Description

A finely rendered mid-19th-century pencil drawing of the American three-masted ship Griffin of Boston, depicted in profile under full rig with meticulous attention to its rigging and spars. The vessel is identified in graphite script at upper right as “Griffin of Boston / Lying at San Francisco”, and is shown beneath a faint horizon with coastal cliffs sketched to the left margin, likely referencing the California coast or harbor approach.

Executed with crisp, technical linework and an evident understanding of maritime architecture, the drawing is a superb example of sailor’s art or ship portraiture, typical of those undertaken either by captains themselves or professional ship portraitists working in port. Housed in a period figured maple frame with a pine and iron-nailed backboard.

Inscribed verso with an attribution to Ada Eldridge (Barnstable, Massachusetts, active circa 1850–1870), the work is believed to have been part of a sketchbook once belonging to a sea captain, annotated by a prior owner as “from the collection of sketches in major book, leather label dated 1847.” The artist’s name is not confirmed within the image itself, but the precision of the rendering supports the possibility of it being the work of a trained ship master or an amateur draftsman with firsthand knowledge of the vessel.

Provenance:
Stephen H. Gove, Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts; purchased 3/30/92 at the Hartford Antique Show, reportedly from a sketchbook attributed to Ada Eldridge of Barnstable, MA.

Historical Context:
The Griffin of Boston appears in American maritime records as an active brig during the mid-19th century, notably in shipping routes involving Canton, China and later San Francisco during the expansion of West Coast trade. In a related 1832 ship log titled Journal of Brig John Gilpin: Baltimore to Canton, the Griffin is listed among the aggregate records, suggesting it may have operated in similar transpacific commercial lanes.

The annotation on the log’s final page (visible in your images) notes voyages from Canton to Boston in the 1830s–50s, which corresponds to the likely timeframe of the drawing. San Francisco became a major port following the California Gold Rush (1848–50), and the Griffin is plausibly illustrated here during a stopover or layover in the harbor.

Measurements:
12.125 inches wide x 10.125 inches high (framed)See

Dimensions

12.12ʺW × 0.25ʺD × 10.12ʺH

Styles

Americana

Frame Type

Framed

Art Subjects

Seascape

Period

Mid 19th Century

Country of Origin

United States

Item Type

Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned

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Materials

Pencil

Condition

Good Condition, Original Condition Unaltered, Some Imperfections

Color

Black

Condition Notes

Minor wear commensurate with age and use.Minor wear commensurate with age and use.