Tug Boat Collection

OCEAN LINER QUEEN MARY. The Cunard White Star liner Queen Mary launched in 1934. Painting, 1934, by William McDowell

Brooklyn Bridge when newly opened, 1883
Brooklyn Bridge over the East River, looking toward Manhattan, 1883. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Cunard Line - Ivernia, off New Brighton, c1910. Creator: Unknown
Cunard Line - Ivernia, off New Brighton, c1910. The British ocean liner SS Ivernia, launched in 1899, was owned by the Cunard Line and built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson of Newcastle upon Tyne

Seaport of Galveston, Texas, 1800s
Galveston bar and roadstead on the Gulf Coast, 1870s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Littlehampton Pier
At Littlehampton Pier (which is complete with windmill and lighthouse), a steam tugboat brings a large sailing ship safely into port. Date: circa 1910s

Busy Seattle harbor, circa 1890
Bird s-eye view of Seattle, Washington Territory, circa 1890. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Le Jardin du Vert-Galant, c. 1928 (oil on canvas)
1195958 Le Jardin du Vert-Galant, c. 1928 (oil on canvas) by Signac, Paul (1863-1935); 46.4x116.8 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; French, out of copyright

Wounded but Victorious, c1916 (1919). Artist: Charles John De Lacy
Wounded but Victorious, c1916 (1919). A British battlecruiser being towed into port after the Battle of Jutland. The Battle of Jutland was the largest naval battle fought by the British Royal Navys

USA, WA, San Juan Islands. Tug style motor cruiser makes way through Bellingham Channel with Mount Baker beyond

The salvaging of a sunken ship, 1850
3359180 The salvaging of a sunken ship, 1850; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the salvaging of a sunken ship. Dated 19th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Poster advertising the Le Havre-Plymouth-New York route by the shipping company Companie Generale Transatlantigue
1769939 Poster advertising the Le Havre-Plymouth-New York route by the shipping company Companie Generale Transatlantigue, known as the 'French Line' (colour lithograph) by Sebille

The salvaging of a sunken ship, 1850
3359485 The salvaging of a sunken ship, 1850; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the salvaging of a sunken ship. Dated 19th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

An engraving depicting a tug towing a ship into the harbour at night, its path lit by arc lights
5311595 An engraving depicting a tug towing a ship into the harbour at night, its path lit by arc lights. The coming of powerful electric light meant that boats could take advantage of the high tide

Landing a 155 mm gun at Sedd-ul [i.e., Sedd-el] Bahr, 1915. Creator: Bain News Service
Landing a 155 mm gun at Sedd-ul [i.e., Sedd-el] Bahr, 1915. Warships near the Gallipoli Penninsula, Turkey during the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I.

Les Evenements de Grece; Le 12 juin 1917, a 13 heures, en rade de Salamine, les premieres... 1917. Creator: Unknown
Les Evenements de Grece; Le 12 juin 1917, a 13 heures, en rade de Salamine, les premieres troupes francaises de debarquement sont transportees a terre, 1917

Guns bound for the testing grounds, Washington, D.C. between 1900 and 1920. Creator: Unknown
Guns bound for the testing grounds, Washington, D.C. between 1900 and 1920

A tow entering St. Clair Ship Canal, between 1900 and 1905. Creator: Unknown
A tow entering St. Clair Ship Canal, between 1900 and 1905

A tow entering St. Clair Ship Canal, between 1900 and 1905. Creator: Unknown
A tow entering St. Clair Ship Canal, between 1900 and 1905

Columbia, Newport, Aug 2, 1899. Creator: Johns Johnston
Columbia, Newport, Aug 2, 1899. Columbia with a broken mast. She was an American racing yacht designed and built in 1898-99 by Nathanael Herreshoff

Fleet of N.Y.Y.C. [New York Yacht Club], Glencove [sic], 1897 Aug 2. Creator: Johns Johnston
Fleet of N.Y.Y.C. [New York Yacht Club], Glencove [sic], 1897 Aug 2

Musme, 1896 June 11. Creator: Johns Johnston
Musme, 1896 June 11

Defender, Valkyrie III, 1895 Sept 7, c1895. Creator: Johns Johnston
Defender, Valkyrie III, 1895 Sept 7, c1895

U.S.S. Memphis, Sick, Brought Home By U.S. Hospital Ship solace, 1916. Creator: Harris & Ewing. U.S.S
U.S.S. Memphis, Sick, Brought Home By U.S. Hospital Ship Solace, 1916. [Tug named Tecumseh carrying] sailors injured when the U.S.S. Memphis sank in the Santo Domingo harbor

Dans le port de Rouen, between 1892 and 1894. Creator: Albert Lebourg
Dans le port de Rouen, between 1892 and 1894. In the port of Rouen

'The German Naval Manoeuvers, Experimenting with a Balloon from the Gunnery Training Ship "Mars" at Wilhelmshaven, 1890. From "The Graphic

Rear view of tugboats approaching a wharf, possibly in Cleveland, Ohio, 1903. Creator: Unknown
Rear view of tugboats approaching a wharf, possibly in Cleveland, Ohio, 1903

'The Launch of the Cruiser "La Vizcaya" at the Anglo-Spanish Shipyards, Bilbao, 1891. Creator: Unknown
'The Launch of the Cruiser "La Vizcaya" at the Anglo-Spanish Shipyards, Bilbao, 1891. From "The Graphic. An Illustrated Weekly Newspaper", Volume 44. July to December, 1891

