Captain Arthur Andrew Small (American, 1885-1958) portrait painting of the clipper ship Stag Hound in Singapore. Oil on canvas, dated 1940, signed lower right, original  More »

Captain Arthur Andrew Small (American, 1885-1958) portrait painting of the clipper ship Stag Hound in Singapore. Oil on canvas, dated 1940, signed lower right, original frame, titled on reverse of frame. Size: 21" x 27". Condition: all original; requires a professional cleaning of the yellowed varnish. The Stag Hound was built in Boston, Mass. in 1850 by Donald McKay, and at 215' in length was the largest and fastest ship of her kind, providing competition with the shipbuilding trade in New York City, which had heretofore dominated the clipper ship industry. She completed numerous trips around the Horn to China, delivering her cargo in record time. She caught fire in 1861, ending her 11 year career. Captain Arthur Small, a native of Brockton, Mass., was from a family of lighthouse keepers. He was a keeper on 'Bug' Light on the outskirts of Boston harbor, and then, in 1922, became keeper of Palmer's Island Lighthouse, offshore from New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was also an amateur painter, who specialized in portraits of ships. He was recognized by the U.S. government for his bravery during the Hurricane of 1938 which struck Palmer's Island. On October 1st, the day of the storm, Small and his wife, Mabel, were on the island. Arthur attempted to walk the 350 feet from his house to the lighthouse to man it during the hurricane. High waves, however, covered the island, and he was knocked unconscious. His wife, while trying to launch a rowboat to come to his rescue, was swept away and drowned. Arthur eventually recovered enough to swim to the lighthouse, which he then continued to operate until the following morning, when he in turn was rescued and taken to hospital. His collection of paintings and library were all destroyed in the hurricane, together with his life savings of $7,500, which Mabel had on her possession. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This work was painted in 1940, some two years after the event.   « Less

Walter Lofthouse Dean (American, 1854-1912), oil on canvas, circa 1880s, 18" x 24". This painting depicts a busy harbor, possibly Gloucester or even Boston, with numerous  More »

Walter Lofthouse Dean (American, 1854-1912), oil on canvas, circa 1880s, 18" x 24". This painting depicts a busy harbor, possibly Gloucester or even Boston, with numerous sailing vessels and a steam powered tugboat. Walter L Dean was a Massachusetts marine painter and an experienced sailor. He studied art in Boston and then in Paris at the Academie Julian with Lefebvre and Boulanger, in 1883. He maintained an art studio in E. Gloucester, Mass. for some 30 years and loved sailing and painting the New England coastline. Offered in very good condition and with no tears or repairs; minor retouching, craquelure, and a stretcher impression just visible along the left side of the canvas. The painting is signed but not dated; however, the stretcher bears a stamped patent date from the 1880s.   « Less

A Set of Six Chinese Watercolours of Chinese Junks and Sampans, Circa 1850 The Chinese watercolours depict various Chinese watercraft known as sampans and Junks. ;The  More »

A Set of Six Chinese Watercolours of Chinese Junks and Sampans, Circa 1850 The Chinese watercolours depict various Chinese watercraft known as sampans and Junks. ;The material they are painted on is pith paper. ;The frames are eglomise and decoupage. Frame: 13 3/4 inches x 18 inches; Image size: 6 inches x 10 1/2 inches   « Less

A Chinese Oil of H.M.S. Euryalus, 1860-70 Oil on Canvas The painting depicts the ship under steam and sail approaching land with hills and in the bavckground and  More »

