Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Fundy Steam & Diesel

As the Age of Sail waned, the clouds of canvas were replaced by clouds of smoke and steam belched out by steam powered ships plying the Bay of Fundy.  While sailing ships had a certain grace to the masts and sails straining in the wind, the ships propelled by steam engines and later diesel engines had a different, more solid, functional grace to their design.

I enjoy painting engine powered vessels just as much as sailing ships, even though they are very different in form and grace.  I have prints of four of these paintings, most of which will be on display at the Grand Manan Christmas Market this Saturday.  If there is one that interests you that you don't see at the market, I would be pleased to fill your order.

The first little steamship is the earliest ferry to serve Grand Manan on a regular basis.  In 1884, a group of Grand Manan businessmen went down to Flushing, New York, and bought a steamship to place in service as a ferry to the Island.  The was the steamer "Flushing":



The second steamer in this series didn't serve Grand Manan, but plied on the Saint John River.  Built in Toronto in 1899, she ran up and down the Saint John River from 1902 until she was retired in 1942, being one of the last steamers in regular service on the River; the "Majestic":



Starting out life as a graceful, sleek hull, diesel yacht, she was pressed into service during World War II as the minesweeper "Elk".  When the War ended, she was purchased from War Assets, to be put into service until she was replaced in 1965.  Most noted for having to hoist cars on deck with a derrick, she carried nine cars and no trucks.  But many older Islanders fondly remember the "Grand Manan III":



Rounding out this series at this time is a print of my painting of the diesel ship that was built in Saint John and placed into service in 1965, to be retired earlier this year.  Having served the Island faithfully for 46 years, many Islanders have been purchasing a print of this painting of the "Grand Manan":


I hope you have enjoyed this brief glance at some of these ships of steam and diesel that have been so much a part of our Bay of Fundy heritage.  Prints of these paintings are available in three sizes and with three frame styles.  The details are all there in ericallaby.com

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