Bror Tamm Collection

Manuscripts Collection 288

Overview of the Collection
Repository: G.W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport
Creator: Tamm, Bror (1890-1981)
Title: Bror Tamm Collection
Dates: 1898-1997
Extent: 2233 items, 20 volumes
Abstract: Collection, 1898-1997, of Bror Tamm, boat builder and designer. Includes information on specific boats, research on various rigging components and types of boats, as well as Tamm’s personal records, journals, schoolbooks with drawings, correspondence, and business records spanning his entire lifetime. There are also files organized for Tamm by his daughter, Edna Tamm Verzuh, and posthumous records that she kept as well. This collection complements Bror Tamm artifacts in the general collection.
Identification: Coll. 288

Biography of Bror Tamm

Bror Tamm (1890-1981) was the youngest of six children born to Danish parents Anton and Henriette Splittorff Tamm in Elsagaarden, Blentarp, Sweden. As a young boy on his family’s estate in Sweden, the Tamm family associated with King Karl XIV and King Oscar II. Instead of going to university, Tamm chose to be apprenticed to shipwright A.K. Gustafson in Landskrona, Sweden. He then worked in a yacht yard in Nyborg, Denmark as a carpenter, draftsman, and naval architect for two years until he was 19, designing 45 different types of fishing vessels during his short time there. Tamm traveled to the United States in 1911 where his brother, Flemming, was already living in Paris, Maine.

Bror moved to Quincy, Massachusetts and accepted a job with the George Lawley & Son Corporation in Neponset, Massachusetts in April, 1912 as a yacht carpenter. In 1930 Tamm was named superintendent of the shipyard and head of the spar and rigging department. While at the yard, he worked on famous yachts like YANKEE (Sloop) and WHIRLWIND (Sloop). He was assistant general manager of the Lawley yard from 1938 until the yard closed in 1947. Tamm was an expert yacht designer and was constantly inventing and improving upon all types of boats and rigging components. He is credited with creating over 80 different inventions while at Lawley’s, like his patented roller reefing gears. He built and designed boats for his friends and himself after the Lawley yard closed.

He became seriously ill in 1952 but recovered and published articles on boat building and corresponded with the experts of the times. He worked and developed friendships with many well-known individuals including Frank C. Paine and L. Francis Herreshoff. He was married to Frieda Johnson and they had a daughter named Edna. Edna attended the Katherine Gibbs School and worked as a secretary to Professor Caldwell at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She married Frank Verzuh October 22, 1955. Tamm suffered a debilitating stroke in 1972 and died as the result of a second stroke on September 19, 1981. Edna Tamm Verzuh passed away on July 16, 2000.

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Scope and Contents of the Papers

The Bror Tamm Collection is arranged by series as described below.

Series 1: Papers Related to Vessels. 1898-1973

Series 2: Personal and Business Correspondence. 1927-1983

Series 3: Research on Various Maritime Topics. 1900-1975

Series 4: Business Records. 1931-1973

Series 5: Items Pertaining to Individuals. 1935-1971

Series 6: Personal Records. 1902-1981

Series 7: Edna Tamm Verzuh Papers. 1942-1997

Series 8: Miscellaneous. 1910-1982

Series 9: Volumes. 1909-1979

Series 10: Volumes. Undated

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Available for use in the Manuscripts Division.

Restrictions on Use

Various copying restriction apply. Guidelines are available from the Manuscripts Division.

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Index Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the G. W. Blunt White Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Persons:

Bray, Maynard
Burtner, Evers
Daly, Robert
Dorr, Harvey
Fisher, Richard
Fox, Robert Stanton
Hansen, Alfred
Larsson, Henrik
Lloyd, William Bross, 1908-
Nielson, K. Aage
Owen, George E.
Pendleton, Van
Plumb, Joseph
Snow, Edward Rowe
Verzuh, Edna Tamm
Welch, Francis C.

Corporate Bodies (Including Vessels):

Atlantic (Steamship)
FCP Bell Bottom Boat (Sailing vessel)
Fisher-Pierce Co, Inc.
George Lawley & Son Corp.
Hussar (Schooner)
International Marine Publishing Company
Invader (Schooner)
Noma (Steamship)
Patrol Craft Sailors Association
Savarona (Schooner)
Sea Foam (Schooner)
Surf (Steamship)
Yankee (Sloop)

Places:

Landskrona (Sweden)
Norway (Me.)
Nyborg (Denmark)
Paris (Me.)
Pennesseewassee Lake (Me.)
Quincy (Mass.)

