Bidspirit auction | PORTRAIT OF THE GREAT LAKES

PORTRAIT OF THE GREAT LAKES VESSEL ”IROQUOIS” - American, early 20th century, watercolor and gouache on paper. A framed unsigned painting of the ”Iroquois” schooner on Lake Erie, framed with the captain's business card. 17” high, 21.25” wide (sight), 28” high, 32.5” wide (overall). The schooner ”Iroquois” was among the working cargo vessels that plied Lake Erie during the third quarter of the nineteenth century, part of the vital lake trade that carried lumber, grain, and coal between growing port cities. Built originally as a brig ca. 1850 (good for deep, open water but cumbersome and requiring a large crew), in the late 1860s she was converted to a schooner, which was more flexible and efficient for maneuvering in narrow waters like lakes, rivers, and harbors. the ”Iroquois” endured both hard service and mishaps, including a fire in 1862, a grounding in 1872, and ultimately a wreck in 1875. One of her later masters was Capt. James Joseph Carr of Buffalo, New York, who had gone to lake life at the age of fifteen and, by twenty-six, was already commanding some of the largest sailing craft on the Great Lakes. Carr?s years with the ”Iroquois” helped establish his reputation as a steady and capable master, leading him later to command other schooners and eventually steamers such as the ”Annie Laura.” After retiring from active service in 1902, he worked with Buffalo?s Department of Public Works until his death in 1915, remembered as one of the city?s veteran lake captains. Provenance: an Ohio collection. PLEASE NOTE OUR SHIPPING PROCESS. There are four ways to get your purchases from our gallery to you: 1. You pick things up yourself (by appointment); 2. You engage a third-party company to pick things up on your behalf (by appointment); 3. Live Auctioneer's Live Shipping (LA makes the arrangements and adds the cost to your LA invoice); 4. Our affordable in-house shipping: shippable items will be packed and shipped in-house, and larger items will be sent via freight; we will bill you separately for the cost of packing and shipping. Condition: Fading to sky. Edges previously glued to mat with residue and dirt.