the clipper ship

"The British clipper ship Garfield" by John Bentham-Dinsdale

The Black Hawk, a clipper built by William H. Webb in 1857, for the New York, New England and California trade. A painting by Charles Robert Patterson (1878-1958).

Among transport types, the clipper ships of the 19th century continue to have a popular appeal that arguably is equalled only by steam locomotives, and they have been the subject of many paintings.  They were very fast sailing ships of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area. Clipper ships were mostly made in British and American shipyards, though France, the Netherlands and other nations also produced some.

The most famous clipper ship is the Cutty Sark.  At the end of the 1920s the term Flying Clipper Ship was coined by Pan Am for its flying boats. Posts about both soon.