This rare Manhattan skyline view is believed to show the Staten Island ferry Castleton with people aboard in her East River slip. The photo was taken from the Brooklyn shoreline and comes from an album compiled by amateur photographer Charles Melville Shipman. (1874-1947) With this being the first and only NYC view in the album, the final photograph is signed and dated 1904 by Shipman, so it’s possible this view may date earlier. The Castleton was taken out of active Staten Island service in 1905 after having been commissioned in 1888.

Charles Mellville Shipman, known as C.M. Shipman for his photographic work, was born July 13, 1874 in New York City and died on May 13, 1947 in Willoughby, Ohio, a northeastern suburb of Cleveland. More background on the photographer can be seen with other examples of his work on this website.

print notes recto: glued along upper margin to first leaf of album page; slight handling creases to print along with a rope-like mark extending from lower left margin into middle of river clumsily spotted.