Collection Timeline

1968 to 2013

1968
Designed by naval architect Cyrus Hamlin, the Clearwater was built at the Harvey Gamage shipyard. The keel laying occurred in 1968.
The builders followed Hamlin's precise specifications to create an authentic Hudson River sloop.
In celebration of the boat's construction, Pete Seeger visited Harvey Gamage shipyard in 1968 and performed for a small crowd.

1969
On May 17, 1969, the Clearwater launched from South Bristol, Maine.
The crew sailed along the Atlantic Coast, performing concerts at towns along the waterfront.

1970
In April 1970, the Clearwater sailed past a junkyard in the Hudson Valley. That month, the boat went to Washington, DC, for the first Earth Day

1978
Spearheaded by Toshi Seeger, the Great Hudson River Revival was officially inaugurated in 1978. It built upon the momentum of the smaller fundraising concerts that Toshi and Pete started in the 1960s, becoming a multistage eco-friendly extravaganza.

2012
Pete Seeger's iconic banjo bears the words, "This machine surrounds hate, and forces it to surrender."
In 2012, Pete Seeger performed the song Quite Early Morning at Manhattanville College.

2013
In this image, taken at the Beacon Sloop Club, Seeger recollected his experiences traveling the country with Woody Guthrie in the 1940s.
Built in 1978, the Woody Guthrie is a smaller version of the Clearwater that sails around the Beacon waterfront, raising awareness about local environmental concerns and offering free sails to the community.
In 2012, the Clearwater crew commenced a massive rebuild of the boat.
Despite a massive overhaul, the boat made back in the water for the Great Hudson River Revival. In this image, Pete Seeger performs the closing ceremony along with Joanne Shenandoah.