Thomas J. Brown

Wondering what didn’t fit in this shot?

Towing on short hawser made to starboard bitt of scow,

a small tug with classy lines makes

its way eastbound on the KVK

with a sizeable tow.

It’s Thomas J. Brown, something unusual in the sixth boro:

a family-business that since its creation in the unpromising year of 1929 has seen a lot of change in the harbor.  Read copious details about this family business in Don Sutherland’s fine article here (starting on p. 18).   Just a foretaste: Lindbergh, slaughterhouses on the East River,  Normandie salvage, work on all the bridges between NJ and metro New York as well as the VZ and others,  the 1939 World’s Fair, ….  The tanker whose orange house shows lower left belongs to Torm Kristina.

Don, great article I’m just finding now.  There’s a lot of history in the wake of that tow.

All fotos (except the last one taken two years ago) were snapped  from my office one lucky day last week by Will Van Dorp.