Welcome to the Dave Thomson Steamboat Museum. Dave was the primary contributor and historian for Steamboats.com from 2002 to 2021*. Search thousands of historic images indexed below, including waybills, documents, steamboats in the movies, model boats, ephemera, illustrations, photos, and the Dave Thomson pages. Please write to us* concerning commercial use. More Collections: Delta Queen & Delta King History and more! Search the Online Museum: world wide web steamboats.com Waybills for Passengers and Goods Waybills collection, page 1 Waybills collection, page 2 Waybills collection, page 3 Waybills collection, page 4 Waybills collection, page 5 Waybills collection, page 6 Waybills collection, page 7 Waybills collection, page 8 Waybills collection, page 9 Waybills collection, page 10 Waybills collection, page 11 Waybills collection, page 12 Waybills collection, page 13 Waybills collection, page 14 Waybills collection, page 15 Waybills collection, page 16 Waybills collection, page 17 Waybills collection, page 18 Waybills collection, page 19 Waybills collection, page 20 Waybills collection, Greene Line Steamboat Documents Brochures, Invitations, Tickets, Misc. Steamboat Logs and Bookkeeping Vessel Book Licenses and Certificates Insurance Documents Stock Certificates Steamboat Letterheads, page 1 Steamboat Letterheads, page 2 Moonlight Excursion Ads Moonlight Excursion - the W.W. Greene Line Documents Steamboat Round the Bend Plot Summary and Cast Posters, Ads, and Reviews Behind the Scenes Will Rogers as Doctor John Pearly Anne Shirley as Fleety Belle Berton Churchill as the New Moses Francis Ford as First Mate Efi Irvin S. Cobb as Captain Eli The Boats The Steamer Cherokee Professor Marvel's Wax Museum More Steamboats in Movies Movies collection, page 1 Movies collection, page 2 Movies collection, page 3 Movies collection, page 4 Movies collection, page 5 Movies collection, page 6 Movies collection, page 7 Movies collection, page 8 Movies - Mark Twain Swanee River Show Boat - Universal Studios 1929 Show Boat - Universal Studios 1936 Show Boat - MGM Studios 1951 Uncle Tom's Cabin Cotton Blossom, page 1 Cotton Blossom, page 2 Universal's Enterprise Prop Boat Enterprise - Four for Texas Enterprise - The Gambler from Natchez Enterprise - The Mississippi Gambler Enterprise - Riverboat TV Series The General John Newton Showboat Live Theatre Live Theatre - Show Boat Model Boats Model Boats, page 1 Model Boats, page 2 Steamboats.com model boat center Illustrations Boats Belle of Louisville Julia Belle Swain Diamond Jo Line Collection Disney Steamboat Illustrations Steamboat Illustrations Book Covers and Book Illustrations Book Covers, page 1 Book Covers, page 2 Book Covers, page 3 Book Illustrations, page 1 Book Illustrations, page 2 Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, page 1 Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, page 2 Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, page 3 Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, page 4 Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, page 5 Other Twain Covers, Illustrations Paintings Paintings, various artists, page 1 Paintings, various artists, page 2 Paintings, various artists 3, page Paintings - Modern Art Dean Cornwell Collection John Stobart Collection Thomas Hart Benton Collection Michael Blaser Collection Robert Rucker Collection, page 1 Robert Rucker Collection, page 2 Jack Woodson Collection John Fryant Collection Ralph Law Collection James L. Kendrick III Collection William E. Reed Collection Robert William Addison Collection Prints Murals Magazines, Engravings, Lithographs Magazine Covers and Illustrations, page 1 Magazine Covers and Illustrations, page 2 Magazine Covers and Illustrations, page 3 Currier & Ives, page 1 Currier & Ives, page 2 Engravings, page 1 Engravings, page 2 Engravings, page 3 Engravings, page 4 Engravings from Harper's Magazine Lithographs Advertisements, Product Packaging Advertisements, page 1 Advertisements, page 2 Advertisements, page 3 Advertisements for Steamboats and the Steamboat Trade Packaging Misc. Illustrations Music Illustrations - Sheet Music Music Illustrations - Vinyl and CDs Illustrated Postcards, page 1 Illustrated Postcards, page 2 Posters, page 1 Posters, page 2 Bird's Eye Views Steamboat Ephemera Misc. Ephemera Ephemera - Blueprints Ephemera - Calendar Art Ephemera - Cartoons Ephemera - Fabric Ephemera - Games, Toys, Playing