The Marine Life of Sydney Harbour

Artist J T Pearson

Date1901- 1910

Object number00004847

NamePainting

MediumWatercolour, paper, frame

DimensionsFramed: 1285 x 895 x 50mm. Glazed.
Sheet 1055 x 640mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionWatercolour by J T Pearson of groupings of different species of marine life such as fish, sharks, molluscs, crustaceans, whales plus fishing and whaling equipment, various types of bait, and scenes of people fishing in Sydney Harbour and its beaches. History"A wonderful oddity is J.T. Pearson's watercolour the Marine Life of Sydney Harbour, painted in about 1900. Painted in a naive style, it shows a comprehensive collection of the identifiable marine life in Sydney Harbour, the tools needed to catch it, and some recommended fishing spots. On the lower left is the Royal Yacht OPHIR, which visited Sydney in 1901 as part of the Federation celebrations and, on the right, the harbour ferry BRIGHTON. Unfortunately nothing is known about the artist. " - Stephern Scheding, SIGNALS, issue 98, 2012. The paddle ferry steamer BRIGHTON is depicted at lower left. The BRIGHTON plyed the waters between Circular Quay and Manly from 1883 until 1916. On the lower left is the royal yacht OPHIR, visiting Sydney as part of the Federation celebrations. There is little known about the artist 'J T Pearson'. In 2000 a number of their works, predominantly of sealife, was discovered in a suitcase 'under a bed' in the Pacific Hotel in Yamba. They were gifted to the Story House Museum in Yamba.SignificanceThis watercolour details the marine life of Sydney over a century ago. An easy to follow visual guide, it is also a celebration of harbour life.