"The Story of India Wharf" 1916 OTIS, Herbert F
$2,000
From an Address by Herbert F. Otis Delivered on the Centennial of the Erection of India Wharf Building
OTIS, Herbert F
Henry Foster Otis [1861-1921] was a prominent Boston socialite and avid yachtsman. His home on Fisher Hill in Brookline was filled with pictures of boats and ships and he was called by friends the "Commodore of the Fisher Hill Yacht Club." His address was given to the India Wharf Rats ("Brother Rats" so presumably he was a member of the club) in 1908.
[19] pp.
w/ 12 illustrations
100 copies were printed for The India Wharf Rats by Merrymount Press
1916
12 1/2" x 9 5/8"
VG
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Excerpts from his address are followed by a section of black and white plates. Photographs include four exterior views of the India Wharf Building and five interior views of the interior of the India Wharf Rats Club.
The book was prepared "by authority of the Club, by a committee consisting of J. Templeman Coolidge, Alexander W. Longfellow, and John T. Wheelwright."
The India Wharf Rats Club is a historic Boston social club founded in 1886 by prominent local ship owners and business figures. Originally meeting for dinner and poker on India Wharf, the group now hosts regular maritime-themed luncheons managed via the Cruising Club of America.
History & Background
Founded: Established in 1886 on the third floor of the India Building in Boston.
Early Traditions: Members met twice a month for dinner, conversation, and card games.
When the original building was torn down in 1962, the club moved to the Custom House Block on Long Wharf and later established its current gathering space.
Documented in local archives and historical accounts, such as John Tyler Wheelwright's A History of the India Wharf Rats, 1886–1911.