Albertina
Regarding local history, the Albertina is the most significant model in the Bahrs’ collection.
The Albertina is typical of the type of vessel connecting Monmouth County to New York City. Almost immediately after the development of the commercially viable steam propelled vessel by Robert Fulton in 1807, investors began to develop steamboat routes all through the greater Port of New York. Side wheeler steamboats were particularly attractive for use on the shallow Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers. Prior to the development of the steamboat, the rivers were served by sailing vessels, often schooner rigged, called Shrewsbury packets. These were shallow draft centerboard schooners. While they were excellent sailing vessels, it was often difficult to use the centerboard in the shallow sections of the river which then, in turn, made it difficult so sail upwind.
Steam vessels could easily be designed with shallow draft, and side wheels were unlikely to be damaged if the vessel accidentally grounded. Since the run to New York City was relatively short, the cost of fuel was not an overriding factor. The combination of reliability, much higher speed than sailing vessels, and comfort made the sidewheelers very popular for passengers traveling between New York and Eastern Monmouth County. Besides passengers, these vessels also would carry higher value cargo such as horses, mail, produce and even occasionally cars.
Steamboats were often displaced by railroads when they were being developed starting in the 1830’s, but Monmouth County’s unique geographical location allowed steamboats to run well into the age of automobiles. A steamboat trip from Red Bank to downtown Manhattan was often quicker than a train trip which would terminate in Jersey City or Hoboken and required a ferry trip to cross the Hudson. Most of all in fine weather it was a much more enjoyable ride.
The Albertina was built in Greenpoint Brooklyn by Lawrence & Foulkes in 1882, she continued to operate in eastern Monmouth County until 1926 and burned at her Long Branch pier in 1932. While Hudson upriver commercial ferry traffic pretty much ended at that time, larger passenger ferry excursion vessels continued to run to various Raritan Bay south shore location into the 1960’s.
In the 1980’s modern ferries started to run from Highlands and Atlantic Highlands and today fast ferries are again an integral part of the eastern Monmouth County transportation network.
The model
This diorama shows Albertina heading upriver past Twin Lights in Highlands very close to where Bahrs’ Landing is presently located.
The scratch model was built by Fair Haven resident Harry Roede and took 600 man hours to build. The model has straight pins secured and burred over as rivets in the stack, wire mesh as rope "screening" over the rails, and lead models of men and carriages. It has a "working paddlewheel" and the cabinet is lit.