Le Zeppelin "L-15" abattu dans l'estuaire de la Tamise; Le "L-15" photographie au petit jour, le

"Into the Arena Where Ships Made Their Unending Entrances and Exits" A Vessel Docking at... 1937
"Into the Arena Where Ships Made Their Unending Entrances and Exits" A Vessel Docking at the Royal Albert Dock, 1937. Ships and tugboats on the River Thames in London

"But The Prospect in the Neighbouring Pool - The More It Changes, The More It Is The Same", 1937. Cargo ships in the Pool of London, River Thames. In the distance is Tower Bridge

Tugboat, the Loing at Saint-Mammes, c1883. Creator: Alfred Sisley
Tugboat, the Loing at Saint-Mammes, c1883

Launching of U.S.S. Texas, 1912. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Launching of U.S.S. Texas, 1912. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Launching of U.S.S. Texas, 1912. [United States Navy New York-class battleship]

Launching of U.S.S. Texas, 1912. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Launching of U.S.S. Texas, 1912. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Launching of U.S.S. Texas, 1912. [United States Navy New York-class battleship]

Apse of Notre-Dame, seen from the Pont de la Tournelle, snow effect, 1902. Creator: Siebe Johannes ten Cate
Apse of Notre-Dame, seen from the Pont de la Tournelle, snow effect, 1902

Eiffel Tower and the Champ-de-Mars, in January 1889. Creator: Paul Louis Delance
Eiffel Tower and the Champ-de-Mars, in January 1889

Lake Baikal, 1904-1917. Creator: Unknown
Lake Baikal, 1904-1917. National Library of Russia

The Civil War in America: the Picket leading the ships of the Burnside Expedition over... 1862. Creator: Unknown
The Civil War in America: the Picket leading the ships of the Burnside Expedition over Hatteras Bar - from a sketch by our special artist, 1862

Tower Bridge, London, June 1929
A view across the Thames to Tower Bridge. In the 1920s the Thames was a hive of activity. Here the river is busy with barges and steaming tug boats. I

Florida, Hillsboro Beach, Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse

Florida, Boca Raton, tugboat cruising on the Intracoastal Waterway

Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA town cityscape with tugboats in the morning

The Outbreak of the War - Transport Leaving England for the Cape, 1900. Creator
The Outbreak of the War - Transport Leaving England for the Cape, 1900. From " South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. II", by Louis Creswicke. [T. C. & E. C. Jack, Edinburgh, 1900]

Copenhagen roads, 1905. Creator: Vilhelm Arnesen
Copenhagen roads, 1905

Tug boats tied to dock, Duluth, Minnesota, 1903. Creator: Frances Benjamin Johnston
Tug boats tied to dock, Duluth, Minn. 1903

A tug boat - Joe Harris, 1903. Creator: Frances Benjamin Johnston
A tug boat - Joe Harris, 1903

A tug-boat sailing through icy waters at St Pauli, Hamburg, Germany in February 1946 Date: 1946

Another harrier of the U-boats nears completion... Marine Construction Co. Stamford, Conn. 1942
Another harrier of the U-boats nears completion at an eastern boat yard, Marine Construction Co. Stamford, Conn. Many new 110-foot wooden sub-chasers are taking the water these days at yards in all

The Tyne: At Shields, c. 1880 (etching)
6200196 The Tyne: At Shields, c.1880 (etching) by Slocombe, Edward (1850-1915); 17.5x23.5 cm; The McManus, Dundee, UK; (add.info.: Orchar Collection); Dundee Art Galleries and Museums

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"Unwavering Strength and Enduring Grace: The Mighty Tug Boat" In the vast expanse of the ocean, where giants like the majestic Ocean Liner Queen Mary ruled with grandeur, a humble yet powerful vessel emerged - the tug boat. As William McDowell's captivating painting from 1934 immortalizes its birth, we are reminded of its indomitable spirit. Traveling back to the bustling seaport of Galveston in Texas during the 1800s, we witness this unsung hero tirelessly guiding colossal ships like a guardian angel. Just as the Brooklyn Bridge stood tall when newly opened in 1883, so did these sturdy vessels stand firm against raging tides. The Cunard Line's Ivernia off New Brighton in c1910 reminds us that even amidst turbulent waters, these trusty companions never wavered in their duty. Littlehampton Pier witnessed their unwavering loyalty as they maneuvered through narrow channels with precision and skill. From busy Seattle harbor circa 1890 to Le Jardin du Vert-Galant's serene beauty captured on canvas in c. 1928 by an unknown artist, tug boats gracefully navigated diverse landscapes. They symbolized resilience and adaptability as Charles John De Lacy depicted them triumphantly wounded but victorious in his masterpiece from c1916 (1919). Across continents and oceans they ventured; whether it was USA's San Juan Islands or icy waters challenging their very existence, tug boats fearlessly pressed forward. Tower Bridge London became a testament to their significance as June 1929 saw them diligently assisting larger vessels through its iconic arches. Even deep within Brazil's Amazonas region on Rio Negro in Manaus, these workhorses proved indispensable alongside container barges—showcasing their versatility across different environments. Through decades past and present, tug boats have remained steadfast companions on our maritime journeys. Their unyielding strength and unwavering determination continue to inspire awe.