A Chinese Oil of H.M.S. Euryalus, 1860-70 Oil on Canvas The painting depicts the ship under steam and sail approaching land with hills and in the bavckground and numerous ships in the bay. ;She flies a Blue Ensign off the spanker as well as a blue square flag above the mizzen mast. On each mast there is a "crow''s nest" and in each are a group of ;sailors while others can be seen on board. Unusually for a China Trade picture below the ship is a coa The oli Dimensions: 21 high x 26 1/4 inches frame (sight: 17 1/2 x 22 3/4 inches. Type: Frigate ; Armament 50 (main-deck, 28 x 8-inch. 65 cwt., 9 feet long ; quarter-deck and forecastle, 22 x 32-pounders, 45 cwt. 8 feet 6 inches long, Monk''s.)  Launched : 5 Oct 1853 ; Disposal date or year : 1867  BM: 2371 tons ; Displacement: 3125 tons  Propulsion: Screw  Machinery notes: 400 hp  Designed by the Surveyor''s Dept. for the screw.  The Euryalus (1853), lmperieuse (1862), Chesapeake (1855), and Forte (1858) were on similar lines. 15 Apr 1854 captured Russian brig Patrioten [Prize Money per London Gazette of 21 Jul 1857]. 16 Apr 1854 proceeds arising from the captured Russian merchant vessel Victor, [per London Gazette of 21 Jul 1857]. 10 Aug 1854 guns were landed and sent up to the British battery, in charge of men under officers from the Edinburgh, Duke of Wellington, and Euryalus - see p. 423-4 at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow 1854 Bombardment of Sveaborg 26 Feb 1856 To join the Imperieuse at the Downs 23 Apr 1856, Present at Fleet Review, Spithead ; Captain Ramsay, CB 1860 Portsmouth 24 Jan 1862 Portsmouth. Commissioned. 12 Aug 1862 Arrived Hongkong from Plymouth. 11 Sep 1862 Japan. 15 Nov 1862 Hongkong. 1863 Bombardment of Kagosima, Japan 1864 Bombardment and capture of Simono-seki, Japan 1864 China station.   « Less

A Charming Miniature ;Sailor''s Silkwork Picture of A Royal Navy Sloop Flanked by the Union Jack and the American Flag, Circa 1875. The sails worked in trapunto, each  More »

A Charming Miniature ;Sailor''s Silkwork Picture of A Royal Navy Sloop Flanked by the Union Jack and the American Flag, Circa 1875. The sails worked in trapunto, each flag embelished with a tassel. Frame size 12 ½ x 14 inches. Reference: The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TZ, England Discussion of HMS Gannet, a sloop similar to the one illustrated in the silkwork. Early History - Sloops of the Victorian Navy By this time (1878) Britain''s naval supremacy was undisputed, with British sea power exercising far wider influence on world history than any other maritime empire. The Royal Navy''s unrivalled position, based on her superior number of ships, employment in the support of free trade and unassailable reputation achieved during the Napoleonic Wars, ensured that her capital ships commanded such respect from other nations, as to prevent the outbreak of a major war. This created a period of overall peace that was to last until the outbreak of the First World War and became known as Pax-Britannica. At the same time, however, many of the peoples of nations newly exposed to Western culture and values had begun to desire economic and political independence from colonial rule. This led to the need for increased policing activities within many of the colonies and an increased role for the Navy''s smaller ships, often operating in conjunction with parties of naval brigades and soldiers. HMS Gannet is therefore a classic example of the type of ship used to implement Great Britain''s ''gunboat diplomacy'' during the final 25 years of the nineteenth century. As fast if not faster than their sailing predecessors, sloops such as HMS Gannet maintained a capability as sea boats that ensured they could be kept at sea when larger ships had been forced to take refuge. In addition, her composite construction was ideal for her role allowing her to operate at sea for long periods and over long distances without the need for elaborate dockyard facilities to maintain her as her carpenter and crew could repair most minor damage while at sea. Indeed Gannet''s designer, Sir Nathaniel Barnaby, was so confident in her hull design that he ordered that when ships of her type returned from duties overseas, they were only to have obvious work done, and were not to be stripped down completely, as was the general practice at the time.   « Less

BRITISH SILK NEEDLEWORK PICTURE OF TWO FRIGATES ON THE OPEN SEAS. Worked in shades of blue, cream and black, Dimensions: frame size16 ¾ x 27 ½ inches.

BRITISH SILK NEEDLEWORK PICTURE OF TWO FRIGATES ON THE OPEN SEAS. Worked in shades of blue, cream and black, Dimensions: frame size16 ¾ x 27 ½ inches.   « Less

A Rare Silk and Canvas Picture of a British Ship in American Waters, Initialed M.C. and dated January 1901 The picture depicts a sail and steam ship created in silk on a  More »

A Rare Silk and Canvas Picture of a British Ship in American Waters, Initialed M.C. and dated January 1901 The picture depicts a sail and steam ship created in silk on a painted canvas background. ;The ship with three funnels and three masts without sails, the funnels belching smoke. ;The ship is underway from right to left with a sunset in the background. ;An American flag on the foremast meaning the ship is visiting an American port. ;The mainmast flies a pennant in red with the letters USM and the mizzenmast a cream flag with a blue bird. Dimension: 18 x 23 ¾ inches, sight. ;Initialed "M.C." l.l.   « Less

A Massive Thomas Willis Silk and Canvas Picture of the Steam Yacht Aztec, Signed T. Willis/NY Early 20th Century. The massive canvas with moulded brown wood frame  More »