Cards Ephemera - Grave Markers Ephemera - License Plate Decorations Ephemera - Maps Ephemera - Menus Ephemera - Mirrors Ephemera - Music Ephemera - Pacific Northwest Ephemera - Pins, Jewelry Ephemera - Signs Ephemera - Stamps, Envelopes Pilot Houses Pilothouse collection, page 1 Pilothouse collection, page 2 Pilothouse collection, page 3 Steamboat People Steamboat People, page 1 Steamboat People, page 2 Steamboat People, page 3 Steamboat People, page 4 Steamboat People, page 5 President Theodore Roosevelt Lexie Palmore Samuel Clemens - Mark Twain Jim Waddell as Mark Twain John Hartford Captain L.V. Cooley Captain Fred Way Dave Thomson More Photos Steamboat photos, page 1 Steamboat photos, page 2 Steamboat photos, page 3 Steamboat photos, page 4 Steamboat photos, page 5 Steamboat photos, page 6 Steamboat photos, page 7 Steamboat photos, page 8 Steamboat photos, page 9 Steamboat photos, page 10 Steamboat photos, page 11 Color Steamboat photos (newer), page 1 Color Steamboat photos (newer), page 2 Color Steamboat photos (newer), page 3 Gordon C. Greene Delta Queen Delta Queen photos by Bill Muster Delta King Belle of Louisville Julia Belle Swain, page 1 Julia Belle Swain, page 2 Becky Thatcher Eclipse Disneyland's Mark Twain Steamboats of the Pacific Northwest, page 1 Steamboats of the Pacific Northwest, page 2 Steamboats of Australia Stereoviews Photo Postcards, page 1 Photo Postcards, page 2 Photo Postcards, page 3 Ferry Boats, page 1 Ferry Boats, page 2 Showboats Shanty Boats Lighthouse Tenders Snag Boats, page 1 Snag Boats, page 2 Tugboats Dredge Boats Dredgers that are also Snag or Tow Boats Towboats, page 1 Towboats, page 2 Towboats, page 3 Towboats, page 4 Towboats, page 5 Towboats, page 6 Towboat Lone Star Towboat Geo. M. Verity Towboat W.P. Snyder, Jr. The Sprague Towboat Dave Thomson Pages Mark Twain Monument Dave's photos of the Mark Twain monument in Hannibal, Missouri, dedicated July 2003, and other statues, and ephemera of Hannibal Hannibal Dave's photos of Hannibal, Missouri Dave's river room - everybody needs a river room! River Room, page 1 artifacts River Room, page 2 art River Room, page 3 pets Surreal images by Dave Surrealism, page 1 Surrealism, page 2 Composites and graphics by Dave Thomson Recent Additions New photos, page 1 New photos, page 2 New photos, page 3 New photos, page 4 New photos, page 5 New photos, page 6 New photos, page 7 New photos, page 8 New ephemera, page 1 New ephemera, page 2 New ephemera, page 3 New ephemera - Worlds of Fun New Mark Twain Items New Tom Sawyer - Huck Finn Items New Disney Items New movie stills New paintings and art, page 1 New paintings and art, page 2 New showboat photos and posters New model boats New illustrations New steamboat documents More Collections Delta Queen, Delta King Collections Ancestry Stories   |   Model Boats   |   Steamboat Photos   |   Steamboat Art   |   Research Library Steamboat Mysteries   |   Distressed or Deceased Boats |   Various Collections Delta Queen and Delta King Collections Delta Queen History and Corporate Timeline This National Historic Landmark won a special exemption from the U.S. Congress, which allows her to continue to transport overnight passengers. The Story of the Delta Queen A Legislative and Corporate History From the Files of Bill N. Muster and Richard C. Simonton, 1958 to 1984 Delta Queen Photos by Bill Muster See this tranche of Bill Muster's best photos of the Delta Queen Steamboat and her people in and around 1970. Delta Queen and Delta King in 1926 Learn the story of William Simpson, the man who built the Delta Queen and King, including photos. Garmatz Skull & Crossbones Letter In December 1970, Rep. Edward A. Garmatz circulated an infamous letter to the U.S. House of Representatives, warning that if the Delta Queen burned, the "blood will be on the congress." The letter is from the archives of the Save the Delta Queen history. Delta Queen Photos Interior and exterior shots of the paddlewheel steamboat, as well as photos of shore stops in Tuscaloosa, Demopolis, and Decatur, Alabama, and Columbus, Mississippi. Also, video clips* of the paddlewheel, engineroom, and river; October 2007. Memoir of a Cruise on the Delta Queen Written by Russell E. Vanderbilt about his three week cruise September 1962; includes river history. Delta Queen Log Book A booklet that traces the boat's journey from Cincinnati to Kentucky Lake & Kentucky Lake to Chattanooga Final