Contains over 9,000 blueprints and other technical drawings for over 200 different ships. These drawings were used at Fraser Shipyards between the 1950s and the 1980s, though some drawings date back to the 1890s. Projects at Fraser included repairs to propellers and hull plating, conversions to self-unloaders, lengthening of vessels, and repowering from coal to oil or diesel. Many drawings also relate to the building and launch of vessels. These include lines, general arrangements, profiles, propulsion systems, and details of piping, and minor fittings. Contains drawings for many famous Great Lakes vessels, including the five ships of the Fraser Class, the sixteen Maritimer vessels, the Edmund Fitzgerald, and the William A. Irvin. Also includes drawings for lesser-known vessels, like the supply boat Ojibway, the tug Frances A. Small, the research vessel Silas Bent, and the tanker Cross Keys.
A searchable online index for these drawings is available at frasershipyardscollection.omeka.net. Processing and indexing of the Fraser Shipyards drawings was made possible by a National Maritime Heritage Grant from the National Park Service. The online index was made possible by UW-Superior Maritime Foundation funding.
Search this portion of the collection using our online index:
See a small sampling of the drawings available in the Fraser Shipyards Collections in this digital exhibit.
Physical Description:
35mm black-and-white slides: 9.1 linear feet (7 drawers, partially unprocessed)
Large-format drawings: 160.8 linear feet (200 rolled storage boxes, 4 RC, 1 AB)
Microfilm: 6 rolls
Processed by: Shana Aue, Emily Davidson, Dara Fillmore, and Nickolas Olson
Further materials on the following ships can be found in Series 1: Project Files:
Further materials on the following ships can be found in Series 6: Photographs: