CAMPER & NICHOLSONS. STORIA, PROGETTI E DOCUMENTI D’ARCHIVIO (1782-2001)

CAMPER & NICHOLSONS. HISTORY, PROJECTS AND ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS (1782-2001) No boat builder in the world can boast a history, importance and eclecticism comparable to those of Camper & Nicholsons. Active for more than two centuries in the south of England, this multifaceted shipyard, with a glorious and sometimes troubled existence, is a paradigmatic case study for many reasons. The first of these concerns the quality and variety of the boats built. The shipyard, in fact, has been able to maintain astonishing construction standards over an enviable period of time, also designing and building an extraordinarily wide spectrum of boats: from working boats to wooden, steel and aluminum yachts; from wartime military vessels to series boats in fiberglass, and other bespoke vessel of every shape and material, sailing and motor. A second reason concerns the unmatched longevity of the shipyard, which is attributable to many factors, not least its fortunate geographical position. Gosport’s proximity to both Portsmouth Dockyard and the Royal Yacht Squadron of Cowes, the ‘mecca’ of British yachting, allowed the shipyard’s managers to cultivate close relationships with the armed forces and to obtain providential orders thanks to which the shipyard itself was able to benefit from the liquidity necessary to continue construction activities, to invest in infrastructure and, at times, to start speculative projects. The shipyard’s longevity and success were obviously due to the ability of its managers, who all shared a strong entrepreneurial acumen, a certain vision and a crucial ability to relate to customers. During the period in which it was led first by William Camper, then by Benjamin Nicholson and then by his son Charles Ernest, the shipyard experienced a prodigious commercial development, during which it expanded the range of activities and diversified investments both to grow in terms of turnover and to counter the uncertainty of this peculiar product sector subject to fashions, individual whims and unpredictable negative economic trends. In the end, despite the many pitfalls, the shipyard managed to describe an exciting parabola that reached its highest peaks in the interwar period. Another reason for which Camper & Nicholsons represents an exemplary case study concerns the projects and the autarchic capabilities of the shipyard in terms of design, technological innovation and experimentation. Benjamin and Charles E. Nicholson rose through the ranks thanks to their talent as designers, a prerequisite for their legitimacy. In Charles’s era, the shipyard was at the forefront of nautical design as perhaps never before. His ability to think outside the box was probably not comparable to that of the American Nathanael G. Herreshoff, but domestically he achieved more than G.L. Watson and William Fife III, which makes him the most successful and talented British yacht designer: an achievement that is confirmed by the performance of his boats and by the many orders coming from people who turned to him knowing they were choosing the best. In conclusion, the history of Camper & Nicholsons and that of its projects allow us to analize from a privileged point of view, that of an established player well-integrated into the social fabric of the country of reference, aspects and problems that a shipyard founded during the industrial revolution had to face to survive the passage of time, reinventing itself each time through the diversification of activities, new investments and product innovation. This modus operandi has allowed it to withstand the impact of multiple crises and wars, two of which were world wars: but not to withstand the impact caused by the decline of Great Britain, its immense colonial empire and its economy, a viaticum towards a downsizing of the shipyard that clashes with its sumptuous past. In light of the events described in this dissertation, Camper & Nicholsons is a case study that deserves to be analyzed in depth due to its multifaceted evolution, its ability to adapt and the contribution that its most iconic boats have given - and still give - to the varied world of sailing.