April 2004

Ringwald's River: One Man's
Passion for the Hudson
Exhibit opens May 15

Hudson River Maritime Museum
Acquires the Donald C. Ringwald Collection

In celebration of the acquisition of the Donald C. Ringwald Collection, the Hudson River Maritime Museum's 2004 exhibit will be, "Ringwald's River: One Man's Passion for the Hudson River and its Steamboats." The exhibit will include period lithographs, paintings, photographs, artifacts, and furniture from Hudson River steamboats from the collection of this well-known author and collector.

The exhibit will open to the public on May 15 and be on view daily 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through October of 2004.

For more information please call:
Allynne Lange, Curator
845 331-0071, ext. 14 or e-mail, hrmm@ulster.net

The Ringwald Collection
The Hudson River Maritime Museum, of Kingston, New York, has recently acquired an extensive collection of maritime memorabilia relating primarily to Hudson River transportation in the steamboat age. The collection was amassed by the late Donald C. Ringwald (1917-1987), a Kingston native, and was donated to the Museum by the late Douglas L. Haverly.

The collection consists of photographs, lithographs, and paintings documenting the fleet of steamboats and towboats that maintained the commerce of the river for well over a century. There is also an extensive library of books, pamphlets, timetables and other publications relating to the river boats as well as to other waterways in the Northeast. Finally, there are many artifacts and ephemera relating to the vessels which sailed these waters.

Donald Ringwald was much more than a collector. He had a lifelong, passionate interest in Hudson River steamboats and the Rondout Creek at Kingston, as evidenced by the publication of his three outstanding books - Hudson River Day Line (1965), The Mary Powell (1972), and Steamboats for Rondout (1981). The Museum has acquired the copyrights to the Day Line and Mary Powell books as part of the collection. In addition Ringwald wrote frequently for maritime historical journals.

Don Ringwald was a longtime member of the Steamship Historical Society of America, serving as editor of its quarterly journal, Steamboat Bill, from 1961 to 1966, on its Board of Directors for many years, and as the Society's president from 1973 to 1975.

The Museum is proud to have been entrusted with this important collection. It is our plan to use images and artifacts from the collection in the creation of future exhibits, and to make the materials available to serious researchers. The acquisition of the Ringwald Collection will enhance the resources of the Hudson River Maritime Museum and make Kingston the research center for the Hudson Valley's maritime heritage in much the same it was that it was the area's commercial and transportation center in bygone days.

Ringwald Steamboat Books

Museum Acquires Donald C. Ringwald Collection

Ronald C. Ringwald — A Short Biography