Name/Title
USS Yorktown (CV-10) Christening Champagne Bottle and NettingDescription
Cork and glass neck fragments from the champagne bottle used for christening the USS Yorktown (CV-10). The netting surrounded the full bottle is still present.Use
Bottles of champagne (or similar spirts) were used when christening a ship as it left drydock. The bottle of champagne was thrown at the newly christened ship, and the breaking of said bottle was good luck for the ship and its crew. Netting was used around the bottle to hold it in place as it was swung outward to smash on the hull or bow of the ship as it departed the drydock.Context
This bottle fragment and netting were attached to the champagne bottle First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the ship's sponsor, broke across the bow of the USS Yorktown (CV-10) at the christening ceremony on January 21, 1943. During the ceremony, the ship started moving out of drydock prematurely. The First Lady threw the christening bottle at the now moving Yorktown. The bottle bounced back off the aircraft carrier, but the Eleanor adeptly caught it, and threw it back once again. This time the bottle broke to the combined laughter and cheers of the crowd.Acquisition
Accession
2022.0015Source or Donor
Battleground Antiques, Inc.Acquisition Method
PurchaseMade/Created
Manufacturer
Newport News Naval Shipbuilding and Dry Dock CompanyDate made
circa 1943Update Date
October 28, 2024