Subjects:

Boatbuilding
Boats and boating
Canoes and canoeing
Cutters (Sailing vessels)
Diaries
Masts and rigging
Naval architecture–Designs and plans
Oars
Patents–United States
Prams (Bottom-based watercraft)
Schooners
Ships–Equipment and Supplies
Sponsors
Steamships
Surfboards
Textbooks, Danish
Yacht building
Yacht designers
Yachting
Yachts–Design and construction

Document Types:

Advertisements
Business
Correspondence
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Family Correspondence
Family papers
Insurance, Marine–Forms
Pencil drawing
Receipts

Occupations:

Naval architects–United States
Yacht designers–United States

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Coll. 288, Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Papers Related to Vessels; 1898-1973
Box Folder
1 1 ADELA (Schooner); 1915 (2 pieces)
2 ADRIANA (Schooner); 1907 (2 pieces)
3 AELLO II (Schooner); undated (6 pieces)
4 AGATHA (Schooner); 1913 (2 pieces)
5 AGNETE (Sloop); 1953 (2 pieces)
6 ALACRITY (Steamship); 1927-1930 (3 pieces)
7 ALAMAC (Schooner); undated (1 piece)
8 ALCYONE (Schooner); 1923 (3 pieces)
9 ALDEBARAN (Steamship); 1903 (2 pieces)
10 ALERT (Steamship); undated (4 pieces)
11 ALLAH KARIM (Schooner); 1918-1926 (6 pieces)
12 ALONDRA (Steamship); undated (5 pieces)
13 ANONA (Steamship); 1937 (3 pieces)
14 APHRODITE (Steamship); undated (3 pieces)
15 ARA (Power vessel); undated (4 pieces)
16 ARIA (Yawl); undated (4 pieces)
17 ARIANA (Steamship); 1904 (2 pieces)
18 ARROW (Steamship); 1909 (2 pieces)
19 ASTERIA (Steamship); 1902 (3 pieces)
20 ATLANTIC (Steamship); 1924-1935 (31 pieces)
21 BLACK JACK (Schooner); undated (1 piece)
22 BLACKWATCH (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
23 CAROL (Schooner); undated (7 pieces)
24 CASSANDRA (Steamship); undated (1 piece)
25 CHANTICLEER (Schooner); undated (6 pieces)
26 CLEMENTINA (Steamship); 1901 (3 pieces)
27 COCK-ROBIN (Cutter); 1927 (1 piece)
28 COLONIA (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
29 COLUMBA (Schooner); 1901 (1 piece)
30 CONSTELLATION (Schooner); undated (2 pieces)
31 CRISTINA (Steamship); undated (1 piece)
32 CUHONA (Barkentine); undated (3 pieces)
33 CYPRUS (Steamship); 1916 (3 pieces)
34 DAUNTLESS (Schooner); 1941 (5 pieces)
35 DOLPHIN (Brigantine); 1925-1926 (11 pieces)
36 DOLPHIN (Sloop); 1923 (3 pieces)
37 ELK (Schooner); 1931-1932 (10 pieces)
38 EL MONTAOKIL (Steamship); 1907 (2 pieces)
39 ELREBA (Steamship); 1898 (12 pieces)
40 ELSA II (Steamship); undated (3 pieces)
41 EMERALD (Steamship); undated (3 pieces)
42 ENAJ IV (Steamship); 1923 (4 pieces)
43 ENCHANTRESS (Schooner); 1931-1935 (18 pieces)
44 EROS (Steamship); 1914 (2 pieces)
45 ESMERALDA (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
46 EVONA (Steamship); 1902 (4 pieces)
47 FALCON (Steamship); undated (3 pieces)
48 FCP BELL BOTTOM BOAT (Sail boat); 1951-1957 (17 pieces)
49 FEDORA (Schooner); undated (2 pieces)
50 FELICIA (Steamship); undated (1 piece)
51 FLYING CLOUD (Schooner); 1927 (3 pieces)
52 FLYING FOX (Steamship); 1910 (2 pieces)
53 FORSTOCK (Steamship); 1911 (2 pieces)
54 FORTUNA (Steamship); undated (3 pieces)
Box Folder
2 1 GENESEE (Schooner); 1918 (3 pieces)
2 GINA (Schooner); 1921-1926 (12 pieces)