A Massive Thomas Willis Silk and Canvas Picture of the Steam Yacht Aztec, Signed T. Willis/NY Early 20th Century. The massive canvas with moulded brown wood frame depicts the Steam yacht Atztec. ;The ship is depicted in silk in great etail including the two masts, single funnel, bridge and all the other parts of the ship as well as numerous figures on board. The Aztec was a steam yacht built in 1902 at Elizabethport, N.J., by the Lewis Nixon Co. and was acquired by the Navy on a free lease basis from A. C. Burnage, on 29 June 1917; and placed in commission on 30 June 1917, Lt. Jason H. H. Milton in command. Dimensions: 44 inches x 26 inches A photo of her can be seen here from the Department of the Navy Naval Historical center (Photographed prior to World War I by Edwin Levick, New York. U.S. Navy photo NH 93937-A) The Naval Hisotrical Center writes: USS Aztec (SP-590), 1917-1919. Originally the Steam Yacht Aztec (1902). Later HMCS Beaver (Canadian Patrol Ship, 1941-1946) USS Aztec, a 848 gross ton patrol vessel, was built in 1902 at Elizabethport, New Jersey, as the steam yacht of the same name. She was leased by the Navy in June 1917 and placed in commission late in that month. Following post-commissioning overhaul, Aztec spent the rest of World War I, and the first months following the 11 November 1918 Armistice, as flagship of the First Naval District, headquartered at Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to making inspection cruises around northern New England, she also was employed for escort and patrol duties. In late December 1918 Aztec carried Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Victory Fleet Review in New York Harbor. She was decommissioned in mid-March 1919 and returned to her owner in August 1919. In the early 1930s, after more than a decade of further yachting, Aztec was laid up at Boston. She was sold to a Canadian owner in 1940 and, in May of that year, taken over by the Royal Canadian Navy. Commissioned as HMCS Beaver in March 1941, the ship performed escort, patrol, tender and transportation missions in the Canadian Atlantic provinces until September 1944, when she was drydocked for repair of serious defects and, shortly afterwards, decommissioned. Beaver had no further active service and was sold in January 1946. In the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a15/aztec.htm) Aztec ; A Mexican Indian tribe who, in the 15th and early 16th centuries, ruled a large empire in what is now central and southern Mexico. ; (Yacht: dp. 848: l. 260'': b. 30''; dr. 8''; s. 12 k.; cpl. 96; a. 2 3", 2 Aztec (SP-590)— a steam yacht built in 1902 at Elizabethport, N.J., by the Lewis Nixon Co. — was acquired by the Navy on a free lease basis from A. C. Burnage, on 29 June 1917; and placed in commission on 30 June 1917, Lt. Jason H. H. Milton in command. ; After undergoing extensive overhaul and repairs, Aztec was designated flagship of the 1st Naval District and stationed at Boston, Mass. In this role, the vessel made inspection tours of naval bases within the district. She also escorted submarines sailing from Boston to New London, Conn., and British troop ships steaming from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia. On one occasion, Aztec was called to the assistance of a foundering British transport. She lowered her boats and rescued several hundred troops from the ill-fated British ship. ; During the last three months of World War I, Aztec patrolled the Grand Banks off Newfoundland. On 24 December 1918, she proceeded to New York City and, on the 26th, with Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt on board, participated in a Fleet review honoring the American battleships returning from duty in European waters. ; Aztec continued serving in the 1st Naval District until she was placed out of commission on 15 March 1919. The ship was returned to her owner on 7 August 1919. ; After the death of her owner in 1931, the ship was laid up at Boston and remained there until purchased in early 1940 by Mr. T. H. P. Molson, Montreal, Canada, in order that she might be requisitioned for service in the Royal Canadian Navy. The ship was taken over by Canada on 28 May 1940 and fitted out for naval service at Halifax Shipyards Ltd. She was commissioned as HMCS Beaver in March 1941. ; For the next one and one-half years, Beaver served as an antisubmarine patrol and convoy escort vessel based at various times at Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia, and Saint John, New Brunswick. On 27 December 1942, she was reassigned to duty as a tender to HMCS Cornwallis, which was based at Halifax. In early 1943, Beaver was moved to Deep Brook, Nova Scotia. ; From 9 February until 24 June 1944, the ship underwent a refit at Halifax. At some point during this time, the Royal Canadian Navy decided to use Beaver as a transport for naval