole Porter
Sunday, June 4
4PM
Lark Theater
549 Magnolia Ave. Larkspur
$20
To sign up, email
Noah Griffin at
noah@
thecoleportersociety.org
MARIN ARTS & CULTURE 41