Voyage The Delta Queen stops in Louisville, Kentucky, on its final voyage after losing the exemption in 2008. The Delta Queen remained a hotel in Chattanooga, TN, for five years, before returning to the rivers. Photos by R. William Davis, October 24, 2008. Delta King History and photos The Delta Queen's twin was left behind in California when the Delta Queen moved to the Mississippi River. Now the Delta King has been restored as a hotel, theater, and restaurant in Old Town Sacramento. More history: 1957 photos of the Delta King from Kittimat, BC, Canada, where the boat served as a dormitory for men working at the Alcan Aluminum Plant. Photos generously provided by Thomas Mitchell. Delta Queen Travel Souvenirs Three paper receipts from a trip on the Delta Queen, circa 1970. Bill Muster Find out more about the man who helped Betty Blake and the American People save the Delta Queen. American Queen The surviving younger sister of the Delta Queen: the boat's return to service after dramatic journey to join the mothball fleet in Beaumont, Texas in 2008; photos and commentary by Harry Smith, former fireman; maps showing her whereabouts. People who Saved the Delta Queen A series of photographs discovered in an attic portray the people who helped save the Delta Queen. Photos by Bill Muster. Greene Line Steamers Executives A photo at the bottom of this page shows Commodore Harold DeMarrero, Gordon Greene, Patrick Fahey, Senior Vice President Delta Queen Stamboat Company, Bill Muster, Shirley Bernstein, Ben Bernstein - President, BB Enterprises, Joyce A. Early - Senior Vice President - Finance of Delta Queen Steamboat Company, Ron Marcou - Senior Vice President - Passenger Services, Delta Queen Steamboat Company. Foreground - Frank Fried, President, Delta Queen Steamboat Company. More Delta Queen People: Betty Blake Mary Greene Gabe Chengery Congresswoman Leonore Sullivan Delta Queen Stories Memories from Marguerite Verdino, Judy Patsch, Mel Hartsough, Jim Reising, Bob Reynolds, Kevin McCollister, Russ Ryle, Greg Menke, Ed Duemler, John Lewis, Randy Ward, and Charles Greene. Save the Delta Queen Stories - Memories of the 1970 campaign Save the Delta Queen 2008 - News and updates Delta Queen blog and history Description: An online journal by Delta Queen historian Bill Wiemuth from aboard the Delta Queen chronicling life onboard, the Delta Queen's history, and her current struggle to survive. Early Delta Queen & Delta King History Information about the first two decades in California, when the Delta Queen and Delta King were known as the River Lines Fleet. Peace Cruise The Delta Queen does her part for peace. Simonton Family Photos Richard Simonton and his family saved the Delta Queen in 1958. Steamboats Photos The Freedomland USA Sternwheelers a 1960-1964 theme park in The Bronx had paddlewheel boats. History and photos from the collection of Michael R. Virgintino. Centennial Festival of Steamboats 2014 A celebration of the Belle of Louisville's hundredth anniversary, in Louisville, Kentucky. Photos by Randy Davis. GPS and the Pursuit of the Belle Steamboat chaser John Weise used GPS to follow the Belle of Cincinnati from Tell City to Chattanooga. Belle of Cincinnati Photos from a dinner cruise on the Belle of Cincinnati - also a hardhat tour of the Cincinnati Museum Center June 2018 during repairs and restoration. Belle of Louisville Photos and videos from the engine room, and a stroll down Main Street in Louisville Fourth of July weekend 2023. Prints from 1898 glass plate negatives These photos were taken by Sandusky Williams on a trip down the Ohio River. Sent in by Ken Williams. Prints from antique glass plate negatives See two prints of the City of Peoria. Sent in by Keith Johnson. Russian Paddlewheel Riverboats Photos of cruise ships in Russia, sent in by Alexander Karpov, director of Russian steamboat crusises. Julia Belle Swain See a collection of photos of this authentic paddlewheel steamboat based in La Crosse, Wisconsin, sent in by Pilot Eric D. Dykman. Turn of the Century Boats Jerry Canavit shares black and white photos of Streckfus boats from his collection (exhibit is 13 pages long). More Steamboat Stories by Jerry Canavit - including Fast Boats on the Mississippi, Story of the Ben Hur in Austin, and Confessions of a Steamboat Addict - the James P. Pearson, the Steamer Avalon, and the W.J. Quinlan. Paul Urbahn Collection Steamships Delta Queen, Belle of