WILLIAM H CONNOR

Artist Joseph Park Sweetser (1831-1889)

Date1879

Object number00006363

NamePainting

MediumOil on canvas in wood frame

DimensionsOverall: 130.7 x 87.5 mm, 9.3 kg
Display dimensions: 880 × 1310 × 9.5 mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineANMM Collection Purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds

Terms

DescriptionAn oil painting by Joseph Sweetser of the clipper ship WILLIAM H CONNOR at sea sailing near Searsport, Maine. The three-masted clipper ship appears in full sail, flying an unidentified flag from the stern and the Peabody house flag from its main mast. A number of passengers are visible onboard the deck.HistoryThe era of the clipper ships was dominated by a sense of romance, competition, national pride and innovative technology. These sleek and graceful ships were a symbol of American modernity and fundamental to the expanding global economy. Their design concentrated on speed instead of cargo capacity, a great benefit to shipping companies eager to transport goods quickly. The WILLIAM H CONNOR was a 1496 ton wooden ship and the last fully rigged vessel to be built by Marlboro Packard at Searsport, Maine in 1877. It was named after a well known personality from Belfast, Maine and involved in trade with the Far East. In 1879 it was chartered by the Peabodys, an established and prominent family in the Salem and Boston shipping industry. After 1902, WILLIAM H CONNOR was sold and used as a coal barge. It sunk after colliding with the vessel HUGH KELLY near Sandy Hook off the New Jersey coast in 1909.SignificanceThis is a rare ship portrait of the WILLIAM H CONNOR and representative of the Australian coal trade during the 19th century.