Sidewheel packet · 1878–1886 Work in progress
J. M. White
Reconstructing a floating palace, one detail at a time.
The boat
All renderings by Jens Mittelbach, available under CC BY 4.0. Select an image to view it at full size.
Inside the packet
The cabin
“One of the most attractive features of this floating palace is the stained glass furnished from the establishment of William F. Blum. The skylights are very chaste in drawing and in execution, one of the main features being the busts and statuary in the center of each light. The statues are painted in pearly gray on a blue ground, inclosed by a wreath of ivy in gray on a white ground, the whole light surrounded by a border of purple and gold.” (Frederick Way: Way’s packet directory, 1848-1983: passenger steamboats of the Mississippi river system since the advent of photography in mid-continent America. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University 1983, p. 234)
A closer look
Cabin furnishings
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From photograph to model
The grand staircase
