Francis Osborn Braynard (August 21, 1916 – December 10, 2007) was a prominent

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

author and

maritime historian Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...

Life

Born Francis Osborn Braynard in Glen Cove, New York, he earned an undergraduate degree in history from

Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...

in 1939, and master's degree in maritime history from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. Along with Nils Hansell, Braynard launched the world's first

Operation Sail Operation Sail refers to a series of sailing events held to celebrate special occasions and features sailing vessels from around the world. Each event is coordinated by Operation Sail, Inc., a non-profit organization established in 1961 by U.S. Pres ...

, an extravaganza in which tall ships and naval vessels filled New York harbor, in 1964. He was chief organizer for OpSail 76, marking the

bicentennial __NOTOC__ A bicentennial or bicentenary is the two-hundredth anniversary of a part, or the celebrations thereof. It may refer to: Europe *French Revolution bicentennial, commemorating the 200th anniversary of 14 July 1789 uprising, celebrated ...

of the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

. Braynard was also one of the creators of

South Street Seaport The South Street Seaport is a historic area in the New York City borough of Manhattan, centered where Fulton Street meets the East River, and adjacent to the Financial District, in Lower Manhattan. The Seaport is a designated historic district, ...

, a complex of shops and urban amenities built in several blocks of old waterfront buildings on the East River in New York City. He was also a curator at the American Merchant Marine Museum on the grounds of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. He died on December 10, 2007, at the age of 91 at his long-time residence on Dubois Avenue in Sea Cliff, New York.

Author

Frank is the author of 34 books including the six-volume encyclopedic work on the ocean liner,

SS Leviathan SS ''Leviathan'' was a German Ocean liner launched on 3 April 1913 and began service in 1914 as the transatlantic ocean liner ''Vaterland'' for Germany's Hamburg America Line. The ship, second of three running mates and then the largest passe ...

*"Lives of the Liners", 1947. *"Fifty Years on N.Y. Ship", 1949. *"Famous American Ships"1956 *"The Story of Ships", 1962 *"S.S. Savannah", The Elegant Steamship, 1963 *"By Their Works Ye Shall Know Them", 1968 *"Leviathan, Vol I", 1972 *"Marine Collection of India House", 1973 *"Leviathan, Vol II"1974 *"Leviathan, Vol III", 1976 *"Leviathan, Vol IV, "1978 *"Great Liners", 1978 (co-author) *"Famous American Ships", 1978 (revised edition) *"Sail, Steam & Splendor", 1978 (co-author) *"Romance of the Sea", 1980 (co-author) *"Leviathan, Vol V"1981 *"Big Ship", 1981 *"Il Nastro Zaaurro", 1981 - in Italian *"Famous Fifty Liners, Volume I" 1982, with Bill Miller *"Leviathan, Vol VI", 1983 *"Famous Fifty Liners, Volume II", 1985, with Bill Miller *"Picture History of the Normandie", 1987 *"Fifty Famous Liners, Vol III", 1987, with Bill Miller *"

SS Savannah SS ''Savannah'' was an American hybrid sailing ship/sidewheel steamer built in 1818. She was the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, transiting mainly under sail power from May to June 1819. In spite of this historic voyage, the great s ...

", 1988, Revised Edition *"Story of Titanic in Postcards", 1988 *"Salute to The Crown", 1988 *"Classic Ocean Liners, Vol I", 1990 *"Picture History of the

Cunard Line Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...

", 1990, with Bill Miller *"U.S. Steamships", 1991" *"The Tall Ships of Today in Photographs", 1993, Dover Publications 0-486-27163-3 *"Classic Ocean Liners, Vol II", 1994

Artist

Sketchbooks include *"Ship Sketchbook", 1962 includes 12 sketches *Tugman's Sketchbook", 1965 *"From Fire Island to Venice", 1966 *"One Square Mile: A Sea Cliff Sketchbook, 1967 *"1976 Operation Sale Portfolio" *"Search for the Tall Ships" *"American Troopships Past and Present" *United States Passenger Ships Over the Years" *"A Sketcher's Paradise" *"Saltaire Sketches" *"From Sea Cliff" to Barcelona: A Lifetime in Sketches", 1995, 1-879-180-11

Maritime historian

* Assistant Marine Editor, New York Herald Tribune

References

External links

Frank O. Braynard tribute
TheSaltairian.com (2008) Retrieved June 1, 2015 {{DEFAULTSORT:Braynard, Frank 1916 births 2007 deaths American maritime historians Duke University Trinity College of Arts and Sciences alumni Columbia University alumni People from Glen Cove, New York Historians from New York (state)