Crescent Shaped Flagship Corsair Plate, 9". The Minton's china has the J. Pierpont Morgan signature navy blue trim with gold accents. Top of plate has the New York Yacht Club burgee and the Commodore's flag of a white anchor and stars on a blue field, crossing staffs with a blue banner beneath reading "Flagship". Reverse has Mintons stamp and the dealer’s label of T. Goode, merchants to the affluent of the time. J. Pierpont Morgan was elected commodore of the New York Yacht Club in 1897; well noted as one of his favorite accomplishments. Morgan’s steam yacht “Corsair” became the clubs “Flagship”.
Morgan displayed his appreciation and dedication to the club by providing the land on which the Beaux-Arts masterpiece New York Yacht Club was built in 1897-1899. Commodore Morgan had this elegant Minton’s china produced to his selected patterns and emblazoned with the New York Yacht Club burgee, the Commodore’s flag and “Flagship” on a flowing banner outlined in gold.
This piece of dinnerware was used Corsair when J.P. Morgan entertained important people of the day; U.S. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft, Tycoons Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockafeller and Thomas Edison used this china!
Corsair II was built for J.P. Morgan in 1890. considerably larger than Corsair I, she provided her owner with the princely comfort he desired. He used her a great deal, almost as another one of his homes. After Morgan was elected Commodore of the New York Yacht Club in 1897, “Corsair” served as the notable flagship. He took a very active interest in the club, donated prized, viewed the cup races and led the annual cruises in “Corsair”.
In 1898, “Corsair” was sold to the U.S. Navy for use in the Spanish-American War. She was converted to a patrol gunboat and renamed U.S.S. Gloucester and was quite successful in several actions.
It was on Corsair that a close friend asked J.P. Morgan the cost to operate such a fine yacht to which his reply was “If you have to ask, you cannot afford it”. A personal possession of J. Pierpont Morgan