Louisville, Megiddo Mission Ship, Majestic, Morningstar and Tarascon. A large postcard collection, posters, stamps, steamboat tickets, and a steamboat toy. (40 pages, start clicking). From the collection of Paul Urbahn. Contemorary Steamboats These photos show the Delta Queen, American Queen, Julia Belle Swain, Natchez and Belle of Louisville. All are currently in service (11 pages). From the collection of Allen Dale Strange. The Dave Thomson Collection This is the largest exhibit in the Steamboats.com Online Museum. Through the generosity of collector Dave Thomson, we have 150 pages containing thousands of images of steamboats in the movies, waybills, magazine covers, ads, paintings, murals, photos, post cards, and assorted other ephemera. This is a private collection, so please request permission* for any commercial use of the images. Postcard A circa 1910 postcard of the Helen Blair, sent in by Steve Huffman. Locate Riverboats in the 50 States Links to a steamboat or maritime museum near you. More info. on a few of the boats listed on the 50 States page: California (Lake Arrowhead) - Florida - Idaho - Nebraska (Omaha) - Oregon (Salem) - Nevada (Laughlin) - Oregon (Newport) - Washington - West Virginia. Find steamboat photo collections at other sites, go to the Library & Maritime Museum Link Page (at this site). Permissions information: These images in these exhibits come from private collections, therefore we ask that you contact us* before using them for commercial purposes. Model Boats For everything model boats at Steamboats.com, please go to our new model boat hobby page - click here. Steamboat Art The River - a memoir by Don Sanders about his life on the river. This story originally appeared as a weekly column in the Northern Kentucky Tribune. Archived at Steamboats.com with permission. American Queen painting in progress by Marine Artist Jim Clary. Steamboat Paintings by Mark Rook Murals of Kris Killman Large murals of river scenes by Southern Illinois artist Kris Killman. Steamboat Collages Marcia Loudon's digital scrapbook kits allow you to use elements of the steamboat era to build pages for heritage family scrapbooks. John Matassa at Steamboats.com This late Wilmington, Deleware artist did oil paintings of famous Deleware steamships. Warren Stichtenoth at Steamboats.com This late Cincinnati artist designed cards, logos, and other graphics for Greene Line Steamers and the Delta Queen Steamboat Company in the 1960s and 1970s. Steamboat Art, DVDs, and Music Search the link page devoted to steamboat art at this site. Steamboat Mysteries The Scimitar II A sternwheeler built as a private yacht for the Brewster family of St. Louis. Steamboat Chandelier Information needed about this ornate antique. Mystery Boat Question Help to answer a question about the location (Metaline Falls area of Box Canyon - border of WA and ID) and identity of the boat (Metaline) in this photo. Mystery Boat Ring Help identify a boat carved in a gold ring. Mystery Boat Photos Help identify a boat from old photos bought at an estate sale. Mystery Toy Boat Help identify a toy paddlewheel boat. Mystery Boat Pendant Help identify a boat painted in a locket. Mystery Boat Help identify a mystery boat from these model photos. Mystery Boat Identified Web master posted this postcard showing a mystery boat in 1998 and steamboat expert Nigel Clark identified the boat in 2005. River Queen Information Requested on this boat model. The signs on the side say "Three Rivers Transportation Company" . . . Distressed or Deceased Boats As it turns out, 99.99% of the original paddle wheel steamboats now reside in heaven, and are no longer visible to us here on earth. This exhibit covers fatalities that happened on my watch. For more information about deceased boats, please visit our onboard bookstore - click here. Mississippi Queen Remembering the Mississippi Queen, younger sister of the Delta Queen: final photos before demolition, also photos of her in better days. Mississippi Queen Christening The christening and information about the mystery of whether the CIA was involved in her construction. Mississippi Queen Mermaids Although the Mississippi Queen is dead, the calliope muses live on in their new home on the northern bank of the Ohio River. Mississippi Queen Blueprints Examples of the hundreds of blueprints uncovered in the Steamboats.com Museum mishegas. The Lizzy Campbell A report on the live and times of