personnel between Halifax and St. John''s, Newfoundland. She served in this capacity through late September, when serious defects caused the vessel to be placed in a dockyard at Halifax for repairs. ; In view of the condition of the ship and the war situation, the repair work was not carried out, and Beaver was paid off on 17 October 1944. The ship was declared surplus on 13 July 1945 and ultimately sold on 7 January 1946 to Mr. Wentworth N. Mac-Donald, Sydney, Nova Scotia Albert C. Burrage (1859-1931) Albert C. Burrage Biography by Robert J. Baptista, September 6, 2006 (http://www.colorantshistory.org/AlbertBurrageBio.html) (Photo: ;Men of Massachusetts, 1903) Albert Cameron Burrage was born in Ashburnham, Massachusetts on November 21, 1859. ;His parents were George S. and Aurelia Chamberlin Burrage, descendants of old New England families. ;John Burrage arrived from England in 1636. ; ;When Albert Burrage was three, the family moved West. ;Throughout his life, Burrage had an allegiance both to Massachusetts and the Western states. ;Educated in California, he graduated from Harvard University in 1883 with an A.B. degree. ;He married Alice Hathaway Haskell in 1885. ;The couple had four children: ;Albert Cameron, Jr., Francis H., Elizabeth A. (Mrs. Harold L. Chalifoux), and Russell. In 1884 Burrage was admitted to the Massachusetts bar and began his career as a lawyer. ;He was named counsel for the Brookline Gas Light Company in 1892. ;Later he became president of the Boston, South Boston, Roxbury, and Dorchester Gas Light companies and the Bay State Gas Company. ;In 1898, he resigned these positions because cities were starting to switch to electricity for lighting and his interest had turned to copper mining on a large scale. ;He organized the Amalgamated Copper Company and ;was one of the founders of the Chile Exploration Company and of the Chile Copper Company. ;He pursued the development of new processes for the treatment of low-grade copper ores. ;By the end of the century, Burrage had major roles in both Amalgamated Copper and Standard Oil and was regarded as one of the preeminent men of the era. ;He remained a director of Amalgamated Copper until it was dissolved during the era of President Theodore Roosevelt''s trust-busters. Burrage was active in Boston’s civic, political and social circles. ;He served on the Boston Common Council in 1892, getting approval of the "Burrage Ordinance" which prohibited city employees from being members of a political action group. ;He was a member of the Boston Transit Commission that built the Boston subway system. ;In politics he was a Republican. ;He was affiliated with many clubs including the Harvard, Union, Algonquin, Boston Art, Country and Eastern Clubs. ;In New York, he joined the Bankers Club and New York Yacht Club. A philanthropist, Burrage donated the funds to build the Burrage Hospital for Crippled Children in Boston. ;During World War I, he loaned his 260 foot, steam powered ;yacht and other personal assets, to the government to assist the war effort. However, Burrage was upset about the condition of the Aztec when it was returned to him after the war. ;He filed a claim with the government for $325,000 in repairs and $60,000 for the loss of use of the yacht. ;His attorney, the Hon. William Gibbs McAdoo, succeeded in getting $300,000........ . Thomas Willis (1850-1925) The painting is an oil on canvas with the ships created of silk and satin sails and velvet hulls. This style of painting is associated with Thomas Willis; born in Denmark, he sailed to Brooklyn in 1870. He worked for a manufacturer of silk thread until setting up a workshop with artists assisting his work on the backgrounds of the pieces, thus enabling him to focus on the sails and the yachts; he billed himself as the "Inventor and sole maker of silk ware pictures." ;Willis’ pictures are sometimes found with a ‘TW’ overlapping, but are also often found unsigned as he was the only artist working in this manner. Reference: Richter, Paula Bradstreet. Painted with Thread: The Art of American Embroidery. Peabody Essex Museum, Salem CT. 2001. p. 100   « Less

An Unusual Tinsel-Backed Woolie of an American Ship, Circa 1880. The woolie depicts an American brig at anchor in a cove just off shore. There are men visible on the ship  More »

An Unusual Tinsel-Backed Woolie of an American Ship, Circa 1880. The woolie depicts an American brig at anchor in a cove just off shore. There are men visible on the ship as well as patrolling the lighthouse on shore. The ship, rigging and land are all very stylized, the effect heightened by the metallic backing of tinsel applied to the piece. Dimensions: 26 inches x 21 inches   « Less

An English Marquetry Picture of a Ship, Circa 1800-20 Perhaps a prison ship

An English Marquetry Picture of a Ship, Circa 1800-20 Perhaps a prison ship   « Less