USS Helena PG 9 Tapestry

The tapestry is dated 1913 and is embroidered on and in silk. A young Chinese boy did these for members of the crew. My grandfather, William Penn Reid, Sr., brought this back home - the Helena was in China, patrolling the Yangtze. When grandfather returned to his wife and son who had stayed behind at the base in Santa Barbara, they took a ship which was one of the first to travel through the newly opened Panama Canal. The tapestry came with them through Pennsylvania, then to Michigan where he built a lovely home and made the oak frame from trim boards used in the home after its completion in 1919, the year my father was born. As a child I was fascinated with my grandfather's time in the Orient, so oddly enough, the 7th child of the 2nd son (me) was lucky enough to inherit these treasures. I don't know how many of these exist, but mine is a very special part of my life. It is about 6' tall and 3' wide. Bonnie

The full tapestry

Top of tapestry

Bottom of tapestry

Center of tapestry