Nautical Memorabilia on Display in July and August

Semaphore Flags
Originally uploaded by bpld.

Nautical memorabilia are now on display at the Buena Park Library District, located at 7150 La Palma Avenue in Buena Park, between Knott and Western Avenues. Mr. James Paterson, a longtime Buena Park resident, has been collecting maritime artifacts since the early 1960’s. A small portion of his large collection is on exhibit in the Library lobby now through the end of August 2006.

Mr. Paterson served in the U.S. Navy from 1960 - 1979. Mr. Paterson’s collection includes U.S. Navy magazines, crew books, postcards, signal flags, photographs, plaques, and pennants. Some of his most interesting relics are from the USS Dixie (AD-14), a “destroyer tender” which is a ship that provided repair and technical services to destroyers and other warships. A piece of the deck, a rivet from the hull and even a porthole from the USS Dixie are on view. One of the longest serving vessels in the Navy, the USS Dixie was decommissioned in 1983 and scrapped in 1993.

Also displayed are some memorabilia from the Cunard Line ships RMS Queen Mary and MV Britannic. Menus from 1937 evoke a time when transatlantic travel was mainly by ship.

The Buena Park Library is open Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., but closed on Federal holidays. For information, please call the Reference Desk at 714-826-4100, ext. 125.