FDR’s visit to the Galapagos, with Sailfishing at Cocos Island
Third Presidential Cruise of the U.S.S. Houston, 1938.
N.p: Printed on board the U.S.S. Houston, 1938.
Price: $3,000.00
About the item
Illustrated from photographs by R.B. Thompson. 75 pp. 1 vols. 4to. FDR’s visit to the Galapagos, with Sailfishing at Cocos Island. Original printed wrappers, printed in gold. Fine copy, in custom blue cloth clamshell box. OCLC 11563735 (4 copies); not in Halter.
Item #249787
The very scarce printed memorial, printed on board the ship, of FDR’s Third Presidential Cruise on the USS Houston, from the July 14 to August 9, 1938, on his way to the Galapagos Islands (FDR was the first U.S. President to visit them). In the introduction to the booklet, one of the editors records that “Shortly after the cruise commenced certain members of the Houston personnel conceived the idea of publishing a book which would relate graphically all of the interesting incidents happening on board our ship … We trust that the following pages will keep alive fond memories of a happy cruise with as grand a shipmate it has ever been our privilege to meet.” There are numerous photos of Roosevelt with the crew and the Presidential party, shots of the Galapagos and its strange fauna, and a good deal of wit and raillery in the text and photos directed toward the “pollywogs” on the part of the “shellbacks” in anticipation of the approaching traditional ceremony of “crossing the line.” The ship called at Cocos Island and the log records successful sport fishing for sailfish in those waters. The U.S.S. Houston was sunk during the war. A wonderfully light-hearted and very scarce piece for the FDR collector, at a time when the clouds of a world war were gathering on the horizon.
