And a Right Good Crew - Life Magazine

As Maggie noted in her post on Emily Kimbrough's book, part of the American boaters' trip included a photo session for LIFE magazine. It appeared an important part of their journey, probably because it helped promote the forthcoming book. The US members of the eponymous crew, apart from the author, were author-actor Howard Lindsay, his wife actress Dorothy Stickney, author Arthur Kober and Sophy Jacobs who was described as an "Urban League leader" and who was a long term friend of author Emily having attended the same college. They all feature in the magazine article that appeared in September 1957.

Howard Lindsay was a Pulitzer Prize and Tony award winner and he wrote the book for The Sound of Music. Dorothy Stickney had her birthday whilst on board Maid Mary Sue and received canal ware as gifts. Reading the episode where the group collect the gifts it appears that the unnamed canal painter of the cans and dipper was from Braunston. Like Mike Vedmore who has also reviewed this book, I think it is likely that they bought the cans from someone associated with Nurser's yard. Dorothy Stickney went on to have 101 birthdays in all and died in 1998.

The narrowness of our canals and their small dimensions of their boat fascinated the New Yorkers. During meals it was quite a crush as the Life photographer recorded and Arthur Kober sketched in a cartoon that appears in the book.

Sophy Jacobs negotiates the dining table!

All other cartoons in the book were by Mircea Vasiliu who worked in the USA as a diplomat for Romania in New York during WWII but sought asylum after the communist takeover. It appears he wrote children's books on his own account and illustrated many others. 

Mircea Vasiliu

Maid Mary Sue Ascending Napton Flight

The photographer assigned to cover the Americans journey for LIFE magazine was, according to the author, called Burrows. He appears as an important character in the book because the photo-shoot features strongly; he was even featured in a cartoon. The older Americans were amazed at his agility.

Burrows in Action on the canal

It appears that the photographer was Larry Burrows, who at that time was working for LIFE in London. He achieved fame as a photojournalist covering the Vietnam War - a far cry from canal cruising. Burrows was tragically killed in Laos in 1971 and would have been 31 at the time of his Napton assignment. 

Burrows in SE Asia (Wikipedia)

The boat hired by the Americans for their journey from Stone to Thames Ditton came from the famous Maid Line and Sophy and Emily were in  contact with the IWA. Lionel Munk who founded Maid Line and was soon  to be IWA Chairman.