8 x 10 glass plate negative photographed by James Burton circa 1893. Image of 108' George Steers design, R.H. Wilson built schooner AMERICA (built 1851 in New York) underway. Visible in image: starboard quarter view of the schooner, AMERICA (B/23) on port close reach under gaff-rigged mainsail, foresail, main topsail, fisherman's staysail, fore topsail, fore staysail, jib and flying jib, eagle on stern, sloop to port (27), another schooner off bow.
Winning the America's Cup in 1851 was only the beginning of a long career for this famous vessel which included a time as a blockade-runner during the Civil War, a privately owned racer, and a training vessel at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Handwritten on original negative sleeve: "B-651 / The AMERICA / BURTON / CUS p. 21". Videodisc address: 3-29146. For more information see: A CENTURY UNDER SAIL, text by Stanley Z. Rosenfeld, page 21. CREDIT LINE: Mystic Seaport, Rosenfeld Collection, James Burton photographer.

From A CENTURY UNDER SAIL:
After the yacht America won the very coveted America's Cup in 1851, she had a long career which included a stint as a blockade-runner during the Civil War. Scuttled to keep her from being captured, she was found on the bottom, upriver from Jacksonville, in Florida. She was sold by the Navy in 1873 to Brigadier General B.F. Butler. The general was a colorful character, a soldier, politician, governor of Massachusetts and presidential candidate. The general, his son or a grandson raced America almost every summer until 1901, and she won races until 1897. In 1887, the elegant black hull was rebuilt, refitted and painted in white. She is sailing here in her new rig and her new paint about 1893.