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The Hudson River Maritime Museum has acquired an extraordinary and extensive
collection of maritime memorabilia associated primarily with Hudson River
transportation during the steamboat age. The collection was amassed by
the late Donald C. Ringwald (1917-1987), a Kingston native, and was donated
to the Museum by the late Douglas L Haverly, of Loudonville, New York.
The Collection
A major portion of the Donald Ringwald Collection is lithographs, paintings,
and photographs that document the fleets of steamboats and towboats that
maintained Hudson River commerce for over a century. Ringwald was also
a collector of books and other publications documenting maritime transportation:
The Museum now possesses a multitude of materials in the form of books,
pamphlets, timetables, posters, and other publications relating to the
Hudson and other Northeast waterways. Finally, the Ringwald Collection
contains extensive artifacts connected to the maritime industries of the
19th and 20th centuries.
Ringwald—More Than
A Collector
Don Ringwald was much more than a collector. He had a lifelong, passionate
interest in Hudson River steamboats and in the Rondout Creek. This passion
is evident to readers of his three outstanding books — The Hudson
River Day Line, The Mary Powell, and Steamboats for Rondout
— which were published in 1965, 1972 and 1981, respectively. Ringwald
also wrote frequently for maritime historical journals. (The Museum has
acquired ownership of the copyrights of The Hudson River Day Line and
Mary Powell along with the collection.) And Ringwald was a longtime member
of The Steamship Historical Society of America. He served as the editor
of its quarterly journal, Steamboat Bill, from 1961 to 1966, as a member
of the Board of Directors for many years, and as the Society’s president
from 1973 to 1975. For a more complete biography of Donald Ringwald, see
the related article in this issue.
The Museum is fortunate to have been entrusted with this important collection—a
collection that epitomizes the heritage of the Hudson River maritime industries.
Presentation of the collection will begin with the 2004 exhibit —
“Ringwald’s River: One Man’s Passion for the Hudson”
and will feature images of and artifacts from the Donald C. Ringwald Collection.
The exhibit previews (for members) on May 8th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
The exhibit opens to the public on May 15th. Materials from the Collection
will be available to serious researchers on an ongoing basis.
Ringwald Steamboat Books
Ronald C. Ringwald — A Short Biography
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