the The Lizzie Campbell researched and written by a descendant of the people who loved her. The President See photos of the venerable, late steamboat, including what finally happened to it (tragic story). The Goldenrod Showboat One of America's great showboats, now lying in pieces in a yard in the St. Louis area. Other Steamboat Exhibits Show Boat, the musical As performed in London, July 2015, program and photo of the stage. Edward (Ted) Affleck, 1924-2003 Bio of the author of A Century of Paddlewheelers in the Pacific Northwest, the Yukon and Alaska. Captain J.M. White Photos of the historic riverboat captain, his house, and the boat named after him. Autographed Victorian Fan A collector found this rare Victorian fan autographed by steamboat employees in 1896. Porcelain Cup Hand painted to show the side-wheel packet Belfast, which ran on the lower Mississippi from 1854-1860. Steamboat Jewerly Exhibit See examples of collectible steamboat jewelry, including pins, charms, and commemorative gold Mississippi Queen cuff links. A Steamer Turned House See photos of the Nasookin Steamboat turned into a single family home with river views in Kootenays, B.C. Belle of Louisville Accident The Belle busted a few bucket boards in a collision Oct. 17, 2009, ending the season early. Five photos showing damage to the wheel. Jubilee A great photo of this little paddlewheeler that plys the waters of Bantam Lake, Morris, Connecticut. Tinkerbelle Steamboat For Sale A small steamboat for sale, check out this fine instrument of a boat. Steamboat Arabia Read the life story of this boat, by Margaret E. Gilbert, president and co-founder of the Missouri River Archaeological Exploration and Preservation Society. Swain Steamboats Documents provided by the Chillicothe Historical Society Mark Twain House Photos of the Twain house in Hartford, Connecticut, by Nori Muster. Steamboat Scarf See a beautiful 4' x 4' scarf based on a graphic the designer found at this site! Steamboats of Nicaragua Researcher David Dell is doing a documentary about the remains of the old boats in this country. 1883 Lithograph The photos of an 1883 lithograph of the race between the Robert E. Lee and the Natchez were donted by Richard Sinex. Steamboats of Idaho Photos of these turn of the century boats donated by Jeffrey Davis (10 photos). The Keith Norrington River Room This was the first exhibit on Steamboats.com in 1998, now it's back! Keith is now the curator of the Howard Steamboat Museum, so he has an even bigger wheelhouse of steamboat historic preservation now. Enjoy. Steam Engine Exhibit An illustrated history of steam power, written by K. Spitzner, Georgia (1999). New & improved. Much safer than those old steam engines. Paddle Steamers of Australia Learn more about the history of steamboats down under. The Peerless Steamboat Wheel First it was a pilot house wheel, then it was a chandelier; now it's a steamboat wheel again. A Tour of Central and Northeast Florida Pictures of steamboats and steamboat art from this region of Florida. The William Blake The Dubuque, Iowa County Historical Society restored this old paddlwheeler. Now it's a "Boat and Breakfast." Steamboat Postal History Exhibit Currently on exhibit: Steamboat mail - first day stamp and covers from the Delta Queen Post Office! Answers to "Who built the first steamboat?" This is a more controversial subject than you might expect. Read all these experts' opinions and make up your own mind. Steamboat Link Page Find more steamboats and steamboat information online. Taste of Being See the launch of the cute lil steamboat built by Bruce Benton - just for fun! Museum Bookshop Find books on the history of steamboats, Dixieland Jazz, Mark Twain, and other steamboat subjects. A new picture book for children: click here Steamboat Products Steamboat lollipops: Best way to eat a steamboat. Also, steamboat clocks, jewelry, and more. eBay Museum Find steamboat paraphernalia through eBay! This exhibit offers examples of items that were for sale, spring 2004. Research Room If you have ancestry questions or other steamboat-related questions, or if you want to contact Steamboats.com to share your photos, stories, thoughts or memories please use our research room. If you are a steamboat expert, we invite you to visit the bulletin board to answer questions. Please post your answer to the guestbook so that it becomes a permanent record at this site for future researchers.