Earlier this year Oxford lost one of its premier boatbuilders, Edmund A. Cutts, Jr. Eddie learned the trade of wood boatbuilding from his father, Edmund Cutts Sr. at their Oxford shipyard, Cutts & Case, along with brother Ronnie. Eddie’s passion for design and engineering was in his DNA. He participated in registering several patents, including the Cutts Patented Method of boatbuilding, a double planked skin laid over simple set up molds. It solved several problems in boatbuilding and has been practiced by Cutts & Case in building and restoration since 1983.
The Oxford Museum pays tribute to Eddie Jr. with an exhibit in the Museum’s windows on display curated by Stuart Parnes, former President, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and Director of Exhibitions & Interpretation at Mystic Seaport Museum.
The exhibit includes a beautiful, portrait photograph by Fred Stocker; the story of Eddie’s fascination with boatbuilding and motorcycles, and his accomplishments including international recognition from boatbuilders in Finland. One window is dedicated to a 13-minute video by Laddavanh Walker of Eddie’s life in which he recounts his and his father’s passion and process for boatbuilding.
You can also see some of Eddie’s work firsthand at the Cutts & Case boatyard display, which includes vintage motorcycles and the restored motor yacht Foto, a 33-foot cedar chase boat that Morris and Stanley Rosenfeld used to photograph America’s Cup yachts in the Golden Age of Yachting. The video is also available for viewing on the Museum’s website: https://www.oxfordmuseummd.org/remembering-edward-cutts-jr/.
The Museum’s window exhibit will be available for viewing from now through mid-July.
Hugh (Jock) Beebe says
The Oxford Museum is to be congratulated for bringing the fine accomplishments of Ed, Sr. and Eddie, Jr. to light so vividly. As we are saddened by the rather sudden loss of Eddie, the video brings smiles of recognition for the skills that he brought to wooden boats along with classic shipwright’s humor.