Baltimore Clipper

Here are some images of Artesania Latinas 1/50 scale Baltimore Clipper Harvey. In the early 19th century these fast sailing vessels were used by the United States to carry everything from cargo to passengers to yes even slaves. These Baltimore clippers really came into their own however when California was incorporated into the American union in 1848. Back in those days there was no Panama canal and no railroad so the only way to supply the western side of the union was with these ships and the only way to get there was around the Horn of South America. The fierce storms around the Horn demanded the ability to trim, furl and unfurl sails quickly and ships like the Harvey fit the bill. Baltimore clippers could go from New York to California in as fast as 90 days. It was because of ships like the Harvey that cities like San Fransisco were able to triple their populations in as little as 10 years. Of coarse the days of these ships were numbered with the advent of the railroad and the Panama and Suez canals and by the end of the 1870s these ships were no longer considered economically viable.