The Tall Ship Elissa Collection - Ceremonial Ship Launching (1978)

Duration: 8:21

Year Published: 1978

Format: 16mm

Sound: silent

Description: In 1974, the Galveston Historical Foundation purchased the Elissa, a three-masted barque tall ship, to complement the Strand Historic District. After nearly a century at sea—during which it sailed under British, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, and Greek flags—the vessel was at the time languishing in a salvage yard in the port of Athens, Greece. Before the Foundation could tow the Elissa back to Galveston, however, restoration efforts were required. This raw footage shot by Robert Cozens for the KUHT documentary Elissa: A Crown for the Queen captures moments from the first stage of the process, known as the Greek campaign. The extensive repairs to the ship’s hull complete, the Elissa returns to the water in a ceremonial ship launching on May 13, 1978. A Greek Orthodox priest presides over the event. The Elissa was later towed to Gibraltar, where her restoration continued until she was ready to set sail for Texas on June 25, 1979. She arrived in Galveston on July 20. The Elissa underwent a complete restoration over the next three years, formally opening as a tourist attraction on July 4, 1982.