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Collection

Kenneth Grace manuscripts, 1908-1914

166 pages (2 volumes)

The Grace collection consists of two manuscripts: "The Sea," an ecclectic compilation of a child's stories on nautical themes, and the Log of the Sea Wren, which includes narratives of Kenneth Grace's summer time cruises in Chesapeake Bay aboard the boats Sea Wren and Sea Bird.

The Log of the Sea Wren includes narratives of Kenneth Grace's summer time "cruises" in Chesapeake Bay aboard the boats Sea Wren and Sea Bird, 1910-1914. The entries map out Grace's activities during August 1910, June 1912, June and July 1913, and June and July 1914, and include accounts of sailing, camping, and, on occasion, staying ashore. Although nothing further is known about Grace, the duration of these cruises suggest that the "log" was kept during his summer vacations.

Among other points of interest in the log are a description of Sharp's Island and the ruins of its failed resort hotel, accompanied by Grace's hand-drawn map. The log also includes a real-photo postcard of a young boy, possibly Grace.

"The Sea," written earlier than the Log, is an ecclectic compilation of a child's stories on nautical themes, including sailing, work in ports, shipwrecks, and salvage operations. Some of the stories may have been copied from newspapers or magazines, but others bear the marks of having been written by, or altered by Grace. The most interesting features of the manuscript are the charming pencil illustrations of sailing vessels and sea life, and three highly imaginative maps done in water color. The authorship of the manuscript is based on the presence of Kenneth Grace's name on page 43 and elsewhere.