Historic Americana
“THE ARGONAUT HER EVOLUTION AND HISTORY” The Lake Submarine Co. Plus Ornate Stock Certificate
c. 1899, Printed Pamphlet Titled “THE ARGONAUT HER EVOLUTION AND HISTORY” by The Lake Submarine Co., New York, Choice Extremely Fine.
This original 32 page Pamphlet measures 6” x 9.25” and has blue paper covers. It includes a wonderful presentation to investors in hopes of developing further ventures. Inside is information from articles written about the inventor and builder, Simon Lake, with images and drawings of the actual and projected vessels to be built. Included is an unaccomplished original ornate Stock Certificate of the Lake Torpedo Boat Company, measuring 10.75” x 8.25” that is suitable for display. (2 items)
Simon Lake (September 4, 1866 - June 23, 1945) was a Quaker American mechanical engineer and naval architect who obtained over two hundred patents for advances in naval design and competed with John Philip Holland to build the first submarines for the United States Navy.

He built his first submarine, “Argonaut Junior”, in 1894 in response to an 1893 request from the Navy for a submarine torpedo boat. Neither Argonaut nor Lake's following submarine, Protector, built in 1901, were accepted by the Navy. Protector was the first submarine to have diving planes mounted forward of the conning tower and a flat keel. Four diving planes allowed Protector to maintain depth without changing ballast levels. Protector also had a lock-out chamber for divers to leave the submarine. Lake, lacking Holland's financial backing, was unable to continue building submarines in the United States. He sold Protector to Imperial Russia in 1904 and spent the next seven years in Europe designing submarines for the Austro-Hungarian Navy, the Kaiserliche Marine.