Dropping the Tow, ARTHUR JAMES Leaving Gloucester, Massachusetts at Dawn

oil on canvas, 20” x 40” (framed dimensions: 24” x 44”)

$36,000

In this masterfully atmospheric painting where we can almost feel the moist, dawn air, the famed fishing schooner ARTHUR JAMES is seen just after dropping the tow from the inner harbor of Gloucester at dawn and bound out to the fishing grounds, past the famous landmark copper paint factory on Rocky Neck.

Built in 1905 by Tarr and James at Essex for the firm of M. Whalen and Son of Gloucester, ARTHUR JAMES was named after the New York maufacturer of fishhooks. She was fitted out for the mackeral fisheries in which she was used exclusively, except occasional winter trips to Newfoundland, for herring. Between 1905 and 1914, she was under the command of Captain Archibald Devine and was consistently high on the list of top money-makers. In 1915 and 1916, she was commanded by Captain John Matheson and broke all records in the mackeral fisheries at that time. In October 1916, while returning to the Boston Fish Pier in a fog, ARTHUR JAMES was run down by the steamer CAMDEN and sunk. The crew was saved with the exception of the cook who was down below at the time. This was the fourth collision in the schooner’s career. She was later raised and continued seining until 1927, when she was sold to New Bedford for the Cape Verde trade and lost at sea ten years later.