Flagpole Finial

Period1893

Place MadePossibly New York, New York, United States

MediumGilded and gessoed white pine

Dimensions5.75 in. (14.6 cm)

ClassificationsAdvertising, Business & Ornamental Artifacts

Credit LineGift of George H. Moss, Jr., 2002.

Object number2002.1

DescriptionFlagpole ball finial, with 3/8 x 3 1/2' deep mounting hole drilled into bottom of ball. As noted above, ball was originally gessoed and gilded, with various subsequent paint layers.
NotesAccording to historian and donor George H. Moss, Jr., this ball was one of the flagpole finials aboard the 159-foot-long steam paddlewheeler LITTLE SILVER. This vessel was built in 1893 in Tompkins Cove, New York, for the Patten Line, Pleasure Bay. The vessel ran several routes, including Long Branch to New York City, Pleasure Bay/Highlands to New York City between 1894 and 1929; and Pleasure Bay-Rumson-Highlands from 1929 to 1932. The LITTLE SILVER was decomissioned in the early 1930s and was taken over by the City of Long Branch for taxes at that time. The vessel was abadoned at her dock, and slowly rotted through the years. The finial was taken off the vessel sometime in the 1960s before the ship completely disintegrated.

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