TOPIC: Nifty 50s FIN BOAT Seminar

For immediate release

Special Presentation: Classic Boat Show Seminar by National Boating Expert, June 15
Jeff Beard, noted national expert on classic boating, will discuss how ‘5os-era GM styling, Douglas Aircraft design and rocket ships influenced boats and boating. Enjoy colorful images of high-design dream boats at either 10:45 AM or 2:00 PM on Sunday, June 15. Both sessions will be held in the Van Lennep Auditorium inside the Steamboat Building on the festival grounds of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, 213 N. Talbot Street, St. Michaels, MD.
The free seminars, sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, requires paid admission to the 17-acre boating Museum buildings and grounds. Mr. Beard has reached into his vast collection of slides, catalogs, and notes to present a fast paced seminar chock-full of his knowledge and insights, with 15 mins available for Q&A at the end of each session.
Directions: www.chesapeakebayacbs.org/annual-boat-festival/directions/
Contact Maryann Fiaschetti at 410-320-7129 or Chris (seabuddy) Brown at 518-281-0045 for additional information.
Mr. Beard will present his Marine Magic: Brooks Stevens, Bob Hammond and the 1956 New York Boat Show.
As the 1950s spun forward, public interest in jet propulsion and rocket technology inspired contemporary industrial designers – including those related to boatbuilding. Bob Hammond had learned design and manufacturing of streamlined plastic canopy pods at Douglas Aircraft after the war, and he was hired by Lone Star boats in 1954 to manage production of fiberglass boats. During 1955, Hammond was doodling a model loosely based on a General Motors show car when management discovered the sketch, and asked him to build the “Meteor” as a Lone Star special display boat.
Evinrude Outboards had a larger vision. The company asked the designer of their styled outboard motors (Johnson Javelin, Evinrude Lark) to develop a special show boat to inspire excitement about their lines of more powerful outboard engines. Brooks Stevens trumped the competition in 1956 at the New York Boat Show with the Evinrude Sea Lark, featuring dual tail fins with marker lights and built-in retractable ski lines. But Stevens was also known for authoring the concept of “planned obsolescence” and knew when to modify his designs from square-and-blocky (Willys Jeepster) to swoopy-and-curvy (Hiawatha locomotive) to stay ahead of fashion trends.
This is just one event of the full day of Boat Festival and Show, including the Field of Dreams where used classic boats and engines will be for sale, plus a nautical flea market with classic engine and boat parts for sale. At this festival you’ll also see over 100 classic boats and tour historic cabin cruisers. Last but not least, The Arts at Navy Point offers 70+ nautical vendors in our “show within a show”, where you’ll find maritime themed fine art and crafts. Lots of fun stuff all packed into 17 acres of waterfront grounds on the Chesapeake Bay.

Chris,

Wish I lived closer.

Sounds like a terrific seminar and indeed, with all the events and activities planned, promises to be a great Boat Festival and Show!

Ya, I have talked with Jeff Beard and am impressed with his knowledge about the era.

Any chance the talk could be videoed and uploaded to Youtube?

I do not have video skills, sorry.

Beard is in the top hand full of folks that can do this topic justice in my opinion.

In my book, maybe Lee Wangstad might be able to dig into this topic as well as Beard. I am sure there are others that I have yet that also could do a great job on this.