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Theda Andersen Carle Collection on Henri A. Andersen, 1917-1953

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Andersen Carle, Theda
Title
Theda Andersen Carle Collection on Henri A. Andersen
Dates
1917-1953 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 box, (.21 cubic feet)
Collection Number
Lib1996.11 (accession)
Summary
Photographs, newspaper clippings and papers related to the career of Northwest shipbuilder Henri A. Andersen
Repository
Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library

P.O. Box 80816
Seattle, WA
98108
Telephone: 2063241126 x102
library@mohai.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public by appointment.

Languages
English.
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Biographical Note

Henri Aldof Andersen was born in San Francisco, California on July 19, 1891, to Norwegian parents Bernard and Anna. He was the oldest of five siblings. The family relocated in around 1910 to Tacoma, Washington. Henri A. Andersen married Alice Fullerton on February 21, 1914 and the couple had two children, Henri and Theda. He worked as a boat builder at Motorship Construction Company in Vancouver, Washington from 1917-1918, where he managed the construction of large wooden boats. In the 1930s, he was employed by Blanchard Boat Company in Seattle.

During WWII, Henri Andersen was employed as superintendant of the yards by the Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons at McNeil Island Penitentiary, supervising military boat building under the prison labor program. After the war, he stayed on at the penitentiary as general foreman of mechanics and maintenance until his retirement in 1956. Henri Andersen died on March 16, 1970. He was a resident of Tacoma for 69 years

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Content Description

Photographs include images of passenger boats, tugboats, sailboats and motor yachts on the water and under construction at various Northwest shipyards and locations. A separate series of photographs document the cargo net construction industry at McNeil Island Penitentiary and the prison in El Reno, Oklahoma during World War II. Newspaper clippings include detailed coverage of military tugboat launchings on McNeil Island in 1943, including boats used for prison transport at McNeil and Alcatraz Islands. Other documents include invitations, programs and menus from launching events on McNeil Island, a letter of recommendation written for Henri Andersen in 1918, and personal correspondence between Henri Andersen and C.C. Yount of El Reno, Oklahoma. Also included are handwritten lists of employees, wages and dates worked, and a small spiral notebook with notes on cargo net construction and boat building.

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Historical Background

A Washington territorial jail was established in 1867 on McNeil Island in southern Puget Sound to replace a small county jail in Steilacoom. A shipbuilding industry was founded at the prison in 1883 by Captain Neil Henley of Steilacoom. The first ship built on McNeil Island was a 36-foot sailboat, and the last boat under this initial program was launched in 1907. The territorial jail was declared a Federal Penitentiary in 1905, and by 1919 the island prison had 250 inmates.

Under the Federal Prisoner Industries Act incorporated in 1934, a variety of industries were instituted on McNeil Island, allowing prisoners to receive job training and earn small wages while providing labor for food production and operations. During World War II, the shipbuilding program was revived. In November 1942, the Q-86 was the first military vessel in the United States built with inmate labor. On June 17, 1943 two 65-foot sister tugboats, T-88 and T-89, were launched with great local fanfare to support the war effort. These were the second and third boats built for the Army Transport Service at McNeil Penitentiary. The prison war effort also included food preservation and cargo net construction. A similar cargo net industry was instituted at the penitentiary in El Reno, Oklahoma, possibly based on the model at McNeil Island.

The 65-foot passenger boat Warden Johnston was launched on McNeil Island in May 1945. The vessel was designed by L.H. Coolidge, a Seattle naval architect. The officials supervising construction were Henri Andersen, V.E. Smith and Evert Soldin. Prisoners were paid 15 cents an hour and selected on the basis of good behavior and the need to send money to their impoverished families. The boat was named for Warden James Johnson of Alcatraz Penitentiary, and was used as convict transportation at Alcatraz Island, California.

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Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

View selections from the collection in digital format by clicking on the camera icons in the inventory below.

Restrictions on Use

The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Theda Andersen Carle Collection on Henri A. Andersen, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

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Administrative Information

Location of Collection

3a.2.6

Acquisition Information

Gift of Theda Carle Andersen, 1996

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Detailed Description of the Collection

  • Photographs, circa 1917-1945

  • Papers

    • Description: Lib1996.11.42: Spiral notebook with handwritten notes on cargo net and boat construction
      Dates: circa 1940
      Container: Folder 10
      Location: Papers
    • Description: Lib1996.11.43: Correspondence between Henri A. Andersen and C.C. Yont, El Reno, Oklahoma

      Personal letter, including details on Oklahoma prison cargo net industry.

      Dates: 1945
      Container: Folder 10
      Location: Papers
    • Description: Lib1996.11.44: McNeil Island Penitentiary, war effort buffet supper menu
      Dates: 1943 June 17
      Container: Folder 10
      Location: Papers
    • Description: Lib1996.11.45: Webster and Stevens Commercial Photographers, empty mailing envelope

      Handwritten on front, Lake Union DDC

      Dates: circa 1940
      Container: Folder 11
      Location: Papers
    • Description: Lib1996.11.46: Frank Nowell Commercial Photographers, empty mailing envelope address to Blanchard Boat Works
      Dates: circa 1940
      Container: Folder 11
      Location: Papers
    • Description: Lib1996.11.53: Handwritten notes on employees, dates, wages and type of work
      2 pages
      Dates: circa 1930
      Container: Folder 13
      Location: Papers
    • Description: Lib1996.11.54-56: Newspaper clippings (photocopies)

      Clippings on McNeil Island boat launchings, war salvage work and prison transport boat launch. Includes invitation card for launch

      Dates: 1943
      Container: Folder 13
      Location: Papers
    • Description: Lib1996.11.57: Letter of recommendation written for Henri Andersen by Motorship Construction Co, Vancouver, Washington

      Includes undated newspaper clipping on death of Emil B. Andersen

      Dates: 1918 September 10
      Container: Folder 14
      Location: Papers

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Boat & ship industry
  • Boats
  • Motorboats
  • Nets--Washington (State)--McNeil Island
  • Prisoners--Washington (State)--McNeil Island

Corporate Names

  • McNeil Island Penitentiary

Geographical Names

  • McNeil Island (Wash.)
  • Vancouver (Wash.)
  • Vashon Island (Wash.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Clippings
  • Photographic prints

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Anderson, Henri, 1891-1970 (creator)

Finding aid prepared by Sue Terrible
2013

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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