3 GLENIFFER (Schooner); 1913 (3 pieces)
4 GOIZEKO IZARRA (Schooner); 1910 (1 piece)
5 GOLDEN EAGLE (Steamship); 1901-1902 (5 pieces)
6 GOODWILL (Schooner); undated (16 pieces)
7 GYPSY (Motorsailer); 1909 (3 pieces)
8 GYPSY (Sloop); undated (1 piece)
9 GYPSY JO (Steamship); undated (1 piece)
10 HALCYON (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
11 HECATE (Steamship); 1919 (2 pieces)
12 HELENE (Steamship); 1921 (2 pieces)
13 HONOR (Steamship); 1905 (3 pieces)
14 HUSSAR (Schooner); undated (4 pieces)
15 IANARA (Steamship); 1926-1931 (14 pieces)
16 IDALIA (Steamship); 1925 (2 pieces)
17 INVADER (Schooner); 1925 (10 pieces)
18 IRENE II (Steamship); undated (1 piece)
19 JEZEBEL (Power vessel); undated (1 piece)
20 KALLISTO (Schooner); 1920-1921 (4 pieces)
21 KEMPION (Schooner); 1907 (2 pieces)
22 LA CIGALE (Schooner); 1911-1915 (6 pieces)
23 LA LICORNE (Schooner); 1926 (5 pieces)
24 LADY TORFRIDA (Barkentine); 1907 (4 pieces)
25 L’AIGLE (Steamship); 1907 (2 pieces)
26 LAMORNA (Schooner); 1914-1927 (3 pieces)
27 LEVANTER (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
28 LITTLE SOVEREIGN (Steamship); undated (3 pieces)
29 LITTLE VIKING (Motorboat); 1970 (1 piece)
30 LYNDONIA (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
31 MAREVA (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
32 MARIETTE (Schooner); 1916 (8 pieces)
33 MAUND (Steamship); 1909 (2 pieces)
34 MEDUSA (Steamship); undated (3 pieces)
35 METEOR III (Schooner); 1920 (3 pieces)
36 METEOR V (Schooner); 1925 (7 pieces)
37 MINGARY (Steamship); 1906 (2 pieces)
38 MINONA (Steamship); 1909 (5 pieces)
39 MODWENA (Bark); 1917 (6 pieces)
40 MOHICAN (Brigantine); 1925 (5 pieces)
41 MONA (Steamship); 1903 (2 pieces)
42 MORNING STAR (Schooner); undated (2 pieces)
43 NAUTILUS (Schooner); undated (4 pieces)
44 NAYADA (Houseboat); 1940-1943 (4 pieces)
45 NINA (Schooner); undated (5 pieces)
46 NIRVANA (Steamship); 1908 (3 pieces)
47 NOHAB (Steamship); 1924 (4 pieces)
48 NOMA (Steamship); 1903-1924 (23 pieces)
49 NOMAD (Schooner); undated (1 piece)
50 NORDSTERN (Schooner); undated (1 piece)
51 NORMANIA (Schooner); 1901 (5 pieces)
52 NORSEMAN (Steamship); 1901 (10 pieces)
Box Folder
3 1 OHONKARA (Schooner); undated (2 pieces)
2 OMBRA (Steamship); 1907 (4 pieces)
3 ONEIDA (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
4 ONORA (Steamship); 1901 (2 pieces)
5 O-WE-RA (Schooner); undated (2 pieces)
6 PARTHENIA (Power vessel); 1937 (1 piece)
7 POLKA DOT (Canoe); 1956 (20 pieces)
8 RHOUMA (Steamship); 1906 (3 pieces)
9 RONAELE (Power vessel); 1947 (13 pieces)
10 ROVENSKA (Steamship); 1911 (4 pieces)
11 SANTA CRUZ (Ketch); 1941 (1 piece)
12 SANTANNA (Steamship); 1907 (2 pieces)
13 SAVARONA (Schooner); 1925-1934 (27 pieces)
14 SEA BELLE (Steamship); 1907 (2 pieces)
15 SEA FAY (Steamship); 1907 (2 pieces)
16 SEA FOAM (Schooner); undated (12 pieces)
17 SEA FOX (Schooner); 1941 (14 pieces)
18 SHEELAH (Schooner); 1928 (3 pieces)
19 SHENANDOAH (Schooner); 1922-1923 (3 pieces)
20 SOUTH WIND (Power vessel); undated (1 piece)
21 STAR OF INDIA (Steamship); 1931 (1 piece)
22 ST. GEORGE (Schooner); 1921 (2 pieces)
23 SULTANA (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
24 SUNBEAM (Barkentine); undated (1 piece)
