Excursion Boat Viking Star Island Isles of Shoals NH Postcard 1960s Chrome For Sale

This mid-20th-century chrome-era postcard captures the excursion boat \"Viking\" as it approaches Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals, situated off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The vessel, white with a dark stripe along its hull, moves across the water leaving a visible wake. Its upper deck, shaded by a canopy, and lower deck are both crowded with passengers, suggesting the height of a busy tourist season. In the background, a low-lying landmass dotted with numerous buildings—likely houses or resort structures—rises against a clear, light blue sky, evoking the developed waterfront community of Star Island. The scene reflects the enduring popularity of the Isles of Shoals as a summer destination, accessible by excursion boats that ferried day-trippers and vacationers to the rugged, historically significant islands. The color photo is credited to James R. Wentz, a photographer whose work documented regional New England subjects.The verso provides substantial publication details. The printed caption identifies the scene as \"Excursion Boat \'Viking\' approaches Star Island, Isles of Shoals, off Portsmouth, New Hampshire,\" and notes the publisher as Bromley and Company, Inc., of 1041 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Massachusetts, 02215. The presence of this five-digit ZIP code indicates a publication date after 1963, when ZIP codes were introduced in the United States. The card bears the catalog numbers NC 1053 and S-64913, typical of publisher inventory systems. The reverse side remains entirely unused, with no handwritten message, postal markings, or cancellation marks of any kind. The card is in excellent condition, with sharp corners, intact edges, and clean surfaces; only a slight vertical discoloration line along the right edge hints at minor age-related toning. The combination of a named excursion vessel, a specific island destination, and a credited photographer makes this a document of mid-century coastal leisure travel in the Granite State.