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HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
On January 12, 1936, the 5,724-ton freighter S.S. Iowa was driven onto Peacock Spit by hurricane-force winds while departing the Columbia River for New York via San Francisco.
The ship became a total wreck, and all 34 officers and crew were lost. It was the deadliest maritime loss recorded on the Columbia River Bar during the twentieth century.
Peacock Spit and Cape Disappointment are part of the coastline known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific,” giving this postcard strong Columbia River and Pacific Northwest maritime-history interest.
POSTCARD IMAGE
This dramatic black-and-white real photo postcard shows the Iowa’s wreckage in heavy seas. Only portions of the ship remain above water, while figures aboard an unidentified vessel observe from the foreground.
The image shows the aftermath, not the ship actively sinking. The exact photograph date is unconfirmed.
The front credits “Sherman J. Ellis photo” and “Fitzpatrick print.” A handwritten reverse note identifies the January 12, 1936 disaster, the loss of all 34 men and the location near Peacock Spit.
PRINTING DATE AND COLLECTIBLE VALUE
Printed on Kodak Paper, this physical postcard dates to approximately 1950 or later. It is a vintage photographic printing of the historic 1936 image, not a postcard produced at the time of the wreck.
Its appeal includes the documented disaster, identifiable vessel, named photographic and printing credits, handwritten historical identification and Columbia River Bar connection. It suits collectors of shipwrecks, maritime history, the Pacific Northwest and real photo postcards. It is not represented as a rare or original 1936 issue.
POSTCARD DETAILS
● Vessel: S.S. Iowa
● Former name: S.S. West Cadron
● Type: Steel-hulled cargo steamship
● Operator: States Steamship Company
● Disaster date: January 12, 1936
● Location: Peacock Spit, Columbia River Bar, Washington
● Loss of life: All 34 officers and crew
● Front credit: Sherman J. Ellis photo; Fitzpatrick print
● Format: Black-and-white real photo postcard
● Photographic paper: Kodak Paper
● Image date: Wreck aftermath; exact photograph date unconfirmed
● Postcard printing period: Approximately 1950 or later
● Postal status: Unposted
● Reverse: Handwritten historical identification
● Unit of sale: Single postcard
ITEM SPECIFICS
● Unit of Sale: Single unit
● Number of Items: 1
● Type: Real Photo Postcard / RPPC
● Era: Post-War, 1945–Present
● Original/Licensed Reprint: Original vintage photographic postcard
● Subject: S.S. Iowa; shipwreck; maritime disaster; cargo ship
● Theme: Maritime History; Shipwrecks; Disasters; Transportation
● Location: Peacock Spit, Columbia River Bar
● Region: Washington; Pacific Northwest
● Photographer/Credit: Sherman J. Ellis
● Print Credit: Fitzpatrick
● Postage Condition: Unposted
● Material: Paper
● Features: Divided back; handwritten annotation
● Country/Region of Manufacture: Unknown
● Store Category: Ocean Liner & Ship
SHIPPING
The postcard will be protected in a postcard sleeve and shipped inside a rigid protective mailer.