25 SUNFLOWER (Steamship); 1904 (2 pieces)
26 SUNRISE (Power vessel); 1903 (1 piece)
27 SURF (Steamship); 1923-1927 (28 pieces)
28 SWIFT (Schooner); undated (1 piece)
29 SYLVANA (Steamship); 1923 (1 piece)
30 TALOFA (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
31 TAMARA (Steamship); 1908 (2 pieces)
32 Tamm Boats (Vessels owned by Bror Tamm); undated (2 pieces)
33 THETIS (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
34 TILLICUM (Steamship); 1924 (2 pieces)
35 TRIAD (Steamship); 1910 (2 pieces)
36 Unidentified (Steamship); undated (1 piece)
37 Unnamed (Steamship); 1912 (1 piece)
38 VAGRANT (Schooner); undated (16 pieces)
39 VALHALLA (Ship); 1907 (4 pieces)
40 VALIANT (Steamship); undated (1 piece)
41 VANITIE (Schooner); 1914-1935 (14 pieces)
42 VELTHRA (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
43 VENETIA (Steamship); 1906 (5 pieces)
44 Virginia Pilot Boat (Schooner); undated (2 pieces)
45 WANDERLUST (Steamship); undated (2 pieces)
46 WHIRLWIND (Sloop); 1973 (4 pieces)
47 WILDFIRE (Schooner); 1923-1966 (6 pieces)
48 WINDORA (Catboat); undated (2 pieces)
49 XARIFA (Power vessel); 1922 (3 pieces)
50 YANKEE (Sloop); 1930-1973 (55 pieces)
51 YANKEE GIRL (Schooner); undated (3 pieces)
52 ZAIDA (Steamship); 1909 (2 pieces)
53 ZARA (Steamship); undated (4 pieces)
54 ZAZA (Steamship); 1902 (3 pieces)
Personal and Business Correspondence; 1927-1983
Box Folder
4 1 Addresses; 1948-1971 (2 pieces)
2 Maynard Bray; 1972-1977 (24 pieces)
3 Professor Evers Burtner; 1954-1973 (34 pieces)
4 Christmas cards; 1956-1980 (12 pieces)
5 Captain Harvey Dorr; 1959-1965 (4 pieces)
6 Robert Stanton Fox; 1954 (1 piece)
7 Alfred Hansen; 1957 (3 pieces)
8 International Marine, Roger Taylor; 1972-1983 (12 pieces)
9 Kearfott Engineering Company; 1927-1928 (12 pieces)
10 Henrik Larsson, “Yankee”; 1948-1958 (14 pieces)
11 Aage Nielson; 1951-1955 (3 pieces)
12 Peabody Museum; 1943 (1 piece)
13 Van Pendleton; 1973-1975 (3 pieces)
14 Snow-Tamm; 1963-1966 (9 pieces)
15 Francis Welch; 1971 (4 pieces)
16 F. Windsor; 1956 (2 pieces)
Research on Various Maritime Topics; 1900-1975
Box Folder
4 17 28′ & 32′ FORE & AFT (Cutter); 1927-1928 (8 pieces)
18 American prams – round bottom; 1912-1957 (31 pieces)
19 Automatic or jam cleats; 1906-1966 (11 pieces)
20 Boat hooks; 1925-1962 (18 pieces)
21 Broars; 1952-1953 (4 pieces)
22 Canoes; 1914-1952 (8 pieces)
23 Cleats; 1922-1969 (31 pieces)
Box Folder
5 1 Cutter rig; 1905-1959 (60 pieces)
2 Cutters of old – British; 1927-1948 (6 pieces)
3 Dugout canoe; 1975 (6 pieces)
4 Flexible and park avenue booms; 1924-1954 (13 pieces)
5 Herreshoff 1930 & 1964; 1963-1964 (2 pieces)
6 Hooks – pelican, snap; 1901-1969 (47 pieces)
7 Lawley/ Ray Hunt, 110 & 210; 1931-1967 (52 pieces)
8 Locks – lifts, jambs; 1922-1936 (3 pieces)
9 Medieval – ship, Egyptians, other models; 1925-1954 (5 pieces)
10 Oars & rowing; 1953-1954 (7 pieces)
11 Paddleboards; 1926-1970 (50 pieces)
12 Racing models – power; 1941-1960 (11 pieces)
13 Racing models – sail; 1921-1965 (31 pieces)
14 Rangeley – lakes boats; 1925-1964 (8 pieces)
15 Roller-reefing gear; 1907-1965 (80 pieces)
16 Seasleds; 1911-1962 (8 pieces)
17 Shackles; 1944-1969 (6 pieces)
