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Royal Mail Steam Ship Niagara.
Royal Mail Steam Ship Niagara.

Royal Mail Steam Ship Niagara.

Printer (American, 1848 - 1850)
Publisher (American, 1848 - 1850)
Publisher (American, 1808 - 1888)
Date1848-1850
MediumLithography; printer's ink and watercolor on wove paper
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 8 5/16 x 12 9/16in. (21.1 x 31.9cm) Sheet (height x width): 10 x 14 1/4in. (25.4 x 36.2cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number1992.102.0
DescriptionA three-masted steamboat appears to be in the open ocean, sailing towards the right. A paddlewheel with a cover decorated with an oval medallion is on the side of the vessel. Steam issues from a short smokestack in the center of the deck. Lifeboats hang from the side and stern. An American flag flies from the foremast. A pennant flies from the mainmast. A British flag flies from the yardarm on the mizzenmast. Many guylines attach the masts to the sides and bowsprint. Three small figures are on deck near the stern. A second vessel is barely visible in the left background.
NotesSubject Note: According to the Cunard website, the SS Niagara was in service from 1848 to 1875. The letter of 5/20/1842 quoted under Text Entries probably refers to a print of Niagara Falls, not of a vessel named the Niagara. (Finlay 3/4/2004)
Status
Not on view