Here are two more photographs of the Newport waterfront; a working waterfront from 1970. Mac’s Clam
Shack, the Newport Shipyard, Christie’s restaurant.
The Ann Street Pier next to the Armory, look carefully at Goat Island in the distance.
All stories must have context. These images are the Newport waterfront I knew as a teenager. I had to limit the images, there are so many that evoke memories of how things were, a simpler time.
Joe Cooper is responsible for this post, when he referred to me as the original wharf rat. The consequences of an offhand remark. I looked up the definition of wharf rat. Unfortunately what I found was not as flattering as I had hoped.
I will post some images of the people who were the real waterfront: gave it personality. For now this is the place they lived and worked.
Long strand manila rope was sill an important commodity in the chandleries, three strand dacron was really special, Samson braid and Intrepid braid did not yet exist.
I learned to make my first wire to rope tail splice, and macrame and baggywrinkle were commonplace. Newport was still very much a Navy town. The MP’s were on every corner during the weekends to deal with the sailors on leave.
The important fact is that it was a working waterfront, the fabric of which had evolved from necessity. Life was definitely a little slower.
