Front of the card, showing two ships in calm water with sails slack. A label in the water below them reads: "Dutch eel boat." They are somewhat orange in color, suggesting a setting sun -- another indication that they are not British. The shadow from the boats looks an unhealthy green on the water, which is perhaps appropriate for the Thames. Overall, the whole image is done in washed out citrus-y colors, which makes it warm and inviting, and also a good source of Vitamin C. These ships and their predecessors supplied live eels to London for something like 500 years. You've never done anything for that long in your whole life. And you never will. Eel ships were there during the War of the Roses, and during Shakespeare's life, and during WWI. They are gone and forgotten now, but they were once a part of the living city.
The back of the card, with text describing the ships. The text is surrounded by a framing of ropes, with some blocks and tackles and hooks and such. It looks very nautical. The text which these lines frame reads thus: "Ships of All Ages, a series of 50. No. 25. Dutch Eel Boat The Thames barge is considered to be of Dutch origin, and it sometiems meets in the estuary its relative, the Dutch eel schuyt, which, like the barge, is designated for work on both salt and fresh water. The schuyt is typically Dutch, stoutly built and comfortable looking, and is considered to be the most representative of the seagoing craft of Holland; it is also easily navigated on the crowded canals of the country. Issued by Nicolas Sarony & Co. 84 Picadilly London, W.I." FTR -- if someone describes you as stoutly built and comfortable looking, you should object. Unless you're an eel ship. Are you an eel ship?
I got into eel history by studying the Dutch eel ships on the Thames. We don't generally remember them much now, but they were there from the c.1470 - 1938.
They used to be low-key famous, even appearing in Nicolas Sarony's 1929 cigarette card collection, "Ships of All Ages."
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