"Liberty Factory" by Peter Marsh

[Harvey Golden]

I just popped into the Hanthorn Cannery Museum (Astoria Oregon's other Maritime Museum), and found this title in their gift shop.  The gift shop is unstaffed with an honor system of payment, but for once someone was actually working there that day, so I had to pay actual money for it. The book is extensively illustrated, and not with the usual images one sees of these ships-- Marsh had access to the Oregonian's maritime columnist's personal images from his work during the war years, and the photos are outstanding and reproduced in the highest quality.  Despite the title, the book also covers Victory Ships, Casablanca Class flat-tops, and T-2 Tankers, also built by Kaiser yards in the area; a large section even includes other local companies supporting the effort such as Gunderson (Landing craft, etc.), Albina Engine and Machine Works (PCs, etc.), Commercial Iron Works (outfitting C-2s, etc.), Willamette Iron & Steel Co. (steam locomotives for Russia and misc. maritime work/outfitting), and Astoria Marine Construction Co. (YMSs [minesweepers]).   Hardbound at 256 pages; $50.00USD.      

 

Having just scratch built a variety of ships from this era with Portland connections (C-1, C-2, C-3, T-2, EC-2, VC-2), this book is a delight to have, though I might have to build a YMS and PC now . . .    It may not be the handiest resource for the modeler, but there are gems in the photographs, and the history is rich and compelling-- particularly for any interested in Pacific Northwest Maritime history.

 

Oh. . . the chap actually manning the gift shop that day?  The Author himself.   If you're local, pop by for the chance of a signed copy.

Edited June 27, 2023 by Harvey Golden
spilled something wrong.

[ccoyle]

The WW2 ship building boom is the reason why my mother's side of the family wound up on the West Coast. My grandfather and one of his brothers trekked west from Kansas to work at the Kaiser yard in Vancouver.