Saturday Morning, January 24, 2026

All Along the Lee Shore

Choppy water churned their skiff, a stiff breeze descending lakeside. Just this would be a factor between winning or losing. Their victories in the semifinals should have earned them a better berth, but naught. It was not their country. Nor their rules.

Closeup of a sterling English 1869 sculling trophy, London, 1868, Richards & Brown. 1869 was a banner year for the sport of rowing. The first international matches were held. Quickly this event gained popularity. Close inspection of this University Scratch Fours 1st Prize March, 1869 trophy opens a surprise door. Keep reading, rowing.

These oarsman (names engraved) manned a boat for Trinity Hall College, Cambridge, Engand. The third name down is Coxswain H. [Henry] F. [Fielding[ Dickens,
8th child of Charles & Catherine Dickens.
Our adventure begins.

Across the lake, competitors, lined up dockside, sat in calm waters, droplets licking their sculls. The Seattle Boys lowered their heads. All those winter workouts on Lake Washington. They were ready. It has been a long journey. From Seattle to Berlin, by way of Poughkeepsie. Each win earning another. They started with nothing but a dream. Those skilled California rowers and Ivy League athletes who were born with oars in their hands fell before them. Now, on Der Lange See, the chance of a lifetime in the 1936 Olympics beckoned.

Forty volume set of Charles Dickens, Chapman & Hall, Ltd. 1906. What separates this set from the others is the additions to Volume 1.

Rings of Mordor

Best of the best. An honor to compete. Kudos from each country's citizens. An incredible effort to unite the world, even if only for several weeks. But politics always demands a spot, mostly when needed least.

Check signed by Charles Dickens, written to Miss Dickens and house, 1860, in the amount of nine pounds.

In Germany, Adolf Hitler desired to showcase his chosen, the Aryans. Now his athletes would prove to the world who was the superior race.

His dreams fell under the running spikes of Jesse Owens and John Woodruff among other black contestants. But discrimination knows no color, nor differentiates. The Boys in the Boat from Seattle, lowest on the social rung of elite rowing, poor cousins, suffered the same. Despite all they had earned, all the personal sacrifice they endured, a final barrier now faced them on their trip to Berlin. Even oarsmen could not beat the odds on this problem.

Signature of Charles Dicken's sixth child - Alfred Tennyson Dickens, written within the book.

Dead Man's Hand

The American Olympic Committee, at the last minute, presented the boys with an ultimatum. If they could not pay $5,000.00 within days of their departure abroad, another American team would replace them, the money required to fund their endeavor. The team? University of Pennsylvania, runner-up in the time trials.

George III verge fusee sterling case pocket watch,
London, 1783, by William Howard, with watch papers.

Payment within the Ivy League was a trifle request. But for the boys in Seattle, mired in the 1930's Depression, it was a death knell. Rowing was their singular release from economic severity. Sweat and skill their contribution. $5,000.00 dollars in 1936 equated to $100,000.00 dollars today. Their hopes crashed on these rocky shoals. Almost.

Attached letter within Dicken's volume one, dated August 20th, 1867, written & signed by George Cruikshank. The letter's intended recipient is not clear. Cruikshank illustrated Charles Dickens' stories, creating classic images still recognizable today.

Second page of note illustrated.

Sterling chalice trophy, Birmingham, Alexander Clark & Co., Ltd.
Derby Regatta Maiden Fours, 1935, perhaps held in Australia.

Community Chest

Mirroring the Monopoly game released through Parker Bros. in 1935, the citizens of Seattle responded, their plea echoing throughout the city. From the first $500.00 donated by the Seattle Times, to the nickels and dimes collected on the streets, from door-to-door solicitations and board room consultations, the pot started filling. Within 48 hours, the goal was reached minutes before the deadline. A Herculean task as impossible as qualifying for the Olympics itself, the Boys had passed Go.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Ungently up the Stream

In the final Olympic race, the Seattle Boys found themselves assigned to the worst possible lane.

George III verge fusee sterling case pocket watch, 1796, by William Roberts. York, Pennsylvania watch papers included.

Crosswinds and choppiness impeded speed while Germany and Italy rowed in calmer waters. Even more alarming, the Boys missed the start signal. This misstep and berth insured loss. But their drive to reach Berlin translated into their stroke beat. In this 2,000-meter race, by 1,200 meters they reached third place. Within 200 meters they challenged leaders, Germany and Italy. Only a photograph would determine the winner. Seattle, by less than ten feet, equivalent to a nanosecond. Victory and a place in Olympic legendary history.

Here, in Buckingham, despite this crushing winter season, we too refuse to yield. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow...an oath of ancient Persian couriers, still prevalent today, keeps us rowing through ice and drifts...