18 Solid sails/gyro-sails; 1930-1963 (16 pieces)
Box Folder
6 1 Spinnakers; 1907-1964 (107 pieces)
2 Tamm’s – round nose pram; 1937-1950 (29 pieces)
3 Tamm diverse types; 1922 (6 pieces)
4 Toph blox; 1955-1959 (6 pieces)
5 Turnbuckles and thimbles; 1900-1965 (42 pieces)
6 Weekender, Lawleys; undated (14 pieces)
7 Yuloh; 1926-1966 (29 pieces)
Business Records; 1931-1973
Box Folder
6 8 Day book; 1948 (1 piece)
9 Business cards; undated (27 pieces)
10 Crawford’s mast; 1966-1973 (2 pieces)
11 Mr. Herbert’s model, 1960-1961; 1960-1964 (9 pieces)
12 Jackson 12′ tender; 1935-1955 (11 pieces)
13 William Bross Lloyd; 1931-1933 (17 pieces)
14 Tamm advertisements; 1949 (5 pieces)
15 Time records; 1953-1954 (1 piece)
Items Pertaining to Individuals; 1935-1971
Box Folder
6 16 D. Fisher; 1935 (2 pieces)
17 Dick Fisher; 1954 (5 pieces)
18 Dick Fisher; 1955-1956 (15 pieces)
19 D. Fisher; 1955-1971 (45 pieces)
20 D. Fisher, Sailfish, and small-pattern; 1958 (1 piece)
Box Folder
7 1 Fisher – boat; 1958 (4 pieces)
2 Dick Fisher- bills; 1957-1961 (13 pieces)
3 Slippery Otter; 1962 (1 piece)
4 D. Fisher; 1963-1965 (7 pieces)
5 Dick Fisher; 1961-1965 (5 pieces)
6 D. Fisher; 1962-1971 (69 pieces)
7 R.T. Fisher correspondence; 1971 (4 pieces)
8 George Owen, MIT dinghy; 1936-1959 (9 pieces)
9 Joe Plumb; 1953-1971 (25 pieces)
10 Joe Plumb; 1953-1954 (21 pieces)
11 Joe Plumb – tender; 1953-1957 (19 pieces)
12 Rudder – J. Plumb; 1957 (10 pieces)
Personal Records; 1902-1981
Box Folder
7 13 Bror Tamm, terminsbetyg [Report cards]; 1898-1981 (17 pieces)
14 B. Tamm; 1906-1976 (11 pieces)
15 Photographs of Bror Tamm; 1957-1975 (7 pieces)
16 Personal and family articles; 1927-1967 (42 pieces)
17 Publicity; 1913-1974 (17 pieces)
Edna Tamm Verzuh Papers; 1942-1997
Box Folder
7 18 Inventory of Bror Tamm’s library; 1981-1982 (9 pieces)
19 Patrol Craft Sailors Association, PC 617; 1942-1997 (40 pieces)
Box Folder
8 1 Tamm – plans and collection requests; 1982-1983 (6 pieces)
Miscellaneous; 1910-1982
Box Folder
8 2 Lawley men – Harvard “Cro-Magnon” study; undated (17 pieces)
3 Articles; 1916-1953 (21 pieces)
4 Drawings and plans; 1921-1966 (34 pieces)
5 Notes; 1922-1975 (11 pieces)
6 Photos, George Lawley & Son Corporation and Nyborg, Denmark yacht yards; 1910-1956 (13 pieces)
7 WoodenBoat; 1982 (2 pieces)
Series 9: Volumes. 1909-1979
Box Volume
8 1 Miscellaneous Notebook; 1909 (1 volume)
2 Daily Journal; 1912-1923 (1 volume)
3 Daily Journal; 1922-1934 (1 volume)
4 Daily Journal; 1934-1936 (1 volume)
5 Daily Journal; 1936-1938 (1 volume)
6 Daily Journal; 1940-1946 (1 volume)
Box Volume
9 7 Daily Journal; 1947-1951 (1 volume)
8 Daily Journal; 1951-1953 (1 volume)
9 Daily Journal; 1954-1956 (1 volume)
10 Daily Journal; 1957-1959 (1 volume)
11 Daily Journal; 1960-1962 (1 volume)
12 Daily Journal; 1963-1964 (1 volume)
13 Daily Journal; 1965-1968 (1 volume)
14 Daily Journal; 1969-1971 (1 volume)
15 Daily Journal; 1972-1978 (1 volume)
16 Miscellaneous Notebook; 1972-1979 (1 volume)
Box Volume
10 17 Euklides; undated (1 volume)
18 Naturlara; undated (1 volume)
19 Raknekonsten; undated (1 volume)
Series 10: Volumes. undated
Volume
20 Arithmetic Notebook; undated (1 volume)

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